tt*$^^^ 
 
 ites 
 
 
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 OF" 
 
 Mrs. SARAH P. WALS WORTH. 
 
 Received October, 1894. 
 Accessions No. ~ 
 
ON THE 
 
 BOOK OF 
 
 AND 
 
 THE REVELATION 
 
THOUGHTS, 
 
 Critical and Practical, 
 
 ON THK 
 
 BOOK OF DANIEL 
 
 AND 
 
 THE REVELATION: 
 
 AN EXPOSITION, TEXT BY TEXT, OF THESE IMPORTANT 
 PORTIONS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 
 
 By URIAH SMITH, 
 
 Professor of Biblical Exegesis in Battle Creek College, Author of "Man's 
 
 Nature and Destiny," "The Sanctuary and its Cleansing," 
 
 ; The United States in Prophecy," and other 
 
 Works on Bible Subjects. 
 
 BATTLE CREEK, MTCH. : 
 REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION. 
 
 1882. 
 
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by 
 
 URIAH SMITH, 
 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 
 
 REVIEW AND HKRALD, 
 
 IVinlcrs, Klecirotj per*, and Binders. 
 
GENERAL PREFACE, 
 
 IN presenting to the public a volume of 
 Thoughts on the book of Daniel and the book 
 of Revelation, we have but a few brief words to 
 say to the reader. 
 
 The books of Daniel and the Revelation stand 
 naturally side by side, and should be studied to- 
 gether, as they are the counterpart of each other. 
 The book has been written for a purpose, which is, 
 
 1. To lead you, reader, to receive what we be- 
 lieve to be the important truths which it teaches. 
 
 2. We wish you to believe the teaching of this 
 volume, because many of the prophecies of Daniel 
 and John concern your eternal welfare, if the view 
 here taken of them is true, as we suppose. Intel- 
 ligent conviction of prophetic truth will lead to a 
 humble performance of practical duties ; and the 
 willing and the obedient are the only ones who 
 shall eat the good of that goodly land upon which 
 the redeemed will finally enter, as their eternal 
 inheritance. 
 
 3. No person having the light placed before him, 
 can continue to walk in darkness, and be guiltless. 
 
 4. It is the prophetic portions of God's word 
 that especially constitute it a lamp to our feet, and 
 a light to our path. Ps. 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:19. 
 
 5. No sublimer study can occupy the mind than 
 those books in which He who sees the end from 
 the beginning, looking forward through all the ages, 
 gives, through his inspired prophets, a description 
 of coming events, for the benefit of those whose 
 lot it would be to meet them. 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 6. An increase of knowledge respecting the pro- 
 phetic portions of the word of God, was to be 
 one of the characteristics of the last days. Said 
 the angel to Daniel, "But thou, O Daniel, shut up 
 the words and seal the book, even unto the time 
 of the end ; many shall run to and fro, and knowl- 
 edge shall be increased ; " or, as Michselis' transla- 
 tion reads, " When many shall give their sedulous 
 attention to the understanding of these things, and 
 knowledge shall be increased." It is our lot to 
 live this side the time to which the angel told Dan- 
 iel to thus shut up the words and seal the book. 
 That restriction has expired by limitation. In the 
 language of the figure, the seal has been removed, 
 and many are running to and fro, and knowledge 
 is increased. While it is true that, of later years, 
 knowledge has marvelously increased in eveiy de- 
 partment of science, yet it is evident that this 
 prophecy specially contemplates an increase of 
 knowledge concerning those prophecies that are 
 designed to give us light in reference to the age 
 in which we live, the close of this dispensation, 
 and the soon-coming transfer of all earthly gov- 
 ernments to the great King of Righteousness, who 
 shall destroy his enemies, and crown with an in- 
 finite reward, every one of his friends. The fulfill- 
 ment of the prophecy in the increase of this 
 knowledge, is one of the pleasisg signs of the 
 present time. For about half a century light upon 
 the prophetic word has been increasing and shin- 
 ing with ever-growing luster to our own day. 
 
 In no portion of the word of God is this more 
 apparent than in the books of Daniel and the 
 Revelation; and we may well congratulate our- 
 selves in this; for no other parts of that word 
 
PREFACE. vii 
 
 deal so largely in prophecies that pertain to the 
 closing scenes of this earth's history. No other 
 books contain so many chains of prophecy reach- 
 ing down to the end. In no other books is the 
 grand procession of events that leads us through 
 to the termination of probationary time, and ushers 
 us into the realities of the eternal state, so fully 
 and minutely set forth. No other books embrace 
 so completely, as it were in one grand sweep, all 
 the truths that concern the last generation of the 
 inhabitants of the earth, and set forth so compre- 
 hensively all the aspects of the times, physical, 
 moral, and political, in which the triumph of earthly 
 woe and wickedness shall end, and the eternal reign 
 of righteousness begin. It is to call attention 
 especially to these features of the books of Daniel 
 and the Revelation, which seem heretofore to have 
 been too generally overlooked, or misinterpreted, 
 that these Thoughts are offered to the public. 
 
 There seems to be no prophecy which a person 
 can have so little excuse for misunderstanding, 
 especially as relates to its main features, as the 
 prophecy of Daniel. Dealing but sparingly in lan- 
 guage that is highly figurative, explaining all the 
 symbols it introduces, locating its events within the 
 rigid confines of prophetic periods, it points out the 
 first advent of the Messiah, in so clear and unmis- 
 takable a manner as to call forth the execration of 
 the Jews upon any attempt to explain it, and gives 
 HO accurately, and so many ages in advance, the 
 outlines of the great events of our world's history, 
 that infidelity stands confounded and dumb before 
 its inspired record. 
 
 And no effort to arrive at a correct understand- 
 ing of the book of Eevelation needs any apology ; 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 for the Lord of the prophecy has himself pro- 
 nounced a blessing upon him that readeth and 
 they that hear the words of this prophecy, and 
 keep the things that are written therein ; for the 
 time is at hand. And it is with an honest purpose 
 of aiding somewhat in arriving at this understand- 
 ing, which is set forth by the language above 
 referred to as not only possible but praiseworthy, 
 that an exposition of this book, according to the 
 literal rule of interpretation, has been attempted. 
 
 With thrilling interest we behold to-day the na- 
 tions marshaling their forces and pressing forward 
 in those movements described by the royal seer in 
 the court of Babylon nearly twenty-five hundred 
 years ago, and by John on barren Patmos nearly 
 eighteen hundred years ago ; and these movements 
 hear it, ye children of men are the last politi- 
 cal revolutions to be accomplished before this earth 
 plunges into her final time of trouble, and Michael, 
 the great Prince, stands up, and his people, all 
 who are found written in the book, are crowned 
 with full and final deliverance. 
 
 Are these things so? "Seek," says our Saviour, 
 " and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened 
 unto you." God has not so concealed his truth 
 that it will elude the search of the humble seeker. 
 
 With a prayer that the same Spirit by which 
 those portions of Scripture which form the basis 
 of this volume were at first inspired, whose aid 
 the writer has sought in his expository efforts, 
 may rest abundantly upon the reader in his inves- 
 tigations, this work is commended to the candid 
 and careful attention of all who are interested 
 in prophetic themes. U. S. 
 
 BATTLE CREEK, MICH., Jan., 1882. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 DANIEL IN CAPTIVITY. 
 
 Characteristics of the Sacred Writings. Five Historical Facts. 
 Prophecy of Jerusalem's Captivity. The Holy City 
 three times Overthrown. God's Testimony against Sin. 
 Condition and Treatment of Daniel and his Companions. 
 Character of King Nebuchadnezzar. Signification of Pa- 
 gan Names. Daniel's Integrity. The Result of His 
 Experiment. Daniel Lives till the Time of Cyrus. 
 
 Pages 2536 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 THE GREAT IMAGE. 
 
 A Difficulty Explained. Daniel Enters upon His Work. 
 Who Are the Magicians. Trouble between the King and 
 Wise Men. The Ingenuity of the Magicians. The King's 
 Sentence against Them. Remarkable Providence of 
 God. The Help Sought by Daniel. A Good Example. 
 Daniel's Magnanimity. A Natural Character. The Ma- 
 gicians Exposed. What the World Owes to the People of 
 God. Appropriateness of the Symbol. A Sublime Chap- 
 ter of Human History. Beginning of the Babylonian 
 Kingdom. What Is Meant by a Universal Kingdom? 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Description of Babylon. The Heavenly City. Babylon's 
 Fall. Strategemof Cyrus. Belshazzar's Impious Feast. 
 Prophecy Fulfilled. Babylon Reduced to Heaps. The 
 Second Kingdom, Medo-Persia. Persian Kings, and Time 
 of Their Reign. Persia's Last King. Alexander the 
 Great. His Contemptible Character. The Fourth King- 
 dom. The Testimony of Gibbon. Influences Which 
 Undermined Rome. A False Theory Examined. What 
 the Toes Signify. Rome Divided. Names and Dates of 
 the Ten Divisions. Subsequent History. God's King- 
 dom Still Future. Its Nature, Location, and Extent. 
 
 pp. 3697 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE FIERY ORDEAL. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar's Image vs. God's. Devotion of Idolaters. 
 The Jews Accused. The King's Forbearance. The Fiery 
 Furnace. Its Effect on the Chaldeans. The Course of 
 the Three Worthies. The Wonderful Deliverance. Its 
 Effect on the King's Mind. Integrity Honored. 
 
 pp. 98107 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DECREE. 
 
 The Oldest Decree on Record. Humiliation Confessed. A 
 Good Example. Nebuchadnezzar's Condition. God's 
 Dealing with the King. The Magicians Humbled. A 
 Remarkable Illustration. Mercy in Judgment. An Im- 
 portant Key to Prophetic Interpretation. Angels Inter- 
 ested in Human Affairs. The King's Acknowledgment. 
 Daniel's Hesitation. His Delicate Answer to the King. 
 Judgments ^Conditional. The Lesson Unheeded. The 
 Blow Falls. The King's Restoration. The End Gained. 
 Nebuchadnezzar's Death. Summary of His Experience. 
 
 pp. 108119 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST. 
 
 Closing Scene of Babylon's History. Celebration of the 
 Conquest of Judea. The Sacred Vessels Desecrated. 
 God Interferes with the Reveky. The Phantom Hand. 
 Change of Scene. Daniel Called. The Lesson to the 
 King. The Writing Interpreted. The Fulfillment Fol- 
 lows. Edwin Arnold's Prize Poem. pp. 120 135 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN. 
 
 Date of the Persian Kingdom. Cyrus Sole Ruler. Paul's 
 Reference to Daniel's Experience. Extent of the Persian 
 Kingdom. A Fiendish Plot. Righteousness Daniel's 
 Only Fault. False Witness of the Conspirators. Daniel 
 Undisturbed. The Decree Secured. The Victim En- 
 snared. The King's Dilemma. Daniel Cast into the 
 Lion's Den. His Wonderful Preservation. Fate of 
 Daniel's Accusers. Daniel Doubly Vindicated. The 
 King's Decree. pp. 136 144 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE FOUR BEASTS. 
 
 Chronological Connection. Rule of Scripture Interpretation. 
 Signification of the Symbols. The Kingdoms Identi- 
 cal with Those of Daniel Two. Why the Vision is 
 Repeated. Change in Babylonish History. Deterio- 
 ration of Earthly Governments. The Symbol of the 
 Bear Explained. Grecia the Third Kingdom. Ra- 
 pidity of its Conquests. Testimony of Rollin. Signifi- 
 cation of the Four Heads of the Leopard Beast. The 
 Nondescript. Signification of the Ten Horns. A Little 
 Horn Among the Ten. The Judgment Scene. A Tern- 
 
x ii CONTENTS. 
 
 poral Millennium Impossible. Character of the Little 
 Horn. Gradual Development of the Romish Church. 
 Opposition of the Arians. The Three Horns Plucked 
 Up. Millions of Martyrs A Feeble Defense. Pagan- 
 ism Outdone. Meaning of Time, Times, and a Half. 
 Date of Papal Supremacy. Date of Papal Overthrow. 
 Rome a Republic. The Power of the Papacy Waning in 
 its Stronghold. A Later Judgment. The Ecumenical 
 Council. Victor Emmanuel's United Italy. End of the 
 Pope's Temporal Power. Its Coming Destruction. 
 
 pp. 145188 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE RAM, HE GOAT, AND LITTLE HORN. 
 
 Change from Chaldea to Hebrew. Date of Belshazzar's 
 Reign. Date of this Vision. Where was Shushan? A 
 Prophecy of Isaiah Fulfilled. The Angel Explains the 
 Symbols. How the Goat Represents the Grecians. 
 Alexander the Great. Battle at ijie River Granicus. 
 Battle at the Straits of Issus. The Great Battle of Ar- 
 bela. Subversion of the Persian Kingdom, B. o. 331. 
 
 Alexander's Famous Reply to Darius. The World Will 
 not Permit Two Suns nor Two Sovereigns. Increase of 
 Power. Alexander's Disgraceful Death. Division of 
 the Kingdom. The Roman Horn. How it Came Out of 
 One of the Horns of the Goat. Antiochus Epiphanes 
 not This Horn. Rome the Power Symbolized by the 
 Little Horn. What is the Daily ? Two Desolating Pow- 
 ers Brought to View. When Oppression of the Saints 
 Will End. The 2300 Days not Here Explained. The 
 Sanctuary Explained. What the Cleansing of the Sanct- 
 uary Is. The King of Fierce Countenance. By What 
 Means the Romans Prospered. The Explanation not 
 Finished. The Reason Why. pp. 189242 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 
 
 Fifteen Years Between the Visions. Daniel's Understanding 
 of Jeremiah's Prophecy. Daniel's Wonderful Prayer. 
 Gabriel Again Appears. Division of Chapter Eight 
 Explained. Connection Between Chapters Eight and 
 Nine Established. The Time Explained. The Seventy 
 Weeks. The Meaning of " Cut Off. "Testimony of Dr. 
 Hales. Date of the Seventy Weeks. The Decree of Cy- 
 rus. The Decree of Darius. The Decree of Artaxerxes. 
 The Year 457 Before Christ. Date of Christ's Bap- 
 tism. Date of Christ's Crucifixion. Invention of the 
 Christian Era. Intermediate Dates. Harmony Estab- 
 lished. The Genuine Reading. Ptolemy's Canon. 
 The End of the 2300 Days. pp. 24 282 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 DANIEL'S LAST VISION. 
 
 Time of Daniel's Various Visions. How Cyrus Became Sole 
 Monarch. Daniel's Purpose in Seeking God. Scriptural 
 Fasting. Another Appearance of the Angel Gabriel. 
 The Effect Upon Daniel. Daniel's Age at this Time. 
 The Answer to Prayer Sometimes not Immediately Ap- 
 parent, Who Michael Is. Daniel's Solicitude for His 
 People. The Relation of Christ and Gabriel to the King 
 of Persia and the Prophet Daniel. pp. 283 294 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 A LITERAL PROPHECY. 
 
 Succession of Kings in Persia. The Rich King. The Larg- 
 est Army Ever Assembled in the World. Meaning of 
 the Phrase " Stand Up. "Alexander in Eclipse. His 
 Kingdom Divided Among His Four Leading Generals. 
 Location of the King of the North and the King of the 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 South. Macedon and Thrace Annexed to Syria. The 
 Syrian Kingdom Stronger than the Kingdom of Egypt. 
 Divorce and Marriage of Antiochua Theus. Laodice's 
 Revenge. Bernice and Her Attendants Murdered. 
 Ptolemy Euergetes Avenges the Death of His Sister. 
 Syria Plundered. 2500 Idols Carried to Egypt. Anti- 
 ochus Magnus Avenges the Cause of Hig Father. De- 
 feated by the Egyptians. Ptolemy Overcome by His 
 Vices. Another Syrian Campaign Against Egypt. New 
 Complications. Rome Introduced. Syria and Macedo- 
 nia Forced to Retire. Rome Assumes the Guardianship 
 of the Egyptian King. The Egyptians Defeated. Anti- 
 ochus Falls Before the Romans. Syria Made a Roman 
 Province. Judea Conquered by Pompey. Ceesar in 
 Egypt. Exciting Scenes. Cleopatra's Stratagem. Cae- 
 sar Triumphant. Veni, Vidi, Vici. Ceesar's Death. 
 Augustus Caesar. The Triumvirate. The Augustan Age 
 
 of Rome. The Birth of Our Lord. Tiberius, the Vile. 
 
 Date of Christ's Baptism. Rome's League with the Jews. 
 Caesar and Anthony. The Battle of Actium. Final 
 Overthrow of Jerusalem. What is Meant by Chittim ? 
 The Vandal War. The " Daily " Taken Away. Justin- 
 ian's Famous Decree. The Goths Driven from Rome. 
 Long Triumph of the Papacy. The Atheistical King. 
 The French Revolution of 1793. The Bishop of Paris 
 Declares Himself an Atheist. Franoe as a Nation Rebels 
 Against the Author of the Universe. The Marriage Cov- 
 enant Annulled. God Declared- a Phantom, Christ an 
 Impostor. Blasphemy of a Priest of Illuminism. A Dis- 
 solute Female the Goddess of Reason. Titles of the No- 
 bility Abolished. Their Estates Confiscated. The Land 
 Divided for Gain. Termination of the Reign of Ter- 
 ror. Time of the End, 1798. Triple War Between 
 Egypt, France and Turkey. Napoleon's Dream of East- 
 ern Glory. He Diverts the War from England to Egypt. 
 His Ambition Embraces all Historical Lands of the 
 East. Downfall of the Papacy. Embarkation from Tou- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Ion. Alexandria Taken. Battle of the Pyramids. The 
 Combat Deepens. Turkey, the King of the North, De- 
 clares War Against France. Napoleon's Campaign in tke 
 Holy Land. Beaten at Acre. Retires to Egypt. Called 
 Back to France. Egypt in the Power of Turkey. Tidings 
 Out of the East and North. The Crimean War of 1853. 
 Predicted by Dr. Clarke from this Prophecy in 1825. 
 The Sick Man of the East. The Eastern Question. 
 What is It? Russia's Long-Cherished Dream. The 
 Last Will and Testament of Peter the Great. Startling 
 Facts in Russian History. The Prophecy of Napoleon 
 Bonaparte. Kossuth's Prediction. Russia's Defiant At- 
 titude in 1870. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877. The 
 Berlin Congress. Turkey Bankrupt. The Whole Em- 
 pire Mortgaged to the Czar. Wonderful Shrinkage of 
 Turkish Territory. The Wonder of Statesmen. The 
 Eastern Question in the Future. pp. 295388 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 CLOSING SCENES. 
 
 The Reign of Christ. The Grand Signal of its Approach. 
 What Events are Next in Order ? The Time of Trouble. 
 The Resurrection. The Key to the Future. Some to 
 Life, Some to Shame. Promised Rewards of the Coming 
 Day. The Sealed Book Opened. Knowledge Wonder- 
 fully Increased. The Progress of a Thousand Years 
 Made in Fifty. The Wise Understand. Daniel Stands 
 in His Lot. pp. 389416 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 INTRODUCTORY VISION. 
 
 The Title and Character of the Book. Its Object. Christ's 
 Angel. His Benediction. The Churches in Asia. The 
 Seven Spirits. Prince of the Kings of the Earth. His 
 Coming Visible. The Church's Response. John's Ex- 
 perience. The Cause of Banishment. In the Spirit. 
 The Lord's Day. Alpha and Omega. The Revelation to 
 be Understood. pp. 421450 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE SEVEN CHURCHES. 
 
 The Church of Ephesus. Definition. The Cause of Com- 
 plaint. The Nicolaitanes. The Promise to the Victor. 
 The Tree of Life. The Church in Smyrna. Tribula- 
 tion Ten Days. The O vercomer's Reward. The Church 
 in Pergamos. Satan's Seat. Antipas. The Cause of 
 Censure. The Promise. The New Name. Thyatira. 
 The Woman Jezebel. pp. 451475 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 THE SEVEN CHURCHES CONTINUED. 
 
 Sardis, Definition of. White Raiment. The Book of Life. 
 Philadelphia Defined. The Key of David. Signification 
 of Laodicea. Neither Cold nor Hot. The Counsel. 
 The Final Promise. pp. 476504 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEK IY. 
 
 THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY. 
 
 Four and Twenty Elders. Seven Lamps of Fire. The Sea 
 of Glass. The Happy Unrest. pp. 505513 
 
 CHAPTEK Y. 
 
 THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY CONTINUED. 
 
 The Book. The Angelic Challenge. Christ Prevails. The 
 Anticipation. A Clean Universe. pp. 514 529 
 
 CHAPTEK VI. 
 
 THE SEVEN SEALS. 
 
 Symbols Explained. Souls Under the Altar. The Great 
 Earthquake at Lisbon. Darkening of the Sun and Moon. 
 Falling of the Stars. An Objection Answered. The 
 Great Prayer Meeting. pp. 530567 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 SEALING OF THE 144,000. 
 
 Symbols Explained. The Seal of God. The 144,000. 
 The True Israel. The New Jerusalem a Christian City. 
 Out of the Great Tribulation. pp. 568591 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE SEVEN TRUMPETS. 
 
 Encouragement for Christians. Complement of Daniel's 
 Prophecy. Testimony of Standard Historians. Rome 
 Divided. The Western Empire Extinguished. Alaric, 
 Genseric, Attila, and Theodoric. pp. 592 611 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE SEVEN TRUMPETS CONTINUED. 
 
 Rome and Persia. Chosroes Overthrown. The Rise of 
 
 2 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Mohammedanism. The Bottomless Pit. The Five 
 Month's Torment. An Established Date. Surrender to 
 the Turks Constantinople Taken. The Use of Fire- 
 arms Foretold. Cessation of the Ottoman Supremacy. 
 A Remarkable Prophecy Fulfilled. pp. 012 636 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 PROCLAMATION OF THE ADVENT. 
 
 The Book Opened. The Time of the End. Close of the 
 Prophetic Periods. Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet. 
 The Sweet and Bitter. pp. 637648 
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 THE TWO WITNESSES. 
 
 An Important Message. The French Revolution of 1793. 
 Spiritual Sodom. Crush the Wretch ! The Bible Tri- 
 umphant. The Nations Angry. God's Temple in 
 Heaven Opened. pp. 649664 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 THE GOSPEL CHURCH. 
 
 A Wonderful Scene in Heaven. Definite Data. Satan De- 
 feated. The Trial of the Church. The Coming Joy. 
 
 pp. 665674 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 PERSECUTING POWERS PROFESSEDLY CHRISTIAN. 
 
 A Change of Symbols. The Papacy. Comparison with the 
 Little Horn of Daniel 7. Deadly Wound. How it Was 
 Healed. Another Beast. The United States in Proph- 
 ecy. Wonderful Growth of Our Country. "A Place 
 for Everything, and Everything in its Place. " The Com- 
 ing Crisis. The Path of Safety. The Beginning of the 
 End. The Number of His Name. pp, 675698 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 THE THREE MESSAGES. 
 
 A Glorious Culmination. The 144,000. The Proclamation 
 of the Advent. A Moral Fall. The Severest Denuncia- 
 tion of Wrath in all the Bible. The Commandments of 
 God. A Blessing on the Dead. Wickedness Swallowed 
 Up. pp. 699720 
 
 CHAPTEE XV. 
 
 THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES. 
 
 Preparation for the Plagues. An Impressive Scene. God's 
 Judgments Righteous. Mercy Withdrawn from the 
 Earth. The Sea of Glass. The Glorious Victory. 
 Well with the Righteous. pp. 721723 
 
 CHAPTEE XVI. 
 
 THE PLAGUES POURED OUT. 
 
 The Plagues of Egypt. Death in the Sea. Fountains of 
 Blood. A Scorching Sun. Egyptian Darkness. Decay 
 of Turkey. The Eastern Question. Spirits of Devils. 
 The Battle of Armageddon. The Air Infected. Baby- 
 lon Judged. Terrific Effects of the Great Hail. Close 
 of the Scene. pp. 724746 
 
 CHAPTEE XVII. 
 
 BABYLON THE MOTHER. 
 
 Church and State. Different Forms of Roman Government. 
 The Eighth Head. Waning Away of Papal Power. 
 Symbolic Waters. pp. 747 753 
 
 CHAPTEE XVIII. 
 
 BABYLON THE DAUGHTERS. 
 Popery Beyond Reformation. Its Influence Still Felt. 
 
XX CONTENTS. 
 
 Apostate Christendom. Separation Between the Good 
 and Bad. Amazing Judgments. The Will for the Deed. 
 
 pp. 754766 
 
 CHAPTEE XIX. 
 
 TRIUMPH OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 The Marriage of the Lamb. The Bride the Lamb's Wife. 
 The Marriage Supper. Heaven Opened. A Startling 
 Contrast. The Beast Taken. The Lake of Fire. 
 
 pp. 767775 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE FIRST AND SECOND RESURRECTIONS. 
 
 The Bottomless Pit. Binding of Satan. Exaltation of the 
 Saints. The Second Resurrection. The Second Lake of 
 Fire. The Sentence Executed. pp. 776793 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE NEW JERUSALEM. 
 
 The New Heaven and Earth. The Holy City. Wonderful 
 Dimensions. Precious Stones. The Rainbow Founda- 
 tions. No Need of the Sun. pp. 794811 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE. 
 
 The Home of Peace. The Tree of Life. John's Emotions. 
 Without the City. The Gracious Invitation. " Through 
 the Gates." The Lord's Promise. The Church's Re- 
 sponse. God All in All. pp. 812 826 
 
 GENERAL INDEX, . . . 827-840 
 
TJHI7-EI: 
 
 **< 
 
 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 THAT the book of Daniel was written by the 
 person whose name it bears, there is no reason to 
 doubt. Ezekiel, who was contemporary with Dan- 
 iel, bears testimony, through the spirit of prophecy, 
 to his piety and uprightness, ranking him in this 
 respect with Noah and Job : " Or if I send a pesti- 
 lence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it 
 in blood, to cut off from it man and beast ; though 
 Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith 
 the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor 
 daughter ; they shall but deliver their own souls by 
 their righteousness." Eze. 14:19, 20. His wis- 
 dom, also, even at that early day, had become pro- 
 verbial, as appears from the same writer. To the 
 prince of Tyrus, he was directed of the Lord to say, 
 "Behold thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no 
 secret that they can hide from thee." Chap. 28 : 3. 
 But above all, our Lord recognized him as a prophet 
 of God, and bade his disciples understand the pre- 
 dictions given through him for the benefit of his 
 church : " When ye therefore shall see the abomi- 
 
 (21) 
 
22 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 nation of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the 
 prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, 
 let him understand), then let them which be in 
 Judea flee into the mountains." Matt. 24 : 15, 16. 
 
 Though we have a more minute account of his early 
 life than is recorded of that of any other prophet, yet 
 his origin is left in complete obscurity, except that 
 he was of the royal line, probably of the house of 
 David, which had at this time become very numer- 
 ous. He first appears as one of the noble captives 
 of Judah, in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king 
 of Babylon, at the commencement of the seventy 
 years' captivity, B. c. 606. Jeremiah and Habak- 
 kuk were yet uttering their prophecies. Ezekiel 
 commenced soon after, and a little later, Obadiah ; 
 but both these finished their work years before the 
 close of the long and brilliant career of Daniel. 
 Three prophets only succeeded him, Haggai and 
 Zechariah, who exercised the prophetic office for a 
 brief period contemporaneously, B. c. 520-518, and 
 Malaehi, the last of the Old-Testament prophets, 
 who flourished a little season, about B. c. 397. 
 
 Throughout the entire period of the seventy years' 
 captivity, Daniel resided at the court of Babylon, 
 most of the time in honor and prosperity, prime 
 minister of that first and most splendid of earth's 
 universal monarchies. His life affords a most im- 
 pressive lesson of the importance and the advantage 
 of maintaining from earliest youth a strict integrity 
 in the things of God, and furnishes a notable in- 
 stance of a man maintaining eminent piety, and 
 
INTEOD UCTION. 9 3 
 
 faithfully discharging all the duties that pertain to 
 the service of God, while at the same time engag- 
 ing in the most stirring activities, and bearing the 
 weightiest cares and responsibilities that can de- 
 volve upon men in this present life. 
 
 What a rebuke is his course to men at the pres- 
 ent day, who, having not a hundredth part of the 
 cares to absorb their time and engross their atten- 
 tion that Daniel had, yet plead as an excuse for 
 the almost utter neglect of Christian duties, that 
 they have not time. What will the God of Daniel 
 say to such when he comes to reward impartially 
 his servants according to their faithfulness ? 
 
 But it is not his connection with the Chaldean 
 monarchy, the glory of kingdoms, that perpetuates 
 the memory of Daniel, and covers his name with 
 honor. From the height of its glory, he saw that 
 kingdom decline and pass into other hands. Its 
 period of greatest prosperity was covered by the 
 age of one man. So brief was this nation's career, 
 so transient its glory. But Daniel was intrusted 
 with more enduring honors. While beloved and 
 honored by the princes and potentates of Babylon, 
 he enjoyed an infinitely higher exaltation, in being 
 beloved of God and his holy angels, and admitted 
 to a knowledge of the counsels of the Most High. 
 
 His prophecy is, in many respects, the most re- 
 markable of any in the sacred record. It is the 
 most comprehensive. It was the first prophecy 
 giving a consecutive history of the world from that 
 time to the end. It located its predictions with 
 
24 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 well-defined prophetic periods, though reaching 
 many centuries into the future. It gave the first 
 definite chronological prediction of the coming of 
 the Messiah. It marked the time of this event so 
 accurately that the Jews execrate the man who at- 
 tempts to interpret its numbers, since they are 
 thereby shown to be without excuse in rejecting 
 Christ ; and so accurately had its minute and literal 
 predictions been fulfilled down to the time of Por- 
 phyry, A. D. 250, that he declared (the only loop- 
 hole he could devise for his stolid skepticism) that 
 the predictions were written after the events them- 
 selves had transpired. Every succeeding century 
 has borne additional evidence to the truthfulness of 
 the prophecy ; and its fulfillment is still going 
 forward. 
 
 The personal history of Daniel reaches to a date 
 a few years subsequent to the subversion of the 
 Babylonian kingdom by the Medes and Persians. 
 He is supposed to have died at Shushan, or Susa, in 
 Persia, aged about 94 years ; his age being the prob- 
 able reason why he returned not to Judea with 
 other Hebrew captives, under the proclamation of 
 Cyrus, Ez. 1 : 1, B. c. 536, which marked the close 
 of the seventy years' captivity. 
 
I. 
 
 DANIEL IN CAPTIVITY. 
 
 VERSE 1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim 
 king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto 
 Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2. And the Lord gave Jehoia- 
 kim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of 
 the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar 
 to the house of his god ; and he brought the vessels into the 
 treasure house of his god. 
 
 With a directness characteristic of the sacred 
 writers, Daniel enters at once upon his subject. 
 He commences in the simple, historical style, that 
 being the nature of his book till we reach the 
 seventh chapter, when the prophetical portion, 
 more properly so called, commences. Like one 
 conscious of uttering only well-known truth, he 
 proceeds at once to state a variety of particulars, 
 by which his accuracy could be at once tested. 
 Thus, in the two verses quoted, he states five par- 
 ticulars, purporting to be historical facts, such as 
 no writer would be likely to introduce into a fic- 
 titious narrative: 1. That Jehoiakim was king of 
 Judah ; 2. That Nebuchadnezzar was king of 
 Babylon; 3. That the latter came against the 
 former ; 4. That this was in the third year of Je- 
 
 (25) 
 
26 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 boiakim's reign; and, 5. That Jehoiakim was 
 given into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, who took 
 a portion of the sacred vessels of the house of God, 
 and carrying them to the land of Shinar, the 
 country of Babylon, Gen. 10:10, placed them in 
 the treasure house of his heathen divinity. Subse- 
 quent portions of the narrative abound equally 
 Avith such historical facts. 
 
 This overthrow of Jerusalem was predicted by 
 Jeremiah and immediately accomplished, B. c. 606. 
 Jer. 25:8-11. Jeremiah places this captivity in 
 the fourth year of Jehoiakim, Daniel in the third. 
 This seeming discrepancy is explained by the fact 
 that Nebuchadnezzar set out on his expedition 
 near the close of the third year of Jehoiakim, from 
 which point Daniel reckons. But he did not ac- 
 complish the subjugation of Jerusalem till about 
 the ninth month of the year following; and from 
 this year Jeremiah reckons. Prideaux, vol. i, pp. 
 99, 100. Jehoiakim, though bound for the purpose 
 of being taken to Babylon, having humbled him- 
 self, was permitted to remain as ruler in Jerusa- 
 lem, tributary to the king of Babylon. 
 
 This was the first time Jerusalem was taken by 
 Nebuchadnezzar. Twice subsequently the city, 
 having revolted, was captured by the same king, 
 being more severely dealt with each succeeding 
 time. Of these subsequent overthrows the first 
 was under Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, when all 
 the sacred vessels were either taken or destroyed, 
 and the best of the inhabitants, with the king, were 
 
CHA1>TER 7, VERSES 1, 2. 97 
 
 led into captivity. The second was under Zede- 
 kiah, when the city endured the most formidable 
 siege it ever sustained except that by Titus, in A. D. 
 70. During the two years' continuance of this siege 
 the inhabitants of the city suffered all the horrors 
 of famine. At length, the garrison and king, at- 
 tempting to escape from the city, were captured by 
 the Chaldeans. The sons of the king were slain 
 before his face. His eyes were put out, and he 
 was taken to Babylon ; and thus was fulfilled the 
 prediction of Ezekiel, who declared that he should 
 be carried to Babylon, and die there, but yet 
 should not see the place. Eze. 12 : 13. The city 
 and temple were at this time utterly destroyed, 
 and the entire population of the city and country, 
 with the exception of a few husbandmen, were car- 
 ried captive to Babylon, B. c. 588. 
 
 Such was God's passing testimony against sin. 
 Not that the Chaldeans were the favorites of 
 Heaven ; but God made use of them to punish the 
 iniquities of his people. Had the Israelites been 
 faithful to God, and kept his Sabbath, Jerusalem 
 would have stood forever. Jer. 17: 24-27. But 
 they departed from him and he left them. They 
 first profaned the sacred vessels by sin, in intro- 
 ducing heathen idols among them; and he then 
 profaned them by judg-ments, in letting them go as 
 trophies into heathen temples abroad. 
 
 During these days of trouble and distress upon 
 Jerusalem, Daniel and his companions were nour- 
 ished and instructed in the palace of the king of 
 
28 
 
 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Babylon, and, though captives in a strange land, 
 were doubtless in some respects much more favor- 
 ably situated than they could have been in their 
 native land. 
 
 VERSE 3. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master 
 of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children 
 of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes ; 4 ; 
 children in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and 
 skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and under- 
 standing science, and such as had ability in them to stand in 
 the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning 
 and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 5. And the king ap- 
 pointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the 
 wine which he drank ; so nourishing them three years, that 
 at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 
 
 It had been told Hezekiah, after he had vain- 
 gloriously shown to the messengers of the king of 
 Babylon all the treasures and holy things of his 
 palace and kingdom, that of all these good things 
 nothing should be left which should not be carried 
 as trophies to the city of Babylon ; and that even 
 his own children, his descendants, should be taken 
 away, and be eunuchs in the palace of the king 
 there. 2 Kings 20:14-18. We have the fulfill- 
 ment of this prediction in the verses before us. It 
 is probable that Daniel and his companions were 
 made eunuchs ; at least we hear nothing of their 
 posterity, which can be more easily accounted for 
 on this hypothesis than on any other ; though some 
 think that this term had come to signify office 
 rather than condition. 
 
 The word children, as applied to these captives, 
 
CHAPTER 7, VERSES 5-5. 29 
 
 
 
 is not to be taken in the sense to which it is limited 
 at the present time. It included youth also. And 
 we learn from the record that these children were 
 already skillful in all wisdom, cunning in knowl- 
 edge, and understanding science, and had ability in 
 them to stand in the king's palace. In other words, 
 they had already acquired a good degree of educa- 
 tion, and their bodily and mental powers were so 
 far developed that a skillful reader of human nat- 
 ure could form quite an accurate estimate of their 
 capabilities. They are supposed to have been about 
 eighteen or twenty years of age. 
 
 In the treatment which these Hebrew captives 
 received, we see an instance of the wise policy, the 
 liberality, and the tender-heartedness, of the rising 
 king Nebuchadnezzar. 
 
 First, instead of choosing, like the later Persian 
 king, Ahasuerus, young women for the gratification 
 of his passions, he chose young men who should be 
 educated in all matters pertaining to the kingdom j 
 that he might have efficient help in administering 
 its affairs. 
 
 Secondly, he appointed them daily provision of 
 his own meat and wine. Instead of the coarse fare 
 which some would have thought good enough for 
 captives, he offered them his own royal viands. 
 
 Thirdly, he continued this liberal treatment for 
 the space of three years. Thus they had all the 
 advantages which the kingdom afforded. Though 
 captives, they were royal children, and they were 
 treated as such by the humane king of the Chal- 
 deans. 
 
30 THOUGHT'S ON DANIEL. 
 
 . The question arises why 'these persons were at 
 once selected to take part, after suitable prepara- 
 tion, in the affairs of the kingdom. Were there 
 not enough native Babylonians to fill these places 
 of trust and honor ? It could have been for no 
 other reason than that the king knew that the 
 Chaldean youth could not compare with those of 
 Israel in ingenuity, wit, quickness of perception, 
 and every excellence, both mental and physical. 
 " And if this is so," says Henry, " what a shame 
 that a people of so much wit should not have had 
 wisdom and grace enough to keep from falling 
 under the displeasure of the Almighty, and being 
 led into captivity." This will apply to the fathers, 
 more than to these children who thus suffered on 
 account of the iniquities of their- ancestors. 
 
 VERSE 6. Now among these were of the children of 
 Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah : 7 : unto 
 whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names ; for he gave 
 unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar ; and to Hananiah, of 
 Shadrach ; and to Mishael, of Meshach ; and to Azariah, of 
 Abed-nego. 
 
 This change of names was probably made on ac- 
 count of the signification which they bore. Thus, 
 Daniel signified in the Hebrew, God is my Judge ; 
 Hananiah, Gift of the Lord ; Mishael, He that is a 
 strong God ; and Azariah, Help of the Lord. These 
 names, each having some reference to the true God, 
 and signifying some connection with his worship, 
 were changed to names the definition of which bore 
 a like relation to the heathen divinities and wor- 
 
CHAPTER 7, VERSES 6-16. 
 
 ship of the Chaldeans. Thus Belteshazzar, the 
 name given to Daniel, signified, Keeper of the hid 
 treasures of Bel ; Shadrach, Inspiration of the sun, 
 which the Chaldeans worshiped; Meshach, Of the 
 goddess Shaca, under which name Venus was wor- 
 shiped ; and Abed-nego, Servant of the shining fire, 
 which they also worshiped. 
 
 VERSE 8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would 
 not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor 
 with the wine which he drank ; therefore he requested of the 
 prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9. 
 Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love 
 with the prince of the eunuchs. 10. And the prince of the 
 eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath 
 appointed your meat and your drink ; for why should he see 
 your faces worse liking than the children wliich are of your 
 sort ? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. 
 
 11. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eu- 
 nuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 
 
 12, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days ; and let 
 them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13. Then let 
 our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the coun- 
 tenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's 
 meat ; and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. 14. So he 
 consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 
 15. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared 
 fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat 
 the portion of the king's meat. 16. Thus Melzar took away 
 the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should 
 drink ; and gave them pulse. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar appears upon this record won- 
 derfully free from bigotry. It seems that he took 
 no means to compel his royal captives to change 
 their religion. Provided they had 
 
32 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 was sufficient for him, whether it was the religion 
 he professed or not. And although their names had 
 been changed to signify some connection with 
 heathen worship, this may have been more to avoid 
 the use of Jewish names by the Chaldeans, than to 
 indicate any change of sentiment or practice on the 
 part of those to whom these names were given. 
 
 Daniel purposed not to defile himself with the 
 king's meat, nor with his wine. Daniel had other 
 reasons for this course than simply the effect of 
 such a diet upon his physical system, though he 
 would derive great advantage in this respect from 
 the fare he proposed to adopt. But it was gen- 
 erally the case that the meat used by the kings and 
 princes of heathen nations, they being the high 
 priests of their religion, was first ottered in sacrifice 
 to idols, and the wine they used, poured out as a 
 libation before them ; and again, some of the meat 
 of which they made use, was pronounced unclean 
 by the Jewish law ; and on either of these grounds 
 Daniel could not, consistently with his religion, par- 
 take of these articles ; hence he requested, not from 
 any morose or sullen temper, but from conscien- 
 tious scruples, that he might not be obliged to defile 
 himself ; and he respectfully made his request 
 known to the proper officer. The prince of the eu- 
 nuchs feared to grant Daniel's request, since the 
 king himself had appointed their meat. This 
 shows the great personal interest the king took in 
 these persons. He did not commit them to the 
 hands of his servants, telling them to care for them 
 
GHAPTEli /, VELi&ES 6-16. 33 
 
 in the best manner, without himself entering into 
 its details; but he himself appointed their meat 
 and drink ; and this was of a kind which was hon- 
 estly supposed would be the best for them, inas- 
 much as the prince of the eunuchs thought that a 
 departure from it would render them poorer in 
 flesh and less ruddy of countenance than those 
 who continued it ; and thus he would be brought 
 to account for neglect or ill-treatment of them, and 
 so lose his head. Yet it was equally well under- 
 stood that if they maintained good physical con- 
 ditions, the king would take no exception to the 
 means used, though it might be contrary to his 
 own express direction. It appears that the king's 
 sincere object was to secure in them, Toy whatever 
 means it could be done, the very best mental and 
 physical development that could be attained. How 
 different this from the bigotry and tyranny which 
 usually hold supreme control over the hearts of 
 those who are clothed with absolute power. In the 
 character of Nebuchadnezzar we shall find many 
 things worthy of our highest admiration. 
 
 Daniel requested pulse and water for himself and 
 three companions. Pulse was a vegetable food of 
 the leguminous kind, like peas, beans, etc. Bagster 
 says, " Zeroim denotes all leguminous plants, which 
 are not reaped, but pulled or plucked, which, how- 
 ever wholesome, were not naturally calculated to 
 render them fatter in flesh than the others." 
 
 A ten days' trial of this diet resulting favorably, 
 they were permitted to continue it during the 
 3 
 
34 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 whole course of their training for the duties of the 
 palace. Their increase in flesh and improvement 
 in countenance, which took place during these ten 
 days, can hardly be attributed to the natural result 
 of the diet ; for it would not produce such marked 
 effects in so short a time. We think it more nat- 
 ural to conclude that this result was produced by a 
 special interposition of the Lord, as a token of his 
 approbation of the course on which they had en- 
 tered, which course, if persevered in, would in proc- 
 ess of time lead to the same result, through the 
 natural operation of the laws of their being. 
 
 VERSE 17. As for these four children, God gave them 
 knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom ; and Daniel 
 had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18. Now at 
 the end of the days that the king had said he should bring 
 them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in be- 
 fore Nebuchadnezzar. 19. And the king communed with 
 them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, 
 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah ; therefore stood they before 
 the king. 20. And in all matters of wisdom and under- 
 standing, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten 
 times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were 
 in all his realm. 21. And Daniel continued even unto the 
 first year of King Cyrus. 
 
 To Daniel alone seems to have been committed 
 an understanding in visions and dreams. Remark- 
 able instances, the record of which is here omitted, 
 had doubtless proved his gift in this direction. 
 Nor does the Lord's dealing with Daniel in this re- 
 spect prove the others any the less accepted in his 
 sight. Preservation in the midst of the fiery fur- 
 
CHAPTER /, VERSES 17-21. 35 
 
 nace was as good evidence as they could have had of 
 the divine favor. Daniel probably had some natu- 
 ral qualifications that peculiarly fitted him for this 
 work. 
 
 The same personal interest heretofore manifested 
 by the king in these individuals, still continued. 
 At the end of the three years, he called them to a 
 personal interview. He must know for himself 
 how they had fared and what proficiency they had 
 made. This interview also shows the king to have 
 been a man well versed in all the arts and sciences 
 of the Chaldeans, else he would not have been qual- 
 ified to examine others therein. As the result, rec- 
 ognizing merit wherever he saw it, without respect 
 to religion or nationality, he acknowledged them to 
 be ten times superior to any in his own land. 
 
 And it is added that Daniel continued even unto 
 the first year of King Cyrus. This is an instance 
 of the somewhat singular use of the word unto, or 
 until, which occasionally occurs in the sacred writ- 
 ings. It does not mean that he continued no 
 longer than to the first year of Cyrus ; for he lived 
 some years later. But this is the time to which 
 the writer wished to direct especial attention, as it 
 brought deliverance to the captive Jews. In a sim- 
 ilar way the word is used in Ps. 112 : 8 ; and Matt. 
 5:18. 
 
II. 
 
 THE GREAT IMAGE. 
 
 VERSE 1. And in the second year of the reign of Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his 
 spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 
 
 DANIEL was carried captive in the first year of 
 Nebuchadnezzar. For three years he was placed 
 under instructors, during which time he would not, 
 of course, be reckoned among the wise men of the 
 kingdom, nor take part in public affairs. Yet in 
 the second year of Nebuchadnezzar the transactions 
 recorded in this chapter took place. How, then, 
 could Daniel be brought in to interpret the king's 
 dream in his second year ? The explanation lies in 
 the fact that Nebuchadnezzar reigned for two years 
 conjointly with his father Nabopollassar. From this 
 point the Jews reckoned ; while the Chaldeans reck- 
 oned from the time he commenced to reign alone, on 
 the death of his father. Hence, the year here men- 
 tioned was the second year of his reign, according to 
 the Chaldean reckoning, but the fourth, according 
 to the Jewish. It thus appears that the very next 
 year after Daniel had completed his preparation to 
 participate in the affairs of the Chaldean Empire, 
 the providence of God brought him into sudden and 
 wonderful notoriety throughout all the kingdom. 
 
 (36) 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSE 2. 37 
 
 VERSE 2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, 
 and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, 
 for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood 
 before the king. 
 
 The magicians were such as practiced magic, us- 
 ing the term in its bad sense ; that is, practiced all 
 the superstitious rights and ceremonies of fortune- 
 tellers, casters of nativities, etc. Astrologers were 
 men who pretended to foretell future events by the 
 study of the stars. The science, or the superstition, 
 of astrology, was extensively cultivated by the east- 
 ern nations of antiquity. Sorcerers were such as 
 pretended to hold communication with the dead. 
 In this sense, we believe it is always used in the 
 Scriptures. Modern spiritualism is simply ancient 
 heathen sorcery revived. The Chaldeans here men- 
 tioned were a sect of philosophers similar to the 
 magicians and astrologers, who made physic, div- 
 inations, etc., their study. All these sects or pro- 
 fessions abounded in Babylon. The end aimed at 
 by each was the same ; namely, the explaining of 
 mysteries, and the foretelling of future events, the 
 principal difference between them being the means 
 by which they sought to accomplish their object. 
 The king's difficulty lay equally within the province 
 of each to explain ; hence he summoned them all. 
 With the king it was an important matter. He was 
 greatly troubled, and therefore concentrated upon 
 the solution of his perplexity the whole wisdom of 
 his realm. 
 
 VEKSE 3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed 
 a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. 
 
38 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, O King, 
 live forever ; tell thy servants the dream, and we will show 
 the interpretation. 
 
 Whatever else the ancient magicians and astrolo- 
 gers may have been deficient in, they seemed to have 
 thoroughly schooled themselves in the art of draw- 
 ing out sufficient information to form a basis for 
 some shrewd calculation, or of framing their an- 
 swers in so ambiguous a manner that they would 
 be equally applicable, let the event turn either way. 
 In the present case, true to their cunning instincts, 
 they called upon the king to make known to them 
 his dream. If they could get full information re- 
 specting this, they could easily agree on some inter- 
 pretation which would not endanger their reputa- 
 tion. They addressed themselves to the king in 
 Syriac, a dialect of the Chaldean language which 
 was used by the educated and polished classes. 
 From this point to the end of chapter 7, the record 
 continues in Chaldaic. 
 
 VERSE 5. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, 
 The thing is gone from me ; if ye will not make known unto 
 me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be 
 cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. 6. 
 But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye 
 shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor ; there- 
 fore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. 7. 
 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants 
 the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it. 8. 
 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye 
 would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from 
 me. 9. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, 
 there is but one decree for you ; for ye have prepared lying 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 5-13. 39 
 
 and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be 
 changed ; therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that 
 ye can show me the interpretation thereof. 10. The Chal- 
 deans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man 
 upon the earth that can show the king's matter ; therefore 
 there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at 
 any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11. And it is a 
 rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other 
 that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose 
 dwelling is not with flesh. 12. For this cause the king was 
 angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the 
 wise men of Babylon. 13. And the decree went forth that 
 the wise men should be slain ; and they sought Daniel and 
 his fellows to be slain. 
 
 These verses contain the record of the desperate 
 struggle between the wise men, so called, and the 
 king; the former seeking some avenue for escape, 
 seeing they were caught on their own ground, and 
 the latter determined that they should make known 
 his dream, which was no more than their profession 
 would warrant him in demanding. Some have se- 
 verely censured Nebuchadnezzar in this matter, as 
 acting the part of a heartless, unreasonable tyrant. 
 But what did these magicians profess to be able to 
 do ? To reveal hidden things ; to foretell future 
 events ; to make known mysteries entirely beyond 
 human foresight and penetration ; and to do this 
 by the aid of supernatural agencies. If, then, their 
 claim was worth anything, could they not make 
 known to the king what he had dreamed ? They 
 certainly could. And if they were able, knowing the 
 dream, to give a reliable interpretation thereof, 
 would they not also be able to make known the 
 
THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 dream itself when it had gone from the king ? Cer- 
 tainly, if there was any virtue in their pretended 
 intercourse with the other world. There was there- 
 fore nothing unjust in Nebuchadnezzar's demand 
 that they should make known his dream. And 
 when they declared, verse 11, that none but the 
 gods whose dwelling was not with flesh could make 
 known the king's matter, it was a tacit acknowl- 
 edgment that they had no communication with 
 these gods, and knew nothing beyond what human 
 wisdom and discernment could- reveal. For this 
 cause, the king was angry and very furious. He 
 saw that he and all his people were being made the 
 victims of deception. He accused them, verse 9, 
 of endeavoring to dally along till the "time be 
 changed," or till the force of the matter had so 
 passed from his mind that his anger at their du- 
 plicity should abate, and he either recall the dream 
 himself, or be unsolicitous whether it were made 
 known and interpreted or not. And while we can- 
 not justify the extreme measures to which he re- 
 sorted, dooming them to death, and their houses to 
 destruction, we can but feel a hearty sympathy 
 with him in his condemnation of a class of miser- 
 able impostors. The severity of his sentence was 
 probably more owing to the customs of those times, 
 than to any malignity on the part of the king. 
 Yet it was a bold and desperate step. Consider 
 who these were who thus incurred the wrath of the 
 king. They were numerous, opulent, and influen- 
 tial sects. Moreover, they were the learned and 
 
GHA PTER II, VERSES 14-18. 41 
 
 cultivated classes of those times ; yet the king was 
 not so wedded to his false religion as to spare it 
 even with all this influence in its favor. If the 
 system was one of fraud and imposition, it must 
 fall, however high its votaries might stand in num- 
 bers or position, or however many of them might 
 be involved in its ruin. The king would be no 
 party to dishonesty or deception. 
 
 VERSE 14. Then Daniel answered with counsel and wis- 
 dom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was 
 gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. 15. He an- 
 swered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the 
 decree so hasty from the king ? Then Arioch made the thing 
 known to Daniel. 16. Then Daniel went in, and desired of 
 the king that he would give him time, and that he would 
 show the king the interpretation. 17. Then Daniel went to 
 his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, 
 and Azariah, his companions ; 18 ; That they would desire 
 mercies of the God of Heaven concerning this secret ; that 
 Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the 
 wise men of Babylon. 
 
 In this narrative we see the providence of God 
 working in several remarkable particulars. 
 
 1. It was providential that the dream of the 
 king should leave such a powerful impression upon 
 him as to raise him to the greatest height of anx- 
 iety, and yet the thing itself be held from his mind. 
 This led to the complete exposure of the false sys- 
 tem of the magicians, etc. ; for when put to the test 
 to make known the dream, it was found that they 
 were unable to do what their profession made in- 
 cumbent on them. 
 
42 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 2. It was remarkable that Daniel and his com- 
 panions, so lately pronounced by the king ten times 
 better than all his magicians and astrologers, should 
 not sooner have been consulted, or rather, should 
 not have been consulted at all, in this matter. But 
 there was a providence in this. Just as the dream 
 was held from the king, so he was unaccountably 
 held from appealing to Daniel for a solution of his 
 mystery. For had he called on Daniel at first, and 
 had he at once made known the matter, the magi- 
 cians would not have been brought to the test. But 
 God would let the heathen systems of the Chal- 
 deans have the first chance. He would let them 
 try and ignominiously fail, and confess their utter 
 incompetency, even under the penalty of death, 
 that they might be the better prepared to acknowl- 
 edge his hand when he should finally reach it down 
 in behalf of his captive servants, and for the honor 
 of his own name. 
 
 3. It appears that the first intimation Daniel had 
 of the matter was the presence of the executioners 
 come for his arrest. His own life being thus at 
 stake, he would be led to seek the Lord with all his 
 heart till he should work for their deliverance. 
 Daniel gains his request of the king for time to 
 consider the matter; a privilege which probably 
 none of the magicians could have secured, as the 
 king had already accused them of preparing lying 
 and corrupt words, and of seeking to gain time for 
 this very purpose. Daniel at once went to his three 
 companions, and engaged them to unite with him in 
 
CHAPTER 77, VEltSES 19-23. 43 
 
 desiring mercy of the God of Heaven concerning 
 this secret. He could have prayed alone, and 
 would doubtless have been heard; but then, as 
 now, in the union of God's people is prevailing 
 power ; and the promise of the accomplishment of 
 that which is asked, is to the two or three who 
 shall agree concerning it. 
 
 VERSE 19. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a 
 night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of Heaven. 20. 
 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for- 
 ever and ever ; for wisdom and might are his ; 21 ; And he 
 changeth the times and the seasons ; he removeth kings, 
 and setteth up kings ; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and 
 knowledge to them that know understanding, 22, He re- 
 vealeth the deep and secret things ; he knoweth what is in 
 the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. 23. I thank 
 thee, and praise thee, thou God of my fathers, who hast 
 given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me 
 now what we desired of thee ; for thou hast now made known 
 unto us the king's matter. 
 
 Whether or not the answer came while Daniel 
 and his companions were yet offering up their pe- 
 titions, we are not informed. If it did, it shows 
 their importunity in the matter ; for it was through 
 a night vision that God revealed himself in their 
 behalf, which w^ould show that they continued their 
 supplications, as might reasonably be inferred, far 
 into the night, and ceased not till the answer was 
 obtained. Or, if their season of prayer had closed, 
 and God at a subsequent time sent the answer, it 
 would show us, as is sometimes the case, that 
 prayers are not unavailing though not immediately 
 
THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 answered. Some think the matter was made 
 known to Daniel by his dreaming the same dream 
 that Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed ; but Matthew 
 Henry considers it more probable that " when he 
 was awake, and continuing instant in prayer, and 
 watching in the same, the dream itself and the in- 
 terpretation of it were communicated to him by 
 the ministry of an angel, abundantly to his satis- 
 faction." The words "night vision" mean anything 
 that is seen, whether through dreams or visions. 
 
 Daniel immediately offered up praise to God for 
 his gracious dealing with them ; and while his 
 prayer is not preserved, his responsive thanksgiving 
 is fully recorded. God is honored by our rendering 
 him praise for the things he has done for us, as well 
 as by our acknowledging through prayer our need 
 of his help. Let Daniel's course be our example in 
 this respect. Let no mercy from the hand of God 
 fail of its due return of thanksgiving and praise. 
 Were not ten lepers cleansed ? Where are the 
 nine ? 
 
 Daniel had the utmost confidence in what had 
 been shown him. He did not first go to the king, 
 to see if what had been revealed to him was indeed 
 the king's dream ; but he immediately praised God 
 for having answered his prayer. 
 
 Although the matter was revealed to Daniel, he 
 did not take honor to himself as though it was by 
 his pray ers alone that this thing had been obtained, 
 but immediately associated his companions with 
 himself, and acknowledged it to be as much an an- 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSE 4. 4,5 
 
 swer to their prayers as to his own. It was, said 
 he, " what we desired of Thee," and thou hast made 
 it " known unto us" 
 
 VERSE 24. Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom 
 the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon ; 
 he went and said thus unto him : Destroy not the wise men 
 of Babylon ; bring me in before the king, and I will show 
 unto the king the interpretation. 
 
 Daniel's first plea is for the wise men of Babylon. 
 Destroy them not ; for the king's secret is revealed. 
 True, it was through no merit of theirs or their 
 heathen systems of divination that this revelation 
 was made ; they were worthy of just as much con- 
 demnation as before. But their own confession of 
 utter impotence in the matter was humiliation 
 enough for them; and Daniel was anxious that 
 they should so far partake of the benefits shown to 
 him as to have their lives spared. Thus they were 
 saved because there was a man of God among them. 
 And thus it ever is. For the sake of Paul and 
 Silas, the bands of all the prisoners were loosed. 
 Acts 16 : 26. For the sake of Paul, the lives of all 
 that sailed with him were saved. Chap. 27 : 24. 
 These are but specimens of the countless instances 
 all along the track of time in which the wicked 
 have been benefited by the blessings of the right- 
 eous. Well would it be if they would remember 
 the obligations under which they are thus placed. 
 And what saves the world now ? For whose sake 
 is it still spared ? For the sake of the few right- 
 eous persons who are yet left. Remove these, and 
 
40 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 how long would the wicked be suffered to run their 
 guilty career ? No longer than the Sodomites were 
 suffered, after Lot had departed from their polluted 
 and polluting presence. Yet the wicked will de- 
 spise, ridicule, and oppress, the very ones on whose 
 account it is that they are still permitted the en- 
 joyment of life and all its blessings. 
 
 VERSE 25. Then Ariocli brought in Daniel before the king 
 in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the 
 captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the 
 interpretation. 
 
 It is ever a characteristic of ministers and court- 
 iers to ingratiate themselves with their sovereign. 
 So here Arioch represented that he had found a 
 man who could make known the desired interpre- 
 tation ; as though with great disinterestedness in 
 behalf of the king, he had been searching for some 
 one to solve his difficulty, and had at last found 
 him. In order to see through this deception of his 
 chief executioner, the king had but to remember, as 
 he probably did, his interview with Daniel, verse 
 16, and Daniel's promise, if time could be granted, 
 to show the interpretation thereof. 
 
 VERSE 26. The king answered and said to Daniel, whose 
 name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto 
 me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation 
 thereof 1 27. Daniel answered in the presence of the king, 
 and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot 
 the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, 
 show unto the king ; 28 ; But there is a God in Heaven that 
 revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchad- 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 29, 30. 47 
 
 nezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream and the 
 visions of thy head upon thy bed are these. 
 
 Art thou able to make known the dream ? was 
 the king's doubtful salutation to Daniel, as he came 
 into his presence. Notwithstanding his previous 
 experience, the king seems to have questioned Dan- 
 iel's ability, so young and inexperienced, to make 
 known a matter in which the aged and venerable 
 magicians and soothsayers had utterly failed. Dan- 
 iel declared plainly that the wise men, the astrol- 
 ogers, the soothsayers, and magicians, could not 
 make known this secret. It was beyond their 
 power. Therefore the king should not be angry 
 with them, nor put confidence in their inefficient 
 superstitions. He then proceeds to make known 
 the true God who rules in Heaven, and is the only 
 revealer of secrets. And he it is, says Daniel, who 
 maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what 
 shall be in the latter days. 
 
 VERSE 29. As for thee, O King, thy thoughts came into 
 thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter ; 
 and He that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what 
 shall come to pass. 30. But as for me, this secret is not re- 
 vealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any liv- 
 ing, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpre- 
 tation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts 
 of thy heart. 
 
 Here is brought out another of the commendable 
 traits of Nebuchadnezzar's character. Unlike some 
 rulers who fill up the present with folly and de- 
 bauchery, without regard to the future, he thought 
 
48 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 forward upon the days to come, with an anxious 
 desire to know with what events they should be 
 filled; doubtless that he might the better know 
 how to make a wise improvement of the present. 
 For this reason God gave him this dream, which we 
 must regard as a token of the divine favor toward 
 this king ; as there were many other ways in which 
 the truth involved in his dream could have been 
 brought out, equally to the honor of God's name > 
 and the good of his people at that time, and the 
 benefit of subsequent generations. Yet God would 
 not work for the king independently of his own 
 people; hence, though he gave the dream to the 
 king, he sent the interpretation through one of his 
 own acknowledged servants. Daniel first dis- 
 claimed all credit, for himself in the transaction, 
 and then to modify somewhat the feelings of pride 
 which it would have been natural for the king to 
 have, in view of being thus noticed by the God of 
 high Heaven, he informed him indirectly that, al- 
 though the dream had been given to him, it was 
 not for his sake altogether that the interpretation 
 was sent, but for their sakes through whom it 
 should be made known. Ah ! God had some serv- 
 ants there, and it was for them that he was work- 
 ing. They are of more value in his sight than the 
 mightiest kings and potentates of earth. Had it 
 not been for them, the king would never have had 
 the interpretation of his dream, probably not even 
 the dream itself. Thus, when traced to their 
 source, all favors, upon whomsoever bestowed, are 
 
B.C. 
 
 677 
 
 PLATE L IMAGE OF DANIEL II. 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 31-35. 49 
 
 found to be due to the regard which God has for 
 his own children. How comprehensive was the 
 work of God in this, instance. By this one thing of 
 revealing the king's dream to Daniel, he accom- 
 plished the following objects: 1. He made known to 
 the king the things he desired. 2. He saved his 
 servants who trusted in him. 3. He brought con- 
 spicuously before the Chaldean nation the knowl- 
 edge of the true God. 4. He poured contempt on 
 the false systems of the soothsayers and magicians. 
 And, 5. He honored his own name, and exalted his 
 servants in their eyes. 
 
 VERSE 31. Thou, O King, sawest, and behold a great im- 
 age. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood 
 before thee : and the form thereof was terrible. 32. This 
 image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of 
 silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33, His legs of iron, 
 his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34. Thou sawest till 
 that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the 
 image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake 
 them to pieces. 35. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, 
 the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and be- 
 came like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors ; and the 
 wind carried them away, that no place was found for them ; 
 and the stone that smote the image became a great mount- 
 ain, and filled the whole earth, 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar, according to the Chaldean relig- 
 ion, was an idolater. An image was an object which 
 would at once command his attention and respect. 
 Moreover, earthly kingdoms, which, as we shall here- 
 after see, were represented by this image, were ob- 
 jects of esteem and value in his eyes. With a mind 
 4 
 
50 THOUGHTS ON DA it I EL. 
 
 unenlightened by the light of revelation, he was un- 
 prepared to put a true estimate upon earthly wealth 
 and glory, and to look upon earthly governments in 
 their true light. Hence the striking harmony be- 
 tween the estimate which he put upon these things, 
 and the object by which they were symbolized be- 
 fore him. To him they were presented under the 
 form of a great image, an object in his eyes of re- 
 spect and admiration. With Daniel, the case was far 
 ^different ; and to him these same earthly kingdoms 
 were afterward shown under the form of cruel and 
 ravenous wild beasts. 
 
 But how admirably adapted was this representa- 
 tion to convey a great and needful truth to the mind 
 of Nebuchadnezzar. Besides delineating the progress 
 of events through the whole course of time, for the 
 benefit of his people, God would show Nebuchad- 
 nezzar the utter emptiness and worthlessness of 
 earthly pormp and glory ; and how could this be 
 more impressively done than by an image commenc- 
 ing with the most precious of metals, and continually 
 descending to the baser, till we finally have the 
 coarsest and crudest of metals, iron, mingled with 
 the miry clay ; the whole then dashed to pieces, and 
 made like the empty chaff, no good thing in it, but 
 altogether lighter than vanity, and finally blown 
 away where no place could be found for it, after 
 which something durable and of heavenly worth oc- 
 cupies its place. So would God show to the children 
 of men, that earthly kingdoms were to pass away, 
 and earthly greatness and glory, like a gaudy bubble, 
 
VHAPTEH II, VEXSES 36-38. ; 51 
 
 would break and vanish; and the kingdom of God, 
 in the place so long usurped by these, should be set 
 up to have no end, and all who had an interest 
 therein, should rest under the shadow of its peaceful 
 wings forever and ever. But this is anticipating. 
 
 VERSE 36. This is the dream; and we will tell the inter- 
 pretation thereof before the king. 37. Thou, O King, art a 
 king of kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a 
 kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38. And where- 
 soever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and 
 the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and 
 hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of 
 gold. 
 
 Now opens one of the sublimest chapters of human 
 history. Eight short verses of the inspired record 
 tell the whole story; yet that story embraces the 
 history of this world's pomp and power. A few 
 moments will suffice to commit it to memory, yet the 
 period which it covers, dating from twenty-four 
 centuries in the past, reaches on down past the rise 
 and fall of kingdoms, past the setting up and over- 
 throw of empires, past cycles and ages, past our own 
 day, over into the eternal state. It is so compre- 
 hensive that it embraces ah 1 this ; yet it is so minute 
 that it gives us all the great outlines of earthly king- 
 doms from that time to this. Human wisdom never 
 devised so brief a record which embraced so much. 
 Human language never set forth, in fewer words, a 
 greater volume of historical truth. The finger of 
 God is here. Let us heed the lesson well. 
 
 With what interest, as well as astonishment, must 
 
52 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 the king have listened to the words of the prophet, 
 as he informed him that he, or rather his kingdom, the 
 king being here put for his kingdom (see the following 
 verse), was the golden head of the magnificent image 
 which he had seen. Ancient kings were grateful for 
 success ; and in cases of prosperity, the tutelar deity 
 to whom they attributed their success, was to them 
 the adorable object upon which they would lavish 
 their richest treasures, and bestow their best devo- 
 tions. Daniel indirectly informs the king that in his 
 case all these are due to the God of Heaven, since he 
 is the one who has given him his kingdom, and made 
 him ruler over all. This would restrain him from 
 the pride of thinking that he had attained his posi- 
 tion by his own power and wisdom, and would enlist 
 the gratitude of his heart toward the true God. 
 
 The Babylonish Empire, this head of gold, was 
 founded by Belesis, called also Nabonassar, and in the 
 Scriptures called Baladan, B. c. 747. Arising from 
 the ancient Assyrian Empire, founded by Nimrod, 
 Gen. 10 : 9, 10, which had governed Asia for about 
 thirteen hundred years, it reached the summit of its 
 glory under Nebuchadnezzar, who added to his orig- 
 inal dominions the provinces of Asia Minor, Phoenicia, 
 Egypt, Syria, and Palestine. These, with the empire 
 of Babylon proper, embraced all the then known 
 world of any national influence or power. See 
 " Prideaux's Connexion." 
 
 We do not take it to be necessary that Babylon, 
 to be called a universal kingdom, should have had 
 every class of people and every country in the world 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 36-38. 53 
 
 absolutely under its sway ; for this was not in a strict 
 sense the fact with any one of the kingdoms which 
 are called in history universal kingdoms. Babylon 
 never conquered Grecia nor Rome ; but Rome was 
 founded before Babylon had risen to the climax of its 
 power. Rome's position and influence, however, were 
 then altogether prospective ; and it is nothing against 
 the prophecy that God begins to prepare his agents 
 long years before they enter upon the prominent 
 part they are to perform in the fulfillment of proph- 
 ecy. We must place ourselves with the prophet, 
 and view these kingdoms from the same stand-point. 
 We shall then, as is right, consider his statements in 
 the light of the location he occupied, the time in 
 which he wrote, and the circumstances by which he 
 was surrounded. It is a manifest rule of interpreta- 
 tion that nations are not particularly noticed in 
 prophecy until they become so far connected with the 
 people of God that mention of them becomes neces- 
 sary to make the records of sacred history complete. 
 When this was the case with Babylon, it was the 
 great and overtowering object in the political world. 
 In the prophet's eye, it necessarily eclipsed all else ; 
 and he would naturally speak of it as a kingdom 
 having rule over all the earth. So far as we know, 
 all provinces or countries against which Babylon did 
 move in the height of its power were subdued by its 
 arms. In this sense, all were in its power. And this 
 will explain the somewhat hyperbolical language of 
 verse 38. That there were some portions of territory 
 and considerable numbers of people unknown to his- 
 
54 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 tory and without the pale of civilization as it then 
 existed, which were neither discovered nor subdued, 
 is not a fact of sufficient strength or importance to 
 condemn the expression of the prophet, or to falsify 
 the prophecy. 
 
 In 677, B. c., Babylon became connected with the 
 people of God by the capture of Manasseh, king of 
 Judah, and is at this point introduced into prophecy. 
 
 The character of this empire is indicated by the 
 nature of the material in that portion of the image 
 by which it was symbolized the head of gold. It 
 was the golden kingdom of a golden age. Babylon, 
 its metropolis, towered far above all its later rivals. 
 Situated in the garden of the East, laid out in a per- 
 fect square sixty miles in circumference, fifteen miles 
 on each side, surrounded by a wall three hundred 
 and fifty feet high, and eighty -seven feet thick, with 
 a moat, or ditch, around this, of equal cubic capacity 
 with the wall, divided into six hundred and seventy- 
 six squares, each two and a quarter miles in circum- 
 ference, by its fifty streets, each one hundred and 
 fifty feet in width, crossing each other at right 
 angles, twenty-five each way, every one straight and 
 level, and fifteen miles in length ; its two hundred 
 and twenty-five square miles of inclosed surface, di- 
 vided as just described, and laid out 'in luxuriant 
 pleasure-grounds and gardens, interspersed with mag- 
 nificent dwellings this city, with its sixty miles of 
 moat, its sixty miles of outer wall, its thirty miles of 
 river wall through its center, its hundred and fifty 
 gates of solid brass, its hanging gardens, rising ter- 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 36-38. 55 
 
 race above terrace, till they equaled in height the 
 walls themselves, its temple of Belus, three miles in 
 circumference, its two kingly palaces, one three and 
 a half, and the other eight miles in circumference, 
 with its subterranean tunnel under the river Euphra- 
 tes connecting these two palaces, its perfect arrange- 
 ments for convenience, ornament, and defense; and 
 its unlimited resources this city, containing in itself 
 many things which were themselves wonders of the 
 world, was itself another and still mightier wonder. 
 Never before saw the earth a city like that; never 
 since has it seen its equal. And there, with the 
 whole earth prostrate at her feet, she sat, a queen in 
 peerless grandeur, " the glory of kingdoms, the beauty 
 of the Chaldees' excellency," fit capital of that king- 
 dom which constituted the golden head of this great 
 historic image. 
 
 Such was Babylon, with Nebuchadnezzar youth- 
 ful, bold, vigorous, and accomplished, seated upon its 
 throne, when Daniel entered its impregnable walls to 
 serve a captive for seventy years hi its gorgeous pal- 
 aces. There, the children of the Lord, oppressed more 
 than cheered by the glory and prosperity of the land 
 of their captivity, hung their harps on the willows of 
 the sparkling Euphrates, and wept when they re- 
 membered Zion. 
 
 And there commenced the captive state of the 
 church in a still broader sense ; for, ever since that 
 time, the people of God have been in subjection to, 
 and more or less oppressed by, earthly powers. And 
 so they will be, till earthly powers shall give way to 
 
56 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Him whose right it is to reign. And lo ! the day of 
 deliverance draws on apace. 
 
 Into another city, not only Daniel, but all the chil- 
 dren of God, from least to greatest, from first to last, 
 are soon to enter ; a city not merely sixty miles in 
 circumference, but fifteen hundred miles; a city 
 whose walls are not brick and bitumen, but precious 
 stones and jasper; whose streets are not the stone- 
 paved streets of Babylon, smooth and handsome as 
 they were, but transparent gold ; whose river is not 
 the mournful waters of the Euphrates, but the river 
 of life ; whose music is not the sighs and laments of 
 broken-hearted captives, but the thrilling peans of 
 victory over death and the grave, which ransomed 
 multitudes shall raise ; whose light is not the inter- 
 mittent light of earth, but the unceasing and ineffa- 
 ble glory of God and the Lamb. Into this city they 
 shall enter, not as captives entering a foreign land* 
 but as exiles returning to their father's house; not as 
 to a place where the chilling words of bondage, serv- 
 itude, and oppression shall weigh down their spirits 
 but where the sweet words, home, freedom, peace' 
 purity, unutterable bliss, and unending life, shalj 
 thrill their bosoms with delight forever and ever. 
 Yea, our mouths shall be filled with laughter, and our 
 tongue with singing, when the Lord turns again the 
 captivity of Zion. Ps. 126 : 1, 2. 
 
 VERSE 39. And after thee shall arise another kingdom 
 inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which 
 shall bear rule over all the earth. 
 
 It is almost with a feeling of regret, as we look 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSE 39. 57 
 
 at Babylon, raised to such a pinnacle of splendor, 
 by so much care, and pains, and labor, that we turn 
 to look at the picture of her downfall and desola- 
 tion. But we must remember that the Chaldeans 
 were the oppressors of God's people, and were guilty 
 of iniquities which challenged retribution at the 
 hand of high Heaven. So said the Lord by the 
 prophet : " And it shall come to pass, when seventy 
 years are accomplished, that I will punish the king 
 of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for 
 their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and 
 will make it perpetual desolations." Jer. 25 : 12. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar reigned forty-three years, and 
 was succeeded by the following rulers : His son 
 Evil-merodach, two years; Neriglissar, his son-in- 
 law, four years ; Laborosoarchod, Neriglissar's son, 
 nine months, which, being less than one year, is not 
 counted in the canon of Ptolemy ; and lastly, Na- 
 bonadius, the Belshazzar of Daniel, son of Evil- 
 merodach, and grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, with 
 whom that kingdom came to an end. 
 
 In the first year of Neriglissar, only two years 
 from the death of Nebuchadnezzar, broke out that 
 fatal war between the Babylonians and the Medes, 
 which was to result in the utter subversion of the 
 Babylonian kingdom. Cyaxeres, king of the Medes, 
 who is called Darius in Daniel 5 : 31, summoned to 
 his aid his nephew, Cyrus, of the Persian line, in 
 his efforts against the Babylonians. The war was 
 prosecuted with uninterrupted success on the part 
 of the Medes and Persians, until, in the sixteenth 
 
58 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 year of Belshazzar, Cyrus laid siege to Babylon, the 
 only city in all the East which then held out 
 against him. The Babylonians, -gathered within 
 their impregnable walls, with provision on hand 
 for twenty years, and land within the limits of 
 their broad city, sufficient to furnish food for the 
 inhabitants and garrison, for an indefinite period, 
 scoffed at Cyrus from their lofty walls, and derided 
 his seemingly useless efforts to bring them into sub- 
 jection. And according to all human calculation, 
 they had good ground for their feelings of security. 
 Never, according to human probability, with the 
 means of warfare then known, could that city be 
 taken. Hence, they breathed as freely and slept 
 as soundly as though no foe was waiting and 
 watching for their destruction around their be- 
 leaguered walls. But God had decreed that that 
 proud and wicked city should come down from her 
 throne of glory ; and his decrees, what mortal arm 
 can hinder ? 
 
 In their very feelings of security, lay the source 
 of their danger. Cyrus resolved to accomplish by 
 stratagem what he could not effect by force ; and 
 learning of the approach of an annual festival, in 
 which the whole city would be given up to mirth 
 and revelry, he fixed upon that day as the time to 
 carry his purpose into execution. There was no 
 entrance for him into that city except where the 
 River Euphrates entered and emerged, passing 
 under its walls. He resolved to make the channel 
 of the river his own highway into the stronghold 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSE 39. 59 
 
 of his enemy. To do this, the water must be 
 turned aside. For this purpose he dug an immense 
 trench around the city, and on the evening of the 
 feast-day above referred to, he detailed three bodies 
 of soldiers ; the first, to turn the river at a given hour 
 into a large artificial lake a short distance above 
 the city; the second, to take their station at the 
 point where the river entered the city ; and the 
 third, where it came out, with instructions that 
 when, in the darkness of the night, they found the 
 river fordable, they should enter its channel, and 
 immediately urge their way to the" palace of the 
 king, where they were to meet, surprise the palace, 
 slay the guards, and capture or slay the king. 
 When the river was turned into the lake mentioned 
 above, Cyrus also opened the trench he had dug 
 around the city, drawing off the surplus water into 
 that, which soon made the river fordable, and the 
 soldiers detailed for that purpose, followed its chan- 
 nel into the heart of the city of Babylon. 
 
 But all this would have been in vain, had not the 
 whole city, on that eventful night, given themselves 
 over to the most reckless carelessness and presump- 
 tion, a state of things upon which Cyrus calculated 
 largely for the carrying out of his purpose. For on 
 each side of the river, through the entire length of 
 the city, were walls of a great Jbeight, and of equal 
 thickness with the outer walls. In these walls 
 were huge gates of solid brass, debarring all en- 
 trance from the river bed to any and all of the 
 twenty-five streets that crossed the river, when 
 
60 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 closed and guarded ; and had they been thus closed 
 at this time, the soldiers of Cyrus might have 
 marched into the city along the river bed, and then 
 marched out again, for all that they would have 
 been able to accomplish toward the subjugation of 
 the place. But in the drunken revelry of that fatal 
 night, these river gates were all left open, and the 
 entrance of the Persian -soldiers was not perceived. 
 Many a cheek would have paled with terror, had 
 they noticed the sudden going down of the river, 
 and understood its fearful import. Many a tongue 
 would have spread wild alarm through the city, if 
 they had seen the dark forms of their armed foe 
 stealthily threading their way to the citadel of 
 their strength. But no one noticed that the river 
 suddenly became emptied of its waters; no one saw 
 the entrance of the Persian warriors ; no one took 
 care that the river gates should be closed and 
 guarded ; no one cared for aught but to see how 
 deeply and recklessly he could plunge into the wild 
 debauch. That night's work cost them their king- 
 dom and their freedom. They went into their 
 brutish revelry subjects of the king of Babylon ; 
 they awoke from it slaves to the king of Persia. 
 
 The soldiers of Cyrus first made known their 
 presence in the city by falling upon the royal 
 guards in the very, vestibule of the palace of the 
 king. Belshazzar soon became aware of the cause 
 of the disturbance, and died, vainly fighting for his 
 tyrannical and beastly life. This feast of Belshaz- 
 zar is described in the fifth chapter of Daniel ; and 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSE 39. 61 
 
 the scene closes with the simple record, " In that 
 night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans 
 slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, 
 being about threescore and two years old." 
 
 Thus the first division of the great image was 
 completed. Another kingdom had arisen, as the 
 prophet had declared. The first installment of the 
 prophetic dream was fulfilled. 
 
 But before we take our leave of Babylon, let us 
 briefly glance forward to the end of its melancholy 
 fall. It would naturally be supposed that the con- 
 queror, becoming possessed of so noble a city, far 
 surpassing anything in the world, would have 
 taken it as the seat of his empire, and maintained 
 it in its primitive splendor. But God had said that 
 that city should become a heap, and the habitation 
 of the beasts of the desert ; that their houses should 
 be full of doleful creatures ; that the wild beasts of 
 the islands should cry in their desolate dwellings, 
 and dragons in their pleasant palaces. To this end, 
 it must first be deserted. Cyrus removed the im- 
 perial seat to Susa, a celebrated city in the province 
 of Elam, east by south from Babylon, on the banks 
 of the river Choaspes, a branch of the Tigris. This 
 was probably done, says Prideaux (i. 180), in the 
 first year of his sole reign. The pride of the 
 Babylonians being particularly provoked by this 
 act, in the fifth year of Darius Hystaspes, B. c. 517, 
 they rose in rebellion, which brought upon them- 
 selves again the whole strength of the Persian 
 Empire. The city was once more taken by strat- 
 
62 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 agem. Zopyrus, one of the chief commanders of 
 Darius, having cut off his own nose and ears and 
 mangled his body all over with stripes, fled in this 
 condition to the besieged, apparently burning with 
 desire to be revenged on Darius for his great 
 cruelty in thus mutilating him. In this way he 
 won the confidence of the Babylonians till they at 
 length made him chief commander of their forces ; 
 whereupon he betrayed the city into the hands of 
 his master. And that they might ever after be de- 
 terred from rebellion, Darius impaled three thou- 
 sand of those who had been most active in the re- 
 volt, took away the brazen gates of the city, and 
 beat down the walls from two hundred cubits to 
 fifty cubits. This was the commencement of its 
 destruction. By this act, it was left exposed to the 
 ravages of every hostile band. Xerxes, on his re- 
 turn from Greece, plundered the temple of Belus of 
 its immense wealth, and then laid the lofty struct- 
 ure in ruins. Alexander the Great endeavored to 
 rebuild it ; but after employing ten thousand men 
 two months to clear away the rubbish, he died in the 
 midst of a beastly debauch, and the work was sus- 
 pended. In the year 294, B. c., Seleucus Nicator 
 built the city of New Babylon in its neighborhood, 
 drawing from the old city inhabitants and material 
 for the new. Now almost exhausted of inhab- 
 itants, neglect and decay were telling fearfully 
 upon the ancient city. The violence of Parthian 
 princes hastened its ruin. About the end of the 
 fourth century, it was used by the Persian kings as 
 
CHAPTER 11, VERSE 39. 
 
 an inclosure for wild beasts. At the end of the 
 twelfth century, according to a celebrated traveler, 
 the few remaining ruins of Nebuchadnezzar's pal- 
 ace were so full of serpents and venomous reptiles 
 that they could not, without great danger, be 
 closely inspected. And to-day, scarcely enough 
 even of the ruins are left to mark the spot where 
 once stood the largest, richest, and proudest city 
 the earth has ever seen. Thus the ruin of great 
 Babylon shows us how accurately God will fulfill 
 his word, and stamps upon the brow of skepticism 
 the infamous brand of willful blindness. 
 
 " And after thee shall arise another kingdom in- 
 ferior to thee." The use of the word kingdom, here, 
 shows that kingdoms, and not particular kings, are 
 represented by the different parts of this image; and 
 hence, when it was said to Nebuchadnezzar, " Thou 
 art this head of gold," the kingdom, not the king, 
 was meant. 
 
 The succeeding kingdom, Medo-Persia, is the one 
 which answers to the breast and arms of silver. It 
 was to be inferior to the preceding kingdom. In 
 what respect inferior ? Not in power ; for it 
 was its conqueror. Not in extent ; for Cyrus 
 subdued all the East from the Egean Sea to the 
 River Indus, and thus erected the most extensive 
 empire that the world had, up to that time, seen. 
 But it was inferior in wealth, luxury, and magnifi- 
 cence. 
 
 Whether it was designed as the fulfillment of the 
 prophecy or not, it is at least an interesting eo-inci- 
 
64 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 dence that the kingdom, answering to that portion 
 of the image where the two arms are located, was 
 composed of the union of two nationalities, the Medes 
 and Persians. And this is rendered the more signifi- 
 cant from the fact that this feature is distinctly 
 marked in the other symbols representing the same 
 empire, namely the bear of chapter 7, and the ram 
 of chapter 8. This fact is not observable in other 
 symbols of the fourth kingdom ; and the two legs, as 
 we shall see, cannot be taken to represent two divis- 
 ions in that empire. 
 
 Viewed from a scriptural standpoint, the prin- 
 cipal event under the Babylonish Empire, was the 
 captivity of the children of Israel ; so the principal 
 event under the Medo-Persian kingdom, was their 
 restoration to their own land. At the taking of 
 Babylon, B. c. 538, Cyrus, as an act of courtesy, had 
 assigned the first place in the kingdom to his uncle, 
 Darius. But, two years afterward, B. c. 536, occurred 
 the death of Darius; and in the same year also 
 died Cambyses, king of Persia, Cyrus' father. By 
 these events, Cyrus was left sole monarch of the em- 
 pire. In this year, which closed the seventy years' 
 captivity, was issued the famous decree of Cyrus for 
 the return of the Jews, and the rebuilding of their 
 temple. This was the first installment of the great 
 decree for the restoration and building again of Je- 
 rusalem, which was completed in the seventh year 
 of the reign of Artaxerxes, B. c. 457, and marked 
 the commencement' of the 2300 days of Dan. 8, as 
 will hereafter appear, the longest and most impor- 
 tant prophetic period mentioned in the Bible. 
 
CHAPTER //, VERSE 89. (55 
 
 After a reign of seven years, Cyrus left the king- 
 dom to his son, Cambyses, called Ahasuerus in Ez. 
 4 : 6, who reigned seven years and five months, to B. 
 c. 522. Eight monarchs, whose reigns varied from 
 seven months to forty-six years each, took the 
 throne in order till the year B. c, 336, as follows : 
 Smerdis, the Magian, seven months, called Arta- 
 xerxes in Ez. 4 : 7, in the year B. c. 522 ; Darius 
 Hystaspes, from B. C. 521 to 486 ; Xerxes, from B. C. 
 485 to 465 ; Artaxerxes Longimanus, from B. C. 464 
 to 424 ; Darius Nothus, from B. c. 423 to 405 ; Ar- 
 taxerxes Mnemon, from B. c. 404 to 359 ; Ochus, from 
 B. c. 358 to 338 ; Arses, from B. c. 337 to 336. The 
 year 335 is set down as the first of Darius Codoman- 
 nus, the last of the line of the old Persian kings. 
 This man, according to Prideaux, was of noble 
 stature, of goodly person, of the greatest personal 
 valor, and of a mild and generous disposition. Had 
 he lived at any other age, a long and splendid career 
 would undoubtedly have been his. But it was his 
 ill fortune to have to contend with one who was an 
 agent in the fulfillment of prophecy, and no qualifi- 
 cations, natural or acquired, could render him suc- 
 cessful in the unequal contest. Scarce was he warm 
 upon the throne, says the last-named historian, ere 
 he found his formidable enemy, Alexander, prepar- 
 ing to dismount him from it. 
 
 The cause and particulars of the contest between 
 
 the Greeks and Persians we need not stop to follow. 
 
 The deciding point was reached on the field of 
 
 Arbela, B. c. 331, in which the Grecians, though only 
 
 5 
 
THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 one to twenty in number, as compared with the 
 Persians, were entirely victorious; and Alexander 
 thenceforth became absolute lord of the Persian em- 
 pire to the utmost extent ever possessed by any of 
 its own kings. 
 
 " And another third kingdom of brass shall bear 
 rule over all the earth," said the prophet. So few 
 and brief are the inspired words, which involve in 
 their fulfillment a change of the world's rulers. In 
 the ever-changing political kaleidoscope, Grecia now 
 comes into the field of vision, to be, for a time, the 
 all-absorbing object of attention, as the third of 
 what are called the great universal empires of the 
 earth. 
 
 After the fatal battle which decided the fate of 
 the empire, Darius still endeavored to rally the 
 shattered remnants of his army, and make a stand 
 for his kingdom and his rights. But he could not 
 gather, out of all the host of his recently so numer- 
 ous and well-appointed army, a force with which he 
 deemed it prudent to hazard another engagement 
 with the victorious Grecians. Alexander pursued 
 him on the wings of the wind. Time after time did 
 Darius elude the grasp of his swiftly following foe. 
 At length two traitors, Bessus and Nabarzanes, seized 
 the unfortunate prince, shut him up in a close cart, 
 and fled with him as their prisoner toward Bactria. 
 It was their purpose, if Alexander pursued them, to 
 purchase their own safety by delivering up their 
 king. Hereupon Alexander, learning of Darius' 
 dangerous position in the hands of the traitors, im- 
 
CHAPTER //, VERSE 39. 67 
 
 mediately put himself with the lightest part of his 
 army upon a forced pursuit. After several days' 
 hard march, he came up with the traitors. They 
 urged Darius to mount on horseback for a more 
 speedy flight. Upon his refusing to do this, they 
 gave him several mortal wounds, and left him dying 
 in his cart, while they mounted their steeds and 
 rode away. 
 
 When Alexander came up, life was extinct. As 
 he gazed upon the corpse, he might have learned a 
 profitable lesson of the instability of human fortune. 
 Here was a man who, but a few months before, 
 possessed of many noble and generous qualities, was 
 seated upon the throne of universal empire. Disas- 
 ter, overthrow, and desertion, had come suddenly 
 upon him. His kingdom had been conquered, his 
 treasure seized, and his family reduced to captivity. 
 And now, brutally slain by the hand of traitors, he 
 lay a bloody corpse in a rude cart. The sight of the 
 melancholy spectacle drew tears even from the eyes 
 of Alexander, familiar though he was with all the 
 horrible vicissitudes and bloody scenes of war. 
 Throwing his cloak over the body, he commanded it 
 to be conveyed to the captive ladies of Susa, himself 
 furnishing the necessary means for a royal funeral. 
 For this generous act, let us give him credit ; for he 
 stands sadly in need of all that is his due. 
 
 When Darius fell, Alexander saw the field cleared 
 of his last formidable foe. Thenceforward he could 
 spend his time in his own manner, now in the enjoy- 
 ment of rest and pleasure, and again in the prosecu- 
 
68 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 tion of some minor conquest. He entered upon a 
 pompous campaign into India, because, according to 
 Grecian fable, Bacchus and Hercules, two sons of 
 Jupiter, whose son he also claimed to be, had done 
 the same. He conquered all that there was any 
 necessity for conquering, and then is said to have 
 wept that he had not another world to conquer. 
 For what ? That he might do good to his fellow- 
 men, bless and elevate the race, and ameliorate their 
 woes ? No ; but to gratify his own insatiable thirst 
 for power, and to pander to his ungovernable lusts. 
 With contemptible arrogance, he claimed for himself 
 divine honors. He gave up conquered cities, freely 
 and unprovoked, to the absolute mercy of his blood- 
 thirsty and licentious soldiery. He himself often 
 murdered his own friends and favorites in his 
 drunken frenzies. He sought out the vilest persons 
 for the gratification of his lust. At the instigation 
 of a dissolute and drunken woman, he, with a com- 
 pany of his courtiers, all in a state of beastly intoxi- 
 cation, sallied out, torch in hand, and fired the city 
 and palace of Persepolis, one of the finest palaces in 
 the world. He encouraged such excessive drinking 
 among his followers that on one occasion twenty of 
 them together died as the result of their carousal. 
 At length, he, having sat through one long drinking 
 spree, was immediately invited to another, when, 
 after drinking to each of the twenty guests present, 
 he twice drank full, says history, incredible as it may 
 seem, the Herculean cup containing six of our quarts. 
 He thereupon fell down, seized with a violent fever, 
 
CHAPTEH II, VEMtiE 40. 
 
 of which in a few days after, he died, in the very 
 prime of life, aged 33. 
 
 Such was Alexander, whom the fulsome pages of 
 history style " the great." If vice, and cruelty, and 
 vain-glory, and love of power, and thirst for blood, 
 constitute greatness, he was great; if otherwise, he 
 was a monster, the more monstrous because his. pow- 
 ers of mind, some of which he possessed to a remark- 
 able degree, were prostituted to unholy ends. But he 
 was an agent in the hands of God in the fulfillment 
 of his word ; and when that work was accomplished, 
 he was cast away as a loathsome thing, unworthy 
 of any further notice. 
 
 The progress of the Grecian Empire, we need not 
 svop to trace here, since its distinguishing features 
 will claim more particular notice under other proph- 
 ecies. Daniel thus continues in his interpretation of 
 the great image : 
 
 VERSE 40. And the fourth, kingdom shall be strong as 
 iron ; forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all 
 things ; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break 
 in pieces and bruise. 
 
 Thus far in the application of this prophecy 
 there is a general agreement among expositors. 
 That Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Grecia, are repre- 
 sented respectively by the head of gold, the breast 
 and arms of silver, and the sides of brass, is ac- 
 knowledged by all. But with just as little ground 
 for diversity of views, there is still a difference of 
 opinion as to what answers to the fourth division 
 of the great image, the legs of iron. On this point 
 
70 
 
 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 we have only to inquire, What kingdom did suc- 
 ceed Grecia in the empire of the world ? for the 
 legs of iron denote the fourth kingdom in the se- 
 ries. The testimony of history is full and ex- 
 plicit on this point. One kingdom did this, and 
 one only ; and that was Rome. It conquered Gre- 
 cia; it subdued all things; like iron it broke in 
 pieces and bruised. Gibbon, though perhaps un- 
 conscious of the fact, used the very figure of the 
 prophecy, when describing this empire. He says: 
 
 " The arms of the Republic, sometimes vanquished in 
 battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps 
 to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the ocean; 
 and the images of gold, or silver, or brass, that might serve 
 to represent the nations or their kings, were successively 
 broken by the iron monarchy of Rome." 
 
 At the opening of the Christian era, this empire 
 took in the whole south of Europe, France, Eng- 
 land, the greater part of the Netherlands, Switzer- 
 land, and the south of Germany, Hungary, Turkey, 
 and Greece ; not to speak of its possessions in Asia 
 and Africa. Well, therefore, may Gibbon add: 
 
 " The empire of the Romans filled the world. And when 
 that empire fell into the hand of a single person, the world 
 became a safe and dreary prison for his enemies. To resist 
 was fatal ; and it was impossible to fly. " 
 
 It will be noticed that at first the kingdom is de- 
 scribed unqualifiedly as strong as iron. And this 
 was the period of its strength, during which it has 
 been likened to a mighty Colossus, bestriding the 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 41, J&. 71 
 
 nations, conquering everything, and giving laws to 
 the world. But this was not to continue. 
 
 VERSE 41. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, 
 part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be 
 divided ; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, 
 forasmuch as thou sa\vest the iron mixed with miry clay. 
 42. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part 
 of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly 
 broken. 
 
 The element of weakness symbolized by the clay, 
 pertains to the feet equally with the toes. Rome, 
 before its division into ten kingdoms, lost that iron 
 tenacity which it possessed to a superlative degree 
 during the first centuries of its career. Luxury, 
 with its accompanying effeminacy and degeneracy, 
 the destroyer of nations as well as of individuals, 
 began to corrode and weaken, its iron sinews, and 
 thus prepared the way for its subsequent disrup- 
 tion into ten kingdoms. 
 
 The iron legs of the image terminate, to main- 
 tain its consistency with the ordinary operations of 
 nature, in feet and toes. To the toes, of which 
 there were of course just ten, our attention is called 
 by the explicit mention of them in the prophecy ; 
 and the kingdom represented by that portion of 
 the image to which the toes belonged, was finally 
 divided into ten parts. The question therefore nat- 
 urally arises, do the ten toes of the image represent 
 the ten divisions of the Roman Empire ? To those 
 who prefer what seems to be a natural and straight- 
 forward interpretation of the word of God, it is a 
 
72 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 matter of no little astonishment that any question 
 should be raised here. To take the ten toes to 
 represent the ten kingdoms into which Rome was 
 divided, is so easy, consistent, and natural, that it 
 requires a labored effort to interpret it otherwise. 
 Yet such an effort is made by some by Romanists 
 universally, and by such Protestants as still cling 
 to Romish errors. 
 
 A volume by H. Cowles, D. D., may perhaps best 
 be taken as a representative exposition on this side 
 of the question. The writer gives every evidence 
 of extensive erudition and great ability. It is the 
 more to be regretted, therefore, that these powers 
 are devoted to the propagation of error, and to mis- 
 leading the anxious inquirer who wishes to know 
 his whereabouts on the great highway of time. 
 
 We can but briefly notice his positions. They 
 are, 1. That the third kingdom was Grecia only 
 during the lifetime Alexander. 2. That the fourth 
 kingdom was Alexander's successors. 3. That the 
 latest point to which the fourth kingdom could ex- 
 tend, is the manifestation of the Messiah ; for, 4. 
 There the God of Heaven set up his kingdom ; 
 there the stone smote the image upon its feet, and 
 commenced the process of grinding it up. 
 
 Nor can we reply at any great length to these 
 positions. 
 
 1. We might as well confine the Babylonian Em- 
 pire to the single reign of Nebuchadnezzar, or that 
 of Persia to the reign of Cyrus, as to confine the 
 third kingdom, Grecia, to the reign of Alexander. 
 
CHAPTER //, VEUSES 41, J&. 73 
 
 2. Alexander's successors did not constitute an- 
 other kingdom, but a continuation of the same, or 
 Grecian division of the image. For in this prophecy, 
 the succession of kingdoms is by conquest. When 
 Persia had conquered Babylon, we had the second 
 empire, and when Grecia had conquered Persia, we 
 had the third. But Alexander's successors (his 
 four leading generals) did not conquer his empire 
 and erect another in its place ; they simply divided 
 among themselves the empire which Alexander 
 had conquered and left ready to their hand. 
 
 " Chronologically," says Prof. C., " the fourth em- 
 pire must immediately succeed Alexander, and lie 
 entirely between him and the birth of Christ." 
 Chronologically, we reply, it must do no such 
 thing ; for the birth of Christ was not the intro- 
 duction of the fifth kingdom, as will in due time 
 appear. Here he overlooks almost the entire dura- 
 tion of the third division of the image, confound- 
 ing it with the fourth, and giving no room for the 
 divided state of the Grecian Empire as symbolized 
 by the four heads of the leopard of chap. 7, and the 
 four horns of the goat of chap. 8. 
 
 " Territorially," continues Prof. C., " it [the fourth 
 kingdom] should be sought in Western Asia, not in 
 Europe ; in general on the same territory where the 
 first, second, and third kingdoms stood." Why not 
 in Europe, we ask ? Each of the first three king- 
 doms possessed territory which was peculiarly its 
 own. Why not the fourth ? Analogy requires 
 that it should. And was not the third kingdom a 
 
74 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 European kingdom ? That is, did it not rise on 
 European territory, and take its name from the 
 land of its birth ? Why not, then, go a degree fur- 
 ther west for the place where the fourth great king- 
 dom should be founded ? And how did Grecia ever 
 occupy the territory of the first and second king- 
 doms ? Only by conquest. And Rome did the 
 same. Hence, so far as the territorial require- 
 ments of the professor are concerned, Rome could 
 be the fourth kingdom as well as Grecia could be 
 the third. 
 
 "Politically," he adds, "it should be the immedi- 
 ate successor of Alexander's empire, . . . chang- 
 ing the dynasty, but not the nations." Analogy is 
 against him here. Each of the first three kingdoms 
 was distinguished by its own peculiar nationality. 
 The Persian was not the same as the Babylonian, 
 nor the Grecian the same as either of the two that 
 preceded it. Now analogy requires that the fourth 
 kingdom, instead of being composed of a fragment 
 of this Grecian Empire, should possess a nationality 
 of its own, distinct from the other three. And this 
 we find in the Romans, and in them alone, But, 
 
 3. The grand fallacy which underlies this whole 
 system of misinterpretation, is the too commonly 
 taught theory that the kingdom of God was set up 
 at the first advent of Christ. It can easily be seen 
 how fatal to this theory is the admission that the 
 fourth empire is Rome. For it was to be subse- 
 quently to the division of that empire that the God 
 of Heaven should set up his kingdom. But the di- 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES ^-,#5. 75 
 
 vision of the Roman Empire into ten parts was not 
 accomplished until A. D. 483 ; consequently the king- 
 dom of God could not have been set up nearly five 
 hundred years before. Rome must not, therefore, 
 from their standpoint, though it answers admirably 
 to the prophecy in every particular, be allowed to 
 be the kingdom in question. The position that the 
 kingdom of God was set up in the days when 
 Christ was upon the earth, must be maintained at 
 all hazards. 
 
 Such is the ground on which our opponents seem, 
 at least, to reason. And it is for the purpose of 
 maintaining this theory, that our author dwindles 
 down the third great empire of the world to the in- 
 significant period of about eight years ! For this, 
 he endeavors to prove that the fourth empire was 
 bearing full sway during a period when the provi- 
 dence of God was simply filling up the outlines of 
 the third ! For this, he presumes to fix the points 
 of time between which we must look for the fourth, 
 though the prophecy does not deal in dates at all, 
 and then whatever kingdom he finds within his 
 specified time, that he sets down as the fourth king- 
 dom, and endeavors to bend the prophecy to fit it, 
 utterly regardless of how much better material he 
 might find outside of his little inclosure, to answer 
 to a fulfillment of the prophetic record. Is such a 
 course logical ? Is the time the point to be first es- 
 tablished ? No ; the kingdoms are the great feat- 
 ures of the prophecy ; and we are to look for 
 them ; and when we find them, take them where 
 
76 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 they are. Let them govern the time, not the time 
 govern them. 
 
 But that view, which is the cause of all this mis- 
 application and confusion, is sheer assumption. 
 Christ did not smite the image at his first advent. 
 Look at it. When the stone smites the image 
 upon its feet, it is dashed in pieces. Violence is used. 
 The effect is immediate. The image becomes as 
 chaff. And then what ? Is it absorbed by the 
 stone, and gradually incorporated with it ? Noth- 
 ing of the kind. It is blown off, removed away, as 
 incompatible and unavailable material ; and no 
 place is found for it. The territory is entirely 
 cleared ; and then the stone becomes a mountain, 
 and fills the whole earth. Now what idea shall we 
 attach to this work of smiting and breaking in 
 pieces ? Is it a gentle, peaceful, and quiet work ? or 
 is it a manifestation of vengeance and violence ? 
 How did the kingdoms of the prophecy succeed the 
 one to the other ? It was through the violence and 
 din of war, the shock of armies, and the roar of 
 battle. " Confused noise and garments rolled in 
 blood," told of the force and violence with which 
 one nation had been brought into subjection to an- 
 other. Yet all this is not called smiting or break- 
 ing in pieces. 
 
 When Persia conquered Babylon, and Greece Per- 
 sia, neither of the conquered empires is said to have 
 been broken in pieces, though crushed beneath the 
 overwhelming power of a hostile nation. But when 
 we reach the introduction of the fifth kingdom, the 
 
CHAPTER II, VEltlSES 41, 42. 77 
 
 image is smitten with violence ; it is dashed to 
 pieces, and so scattered and obliterated that no place 
 is found for it. And now what shall we understand 
 by this ? We must understand that here a scene 
 transpires of so much more violence and force and 
 power than the overthrow of one nation by an- 
 other through the strife of war, that the latter is 
 not worthy even of mention in connection with it. 
 The subjugation of one nation by another by war, 
 is a scene of peace and quietude, in comparison with 
 that which transpires when the image is dashed in 
 pieces by the stone cut out of the mountain with- 
 out hands. 
 
 Yet what is this smiting of the image made to 
 mean by the theory under notice ? Oh, the peace- 
 ful introduction of the gospel of Christ ! the quiet 
 spreading abroad of the light of truth ! the gather- 
 ing out of a few from the nations of the earth, to be 
 made ready through obedience to the truth for his 
 second coming, and reign ! the calm and unpretend- 
 ing formation of a Christian church a church that 
 has been domineered over, persecuted, and oppressed, 
 by the arrogant and triumphant powers of earth, 
 from that day to this ! And this is the smiting of 
 the image ! this is the breaking of it into pieces, and 
 violently removing the shattered fragments from the 
 face of the earth ! Was ever absurdity more ab- 
 surd ! Were ever two events more unlike ? Had 
 the object been to find two scenes the exact oppo- 
 sites of each other, it would have been fully met in 
 the comparison of these two events ; but that any 
 
78 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 one should seriously contend that these are one and 
 the same thing, is one of the anomalies of human 
 reasoning ; or, rather, it is one of the unpardonable 
 inconsistencies to which men will sometimes resort, to 
 save a theory. 
 
 From this digression we return to the inquiry, Do 
 the toes represent the ten divisions of the Roman 
 Empire ? We answer, Yes ; because, 1. The image 
 of chapter 2, is exactly parallel with the vision of 
 the four beasts of chapter 7. The fourth beast of 
 chap. 7 represents the same as the iron legs of the 
 image. The ten horns on the beast of course corre- 
 spond very naturally to the ten toes of the image ; 
 and these horns are plainly declared to be ten kings 
 which should arise; and they are just as much in- 
 dependent kingdoms as the beasts themselves ; for 
 the beasts are spoken of in precisely the same man- 
 ner ; namely, as " four kings which should arise." 
 Verse 17. They do not denote a line of successive 
 kings, but kings or kingdoms which exist contempo- 
 raneously ; for three of them were plucked up by 
 the little horn. The ten horns, beyond controversy, 
 represent the ten kingdoms into which Rome was at 
 last divided. 2. We have seen that in Daniel's in- 
 terpretation of the image he uses the words king and 
 kingdom, interchangeably, the former denoting the 
 same as the latter. In verse 44, he says that " in the 
 days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up 
 a kingdom." This shows that at the time the king- 
 dom of God is set up there will be a plurality of 
 kings existing contemporaneously. It cannot refer 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 41, W* 79 
 
 to the four preceding kingdoms ; for it would bo ab- 
 surd to use such language in reference to a line of 
 successive kings, since it would be in the days of 
 the last king only, not in the days of any of the 
 preceding, that the kingdom of God would be set up. 
 
 Here, then, is a division presented, and what have 
 we in the symbol to indicate it ? Nothing but the 
 toes of the image. Unless they do it, we are left 
 utterly in the dark as to the nature and extent of 
 the division which the prophecy shows did exist. 
 As the view that we are left in such uncertainty 
 would cast a serious imputation upon the prophecy, 
 we are held to the conclusion that the ten toes of 
 the image denote the ten parts into which the Ro- 
 man Empire was divided, between the years A. D. 
 356 and A. D. 483. These divisions were estab- 
 lished respectively by the Huns, A. D. 356 ; Ostro- 
 goths, 377; Visigoths, 378; Franks, 407; Vandals, 
 407; Suevi, 407; Burgundians, 407; Heruli, 470; 
 Anglo-Saxons, 476; and Lombards, 483. This 
 enumeration of the ten kingdoms is that given by 
 Machiavel, in his History of Florence, lib. i, who 
 is, says Dr. Hales, "the best, because the most 
 unprejudiced, authority." The dates are furnished 
 by Bishop Lloyd ; and the whole is approved by 
 Bishop Newton, Faber, and Dr. Hales. 
 
 As the view is presented that the ten toes of the 
 image denote the ten kingdoms, we are sometimes 
 met with the objection that Rome, before its di- 
 vision into ten kingdoms, was divided into two 
 parts, the Western and Eastern Empires, corres- 
 
80 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 ponding to the two legs of the image ; and as the 
 ten kingdoms all arose out of the western division, 
 if they are denoted by the toes, we should have ten 
 toes on one foot of the image, and none on the other; 
 which would be unnatural and inconsistent. 
 
 But this objection devours itself ; for certainly if 
 the two legs denote division, the toes must denote 
 division also. It would be inconsistent to say that 
 the legs symbolize division, but the toes do not. 
 But if the toes do indicate division at all, it can be 
 nothing but the division of Rome into its ten parts. 
 
 The fallacy, however, which forms the basis of 
 this objection, is the view that the two legs of the 
 image do signify the separation of the Roman Em- 
 pire into its eastern and western divisions. To this 
 view there are several objections. 
 
 1. Rome, from the very beginning of its history, 
 was represented by the two legs ; and if these de- 
 note division, it should have been divided from the 
 very commencement of its history. This claim is 
 sustained by the other symbols. Thus the division, 
 or the two, elements of the Persian kingdom, de- 
 noted by the two horns of the ram, Dan. 8 : 20, by 
 the elevation of the bear upon one side, Dan. 7 : 5, 
 and perhaps by the two arms of the image of this 
 chapter, existed from the first. The division of the 
 Grecian kingdom, denoted by the four horns of the 
 goat and the four heads of the leopard, dates back 
 to within eight years of the time of its introduction 
 into prophecy. So Rome should have been divided 
 from the first, if the legs denote division, instead of 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 41, 42. 81 
 
 remaining a unit for nearly six hundred years, and 
 separating into its eastern and western divisions 
 only a few years prior to its final disruption into 
 ten kingdoms. 
 
 2. No such division into two great parts is de- 
 noted by the other symbols under which Rome is 
 represented in the book of Daniel; namely, the 
 great and terrible beast of Daniel 7, and the little 
 horn of chapter 8. Hence it is reasonable to con- 
 clude that it was not the design of the image to 
 represent such a division. 
 
 But, it may be asked, why not suppose the two 
 legs to denote division as well as the toes ? Would 
 it not be just as inconsistent to say that the toes 
 denote division and the legs do not, as to say that 
 the legs denote division and the toes do not ? We 
 answer that the prophecy itself must govern our 
 conclusions in this matter ; and whereas it says 
 nothing of division in connection with the legs, it 
 does introduce the subject of division as we come 
 down to the feet and toes. It says, " And whereas 
 thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, 
 and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided." 
 No division could take place, or at least none is 
 said to have taken place, till the weakening element 
 of the clay was introduced ; and we do not find this 
 till we come to the feet and toes. But we are not to 
 understand that the clay denotes one division and 
 iron the other ; for after the kingdom was broken, 
 no one of the fragments was as strong as the orig- 
 inal iron, but all were in a state of weakness de- 
 6 
 
89 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 noted by the mixture of iron and clay. The con- 
 clusion is inevitable, therefore, that the prophet has 
 here stated the cause for the effect. The introduc- 
 tion of the weakness of the clay element, as we 
 come to the feet, resulted in the division of the 
 kingdom into ten parts, as represented by the ten 
 toes ; and this result, or division, is more than inti- 
 mated in the sudden mention of a plurality of con- 
 temporaneous kings. Therefore, while we find no 
 evidence that the legs denote division, but serious 
 objections against such a view, we do find, we think, 
 good reason for supposing that the toes denote di- 
 vision as herein claimed. 
 
 3. Each of the four monarchies had its own par- 
 ticular territory, which was the kingdom proper, 
 and where we are to look for the chief events in its 
 history shadowed forth by the symbol. We are 
 not therefore to look for the divisions of the Ro- 
 man Empire in the territory formerly occupied by 
 Babylon, or Persia, or Grecia, but in the territory 
 proper of the Roman kingdom, which was what 
 was finally known as the Western Empire. Rome 
 conquered the world; but the kingdom of Rome 
 proper, lay west of Grecia. That is what was rep- 
 resented by the legs of iron. There, then, we look 
 for the ten kingdoms; and there we find them. 
 We are not obliged to mutilate or deform the sym- 
 bol to make it a fit and accurate representation of 
 historical events. 
 
 VERSE 43. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with 
 miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of 
 
CUAPTEM II, VERSE 43. 
 
 men : but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron 
 is not mixed with clay. 
 
 With Rome, fell the last of earth's universal em- 
 pires. Heretofore the elements of society had been 
 such that it had been possible for one nation, rising 
 superior to 'its neighbors in prowess, bravery, and 
 the science of war, to attach them one after another 
 to its chariot wheels till all were consolidated into 
 one vast empire, and one man seated upon the dom- 
 inant throne could send forth his will as law to all 
 the nations of the earth. When Rome fell, such 
 possibilities forever passed away. Crushed beneath 
 the weight of its own vast proportions, it crumbled 
 to pieces, never to be united again. The iron was 
 mixed with the clay. Its elements have lost the 
 power of cohesion, and no man, nor combination of 
 men, can again consolidate them. This point is so 
 well set forth by another that we take pleasure in 
 quoting his words : 
 
 "From this, its divided state, the first strength of the 
 empire departed but not as that of the others had done. 
 No other kingdom was to succeed it, as it had the three 
 which went before it. It was to continue, in this tenfold 
 division, until the kingdom of stone smote it upon its feet, 
 broke them in pieces, and scattered them as the wind does 
 chaff of the summer threshing-floor ! Yet, through all this 
 time, a portion of its strength was to remain. And so the 
 prophet says, ' And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, 
 and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and 
 partly broken.' (Verse 42.) How in any other way could 
 you so strikingly represent the facts ? For more than four- 
 teen hundred years, this toiifold division has existed. Time 
 and again men have dreamed of rearing on these dominions 
 
84 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 one mighty kingdom. Charlemange tried it. Charles V. 
 tried it. Louis XVI. tried it. Napoleon tried it. But nei- 
 ther succeeded. A single verse of prophecy was stronger 
 than all their hosts. Their own power was wasted, frittered 
 away, destroyed. But the ten kingdoms did not become 
 one. l Partly strong and partly broken,' was the prophetic 
 description. And such, too, has been the historic fact con- 
 cerning them. With the book of history open before you, 
 I ask you, Is not this an exact representation of the reman ts 
 of this once mighty empire 1 It ruled with unlimited power. 
 It was the throned mistress of the world. Its scepter was 
 broken ; its throne pulled down ; its power taken away. 
 Ten kingdoms were formed out of it ; and * broken ' as then 
 it was, it still continues i. e. , ' partly broken. ' For its di- 
 mensions still continue as when the kingdom of iron stood 
 upright upon its feet. And then, it is 'partly strong' i. 
 e., it retains, even in its broken state, enough of its iron 
 strength to resist all attempts to mold its parts together. 
 ' This shall not be,' says the word of God. 'This has not 
 been,' replies the book of history. 
 
 "But then, men may say, 'Another plan remains. If 
 force cannot avail, diplomacy and reasons of State may, we 
 will try them.' And so the prophecy foreshadows this when 
 it says, 'They shall mingle themselves with the seed of 
 men ' i. e. , marriages shall be formed, in hope thus to con- 
 solidate their power, and, in the end, to unite these divided 
 kingdoms into one. 
 
 " And shall this device succeed? No. The prophet an- 
 swers : ' They shall not cleave one to another, even as iron 
 is not mixed with clay. ' And the history of Europe is but a 
 running commentary on the exact fulfillment of these words. 
 From the time of Canute to the present age, it has been the 
 policy of reigning monarchs, the beaten path which they 
 have trodden, in order to reach a mightier scepter, and a 
 wider sway. And the most signal instance of it, which his- 
 tory has recorded in our own day, is in the case of Napoleon. 
 He ruled in one of the kingdoms ; Austria was another. He 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSE 45. 85 
 
 sought to gain by alliance what he could not gain by force, 
 i. e., to build up one mighty, consolidated empire. And 
 did he succeed ? Nay. The very power with which he was 
 allied proved his destruction, in the troops of Blucher on the 
 field of Waterloo ! The iron would not mingle with clay. 
 The ten kingdoms continue still. 
 
 " And yet, if, as the result of these alliances, or of other 
 causes, that number is sometimes disturbed, it need not sur- 
 prise us. It is, indeed, just what the prophecy seems to call 
 for. The iron was ' mixed with the clay. ' For a season, in 
 the image, you might not distinguish between them. But 
 they would not remain so. * They shall not cleave one to 
 another. ' The nature of the substances forbids them to do 
 so in the one case ; the word of prophecy in the other. Yet 
 there was to be an attempt to mingle nay, more, there was 
 an approach to mingling in both cases. But it was to be 
 abortive. And how marked the emphasis with which history 
 affirms this declaration of the word of God!" Wm. New- 
 ton, Lectures on the First Two Visions of the Book of Daniel, 
 pp. 34-36. 
 
 Yet with all these facts before, them, assert- 
 ing their power through the overturning^ and 
 changes of centuries, the efforts of warriors, and 
 the diplomacy and intrigues of courts and kings, 
 some modern expositors have manifested such a 
 marvelous misapprehension of this prophecy, as to 
 predict a future universal kingdom, and point to a 
 European ruler, even now of waning years, and de- 
 clining prestige, as "the destined monarch of the 
 world." Vain is the breath they spend in promul- 
 gating such a theory, and delusive the hopes or 
 fears they may succeed in raising over such an ex- 
 pectation.* 
 
 * Shortly after this language was permed, Napoleon IIL, this 
 
86 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 VKRSE 44. And in the days of these kings shall the God 
 of Heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed ; 
 and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it 
 shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and 
 it shall stand forever. 45. Forasmuch as thou sawest that 
 the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and 
 that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the sil- 
 ver, and the gold ; the great God hath made known to the 
 king what shall come to pass hereafter; and the dream is 
 certain and the interpretation thereof sure. 
 
 We here reach the climax of this stupendous 
 prophecy ; and when Time in his onward flight 
 shall bring us to the sublime scene here predicted, 
 we shall have reached the end of human history. 
 The kingdom of God! grand terminus of this 
 world's sad, degenerate, and changing career ! 
 Transporting change, for all the righteous, from 
 gloom to glory, from strife to peace, from sin to 
 holiness, from death to life, from tyranny and op- 
 pression to the" happy freedom and blessed privi- 
 leges of a heavenly kingdom ! Glorious transition, 
 from weakness to strength from the changing and 
 decaying to the immutable and eternal ! 
 
 But when is this kingdom to be established? 
 May we hope for an answer to an inquiry of such 
 momentous concern to our race ? These are the 
 very questions on which the word of God does not 
 leave us in ignorance ; and herein is seen the sur- 
 passing value of this heavenly boon. We do not 
 
 "destined monarch of the world"! was dethroned, and died in 
 ignominious retirement, and his son and heir has since fallen by 
 the hands of savages in Africa. 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSE 44* 
 
 87 
 
 say that the exact time is revealed either in this 
 or any other prophecy ; but so near an approxima- 
 tion is given that the generation which is to see its 
 establishment may mark, unerringly, its approach, 
 and make that preparation which will entitle them 
 to share in all its glories. 
 
 As already explained, we are brought down by 
 verses 41-43 this side of the division of the Roman 
 Empire into ten kingdoms ; which division was ac- 
 complished, according to Bishop Lloyd, in A. D. 
 483. The kings, or kingdoms, in the days of which 
 the God of Heaven is to set up his kingdom, are 
 evidently these kingdoms which arose out of the 
 Roman Empire. Then the kingdom of God here 
 brought to view could not have been set up, as is 
 popularly claimed, in connection with the first ad- 
 vent of Christ, four hundred and fifty years before. 
 But whether we apply this division to the ten king- 
 doms or not, it is certain that some kind of a division 
 was to take place in that kingdom before the king- 
 dom of God should be set up; for the prophecy 
 expressly declares, "The kingdom shall be divided." 
 And this is equally fatal to the popular view ; for 
 after the unification of the first elements of the 
 Roman power down to the days of Christ, there was 
 no division of the kingdom ; nor during his days, 
 nor for many years after, did any such thing take 
 place. The civil wars were not divisions of the 
 empire ; they were only the efforts of the individu- 
 als worshiping at the shrine of ambition, to obtain 
 supreme control of the empire. The occasional 
 
88 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 petty revolts of distant provinces, suppressed with 
 almost the speed and power of a thunder-bolt, did 
 not constitute a division of the kingdom. And 
 these are all that can be pointed to as interfering 
 with the unity of the kingdom, for more than 
 three hundred years this side the days of Christ. 
 This one consideration is sufficient to forever dis- 
 prove the view that the kingdom of God,, which 
 constitutes the fifth kingdom of this series, as 
 brought to view in Dan. 2, was set up at the com- 
 mencement of the Christian era. But a thought 
 more may be in place. 
 
 1. This fifth kingdom, then, could not have been 
 set up at Christ's first advent, because it is not to 
 exist contemporaneously with earthly governments, 
 but to succeed them. As the second kingdom suc- 
 ceeded the first, the third the second, and the fourth 
 the third, by violence and overthrow, so the fifth 
 succeeds the fourth. It does not exist at the same 
 time with it. The fourth kingdom is first de- 
 stroyed, the fragments are removed, the terri- 
 tory is cleared, and then the fifth is established as 
 a succeeding kingdom in the order of. time. But 
 the church has existed contemporaneously with 
 earthly governments ever since earthly govern- 
 ments were formed. There was a church in Abel's 
 day, in Enoch's, in Noah's, in Abraham's, and so on 
 to the present. No ; the church is not the stone 
 that smote the image upon the feet. It existed too 
 early in point of time, and the work in which it is 
 engaged is not that of smiting and overthrowing 
 earthly governments. 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSE 44, 9 
 
 2. The fifth kingdom is introduced by the stone 
 smiting the image. What part of the image does 
 the stone smite ? Ans. The feet and toes. But 
 these were not developed until four centuries and a 
 half after the crucifixion of Christ. The image 
 was, at the time of the crucifixion, only developed 
 to the thighs, so to speak, and if the kingdom of 
 God was there set up, if there the stone smote the 
 image, it smote it upon the thighs, not upon the 
 feet, where the prophecy places it. 
 
 3. The stone that smites the image is cut out of 
 the mountain without hands. The margin reads, 
 " Which was not in hand." This shows that the 
 smiting is not done by an agent acting for another, 
 not by the church, for instance, in the hands of 
 Christ ; but it is a work which the Lord does by 
 his own divine power without any human agency. 
 
 4. Again, the kingdom of God is placed before 
 the church as a matter of hope. The Lord did not 
 teach his disciples a prayer which in two or three 
 years was to become obsolete. The petition may as 
 appropriately ascend from the lips of the patient 
 waiting flock in these last days, as from the lips of 
 his first disciples, " Thy kingdom come." 
 
 5. We have plain Scripture declarations to es- 
 tablish the following propositions: (1) That the 
 kingdom was still future at the time of our Lord's 
 last passover. Matt. 26 : 26. (2) That Christ did 
 not set it up before his ascension. Acts 1 : 6. (3) 
 That flesh and blood cannot inherit it. 1 Cor. 
 15 : 50. (4) That it is a matter of promise to the 
 
90 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 apostles, and to all those that love God. Jas. 2 : 
 5. (5) That it is promised in the future to the lit- 
 tle flock. Luke 12:32. (6) That through much 
 tribulation the saints are to enter therein. Acts 
 14:22. (7) That it is to be set up when Christ 
 shall judge the living and the dead, 2 Tim. 4:1; 
 and (8) That this is to be when he shall come in 
 his glory with all his holy angels. Matt. 25 : 
 31-34. 
 
 But it may be asked, Is not the expression, " king- 
 dom of Heaven," used in the New Testament in ref- 
 erence to the church ? It may be. It does not 
 come within the province of a brief comment on 
 Dan. 2 : 44, to explain the meaning of the expres- 
 sion " kingdom of Heaven " in the New Testament. 
 Provided it could be shown that it there refers 
 every time to the church, it would by no means 
 prove the church to be the kingdom spoken of here 
 in Daniel. Our object is to ascertain what con- 
 stitutes the kingdom here brought to view ; and we 
 have seen that the prophecy utterly forbids our 
 applying it to the church; inasmuch as by the 
 terms of the prophecy we are prohibited from look- 
 ing for it till four hundred and eighty-three years 
 this side the first advent of Christ, and there are 
 indubitable proofs that it is still future. We will 
 therefore only say, in regard to the expression in 
 the New Testament, that it sometimes refers to the 
 future literal kingdom, sometimes to the work of 
 grace on the hearts of believers and the spread of 
 the gospel. But these latter are only elementary 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 44, 45- 91 
 
 principles of the kingdom, and operate in view of, 
 and in reference to, that which is to be established 
 in the future. 
 
 It may be objected again, that when the stone 
 smites the image, the iron, the brass, silver, and 
 gold, are broken to pieces together ; hence the stone 
 must have smitten the image when all these parts 
 were in existence. In reply to which, we ask, 
 What is meant by their being broken to pieces to- 
 gether? Does it mean that the same persons who 
 constituted the kingdom of gold would be alive 
 when the image was dashed to pieces ? No ; else 
 the image covers but the duration of a single gen- 
 eration. Does it mean that that would be a ruling 
 kingdom ? No ; for there is a succession of king- 
 doms down to the fourth. Supposing, then, that 
 the fifth kingdom was set up at the first advent, 
 how were the brass, silver, and gold, in existence 
 then any more than at the present day ? Does it 
 refer to the time of the second resurrection, when 
 all these wicked nations will be raised to life ? No ; 
 for the destruction of earthly governments in this 
 present state, which is symbolized by the smiting 
 of the image, certainly takes place at the end of 
 this dispensation; and in the second resurrection, 
 people are not distinguished by nationalities. 
 
 No objection really exists in the point under con- 
 sideration ; for all the kingdoms symbolized by the 
 image are, in a certain sense, still in existence. 
 Chaldea and Assyria are still the first division of 
 the image, Media and Persia, the second, Macedonia, 
 
92 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Greece, Thrace, Asia Minor, and Egypt, the third. 
 Political life, and dominion, it is true, have passed 
 from one to the other, till it is all, so far as the 
 image is concerned, now concentrated in the divis- 
 ions of the fourth kingdom ; but the others, in loca- 
 tion and substance, though without dominion, are 
 still there ; and, together all will be dashed to pieces 
 when the fifth kingdom is introduced. 
 
 It may still further be asked, by way of objec- 
 tion, Have not the ten kingdoms, in the days of 
 which the kingdom of God was to be set up, all 
 passed away ? and, as the kingdom of God is not 
 yet set up, has not the prophecy, according to the 
 view here advocated, proved a failure ? We an- 
 swer, Those kingdoms have not yet passed away. 
 We are yet in the days of those kings. The fol- 
 lowing illustration from Dr. Nelson's "Cause and 
 Cure of Infidelity," pp. 374, 375, will set this point 
 in a clear light : 
 
 "Suppose some feeble people should be suffering from 
 the almost constant invasions of numerous and ferocious 
 enemies. Suppose some powerful and benevolent prince 
 sends them word that he will, for a number of years, say 
 thirty, maintain, for their safety along the frontier, ten 
 garrisons, each to contain one hundred well-armed men. 
 Suppose the forts are built and remain a few years, when 
 two of them are burned to the ground and rebuilt without 
 delay ; has there been any violation of the sovereign's word ? 
 No, there was no material interruption in the continuance 
 of the walls of strength ; and furthermore, the most impor- 
 tant part of the safeguard was still there. Again, suppose 
 the monarch sends and has two posts of strength demolished, 
 but, adjoining the spot where these stood, and immediately, 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 44, 45. 93 
 
 he has other two buildings erected, more capacious, and 
 more desirable ; does the promise still stand good ? We 
 answer in the affirmative, and we believe no one would 
 differ with us. Finally, suppose, in addition to the ten gar- 
 risons, it could be shown that for several months during the 
 thirty years, one more had been maintained there ; that for 
 one or two years out of the thirty, there had been there 
 eleven instead of ten fortifications ; shall we call it a defeat 
 or a failure in the original undertaking I Or shall any seem- 
 ing interruptions, such as have been stated, destroy the pro- 
 priety of our calling these the ten garrisons of the frontier ? 
 The answer is, No, without dispute. 
 
 " So it is, and has been, respecting the ten kingdoms of 
 Europe, once under the Roman scepter. They have been 
 there for twelve hundred and sixty years. If several have 
 had their names changed, according to the caprice of him 
 who conquered, this change of name did not destroy exist- 
 ence. If others have had their territorial limits changed, 
 the nation was still there. If others have fallen while suc- 
 cessors were forming in their room, the ten horns were still 
 there. If, during a few years out of a thousand, there were 
 more than ten, if some temporary power reared its head, 
 seeming to claim a place with the rest, and soon disappeared, 
 it has not caused the beast to have less than ten horns." 
 
 Scott remarks : 
 
 " It is certain that the Roman Empire was divided into 
 ten kingdoms ; and though they might be sometimes more, 
 and sometimes fewer, yet they were still known by the name 
 of the ten kingdoms of the western empire." 
 
 Thus the subject is cleared of all difficulty. 
 Time has fully developed this great image in all its 
 parts. Most strictly does it represent the events 
 it was designed to symbolize. It stands com- 
 plete upon its feet. Thus it has stood for nearly 
 
94 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 fourteen hundred years. It waits to be smitten 
 upon the feet by the stone cut out of the mount- 
 ain without hand, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 This is to be accomplished when the Lord shall be 
 revealed in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them 
 that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ. In the days of these kings, 
 the God of Heaven is to set up a kingdom. We 
 are in the days of these kings. We have been 
 here nearly fourteen centuries. So far as this 
 prophecy is concerned, the very next event is the 
 setting up of God's everlasting kingdom. Other 
 prophecies and innumerable signs show unmistak- 
 ably its immediate proximity. 
 
 The coming kingdom ! This ought to be the all- 
 absorbing topic of the present generation. Reader, 
 are you ready for the issue ? He who enters this 
 kingdom enters it not for a lifetime merely, such as 
 men live in this present state, not to see it degener- 
 ate, not to see it overthrown by a succeeding and 
 more powerful kingdom ; but he enters it to partici- 
 pate in all its privileges and blessings, and to share 
 its glories forever ; for this kingdom is not to be left 
 to other people. Again we ask you, Are you ready ? 
 The terms of heirship are most liberal : " If ye are 
 Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs ac- 
 cording to promise." Are you on terms of friend- 
 ship with Christ, the coming King ? Do you love 
 his character ? Are you trying to walk humbly in 
 his footsteps and obey his teachings ? If not, read 
 your fate in the cases of those in the parable, of 
 
CHAPTER U, VERSES 46-49. 95 
 
 whom it was said, Those mine enemies that would 
 not have me to reign over them, bring hither and 
 slay them before me. There is to be no rival king- 
 dom where you can find an asylum, if you remain 
 an enemy to this ; for this is to occupy all the terri- 
 tory ever possessed by earthly kingdoms. It is to 
 fill the whole earth. Happy they to whom the 
 rightful Sovereign, the all-conquering King, at last 
 can say, " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit 
 the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 
 of the world." 
 
 VERSE 46. Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his 
 face, and worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should 
 offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him. 47. The king 
 answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your 
 God is a Go'd of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer 
 of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 48. Then 
 the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many 
 great gifts, and Tiiacle him ruler over the whole province of 
 Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of 
 Babylon. 49. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he 
 set Slwlrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of 
 the province of Babylon ; but Daniel sat in the gate of the 
 king. 
 
 We have dwelt quite at length on the interpreta- 
 tion of the dream, which Daniel made known to 
 the Chaldean monaT^ch. From this, we must now 
 return to the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, and to 
 Daniel as he stands in the presence of the king, hav- 
 ing made known to him the dream and the inter- 
 pretation thereof, while the courtiers, and the baf- 
 fled soothsayers, and astrologers, wait around in si- 
 lent awe and wonder. 
 
96 THOUGHTS Otf DAtfHSL. 
 
 It might be expected that a youthful monarch, 
 raised to the highest earthly throne, and in the full 
 flush of uninterrupted success, would scarcely brook 
 to be told that his kingdom, which he designed to 
 last forever, and doubtless fondly hoped would so 
 last, was to be overthrown by another people. Yet 
 Daniel plainly and boldly made known this fact to 
 the king; and the king, so far from being offended , 
 fell upon his face before the prophet of God, and of- 
 fered him worship. Daniel doubtless immediately 
 countermanded the orders which the king issued to 
 pay him divine honors. That Daniel had some com- 
 munication with the king which is not here recorded 
 is evident from verse 47 : " The king answered unto 
 Daniel," etc. And it may be still further inferred 
 that Daniel labored to turn the king's feelings of 
 reverence from himself to the God of Heaven, mas- 
 much as the king replies, " Of a truth it is that 
 your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings." 
 
 Then the king made Daniel a great man, There 
 are two things which in this life are specially con- 
 sidered to make a man great, and both these Daniel 
 received from the king. 1. Riches. A man is con- 
 sidered great if he is a man of wealth ; and we 
 read that the king gave him many and great gifts. 
 2. Power. If in conjunction with riches, a man has 
 power, certainly in popular estimation he is consid- 
 ered a great man ; and this was bestowed upon 
 Daniel in abundant measure. He was made ruler 
 over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of 
 the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 46, 49. 97 
 
 Thus speedily and abundantly did Daniel begin 
 to be rewarded for his fidelity to his own conscience, 
 and the requirements of God. So great was Ba- 
 laam's desire for the presents of a certain heathen 
 king, that he endeavored to obtain them in spite of 
 the Lord's expressed will to the contrary, and thus 
 signally failed. Daniel did not act with a view to 
 obtaining these presents ; yet by maintaining his in- 
 tegrity with the Lord, they were given abundantly 
 into his hands. His advancement, both with respect 
 to wealth and power, was a matter of no small mo- 
 ment with him, as it enabled him to be of benefit 
 to his fellow-countrymen less favored than himself 
 in their long captivity. 
 
 Daniel did not become bewildered nor intoxicated 
 by his signal victory and his wonderful advancement. 
 He first remembers the three who were companions 
 with him in anxiety respecting the king's matter; 
 and as they had helped him with their prayers, he 
 determines that they shall share with him in his 
 honors. At his request they were placed over the 
 affairs of Babylon ; while Daniel himself sat in the 
 gate of the king. The gate was the place where 
 councils were held, and matters of chief moment 
 were deliberated upon. The record is a simple dec- 
 laration that Daniel became chief counselor to the 
 king. 
 
III. 
 
 THE FIERY ORDEAL. 
 
 VERSE 1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of 
 gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth 
 thereof six cubits ; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the 
 Province of Babylon. 
 
 There is a conjecture extant, that this image had 
 some reference to the dream of the king as de- 
 scribed in the previous chapter, it having been 
 erected only twenty-three years subsequently, ac- 
 cording to the marginal chronology. In that dream 
 the head was of gold, representing Nebuchadnezzar's 
 kingdom. That was succeeded by metals of infe- 
 rior quality, denoting a succession of kingdoms. 
 Nebuchadnezzar was doubtless quite gratified that 
 his kingdom should be represented by the gold ; 
 but that it should ever be succeeded by another 
 kingdom was not so pleasing. Hence, instead of 
 having simply the head of his image of gold, he 
 made it all of gold, to denote that the gold of the 
 head should extend through the entire image ; or, 
 in other words, that his kingdom should not give 
 way to another kingdom, but be perpetual. 
 
 It is probable that the height here mentioned, 90 
 feet at the lowest estimate, was not the height of 
 
 (98) 
 
CHAPTER IlJt VEKSES 2-7. 99 
 
 the image proper, but included the pedestal also. 
 Nor is it probable that any more than the image 
 proper, if even that, was of solid gold. It could 
 have been overlaid with thin plates, nicely joined, 
 at a much less expense, without detracting at all 
 from its external appearance. 
 
 VERSE 2. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather 
 together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the 
 judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all 
 the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the 
 image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3. Then 
 the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the 
 treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of 
 the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication 
 of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up ; and 
 they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set 
 up. 4 Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, 
 O people, nations, and languages, 5, That at what time ye 
 hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, 
 dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship 
 the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set 
 up ; 6 ; And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall 
 the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery fur- 
 nace. 7. Therefore, at that time, when all the people heard 
 the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and 
 all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the lan- 
 guages, fell down and worshiped the golden image that Neb- 
 uchadnezzar the king had set up. 
 
 The dedication of this image was made a great 
 occasion. The chief men of all the kingdom were 
 gathered together. So much pains and expense will 
 men undergo in sustaining idolatrous and heathen 
 systems of worship. So it is, and ever has been. 
 Alas ! that those who have the true religion should 
 
100 THOUGHT '8 ON DANIEL. 
 
 be so far outdone in these respects by the upholders 
 of the false and counterfeit. The worship was ac- 
 companied with music ; and whoso should fail to 
 participate therein was threatened with a fiery fur- 
 nace. Such are ever the strongest motives to im- 
 pel men in any direction, pleasure on the one hand, 
 pain on the other. 
 
 In verse 6 is the first mention we have in the 
 Bible of the division of time into hours. It was 
 probably the invention of the Chaldeans. 
 
 VERSE 8. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came 
 near, and accused the Jews. 9. They spake and said to the 
 king Nebuchadnezzar, O King, live forever. 10. Thou, O 
 King hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the 
 sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dul- 
 cimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship 
 the golden image ; 11 ; And whoso falleth not down and wor- 
 shipeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning 
 fiery furnace. 12. There are certain Jews whom thou hast 
 set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, 
 Meshach, and Abed-nego ; these men, O King, have not re- 
 garded thee ; they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden 
 image which thou hast set up. 
 
 Thefee Chaldeans who accused the Jews were 
 probably the sect of philosophers who went by 
 that name, and who were still smarting under the 
 chagrin of their ignominious failure in respect to 
 their interpretation of the king's dream of chapter 
 2. They were eager to seize upon any pretext to 
 accuse the Jews before the king, and either disgrace 
 or destroy them. They work upon the king's prej- 
 udice by strong intimations of their ingratitude: 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 13-18. 101 
 
 Thou hast set them over the affairs of Babylon, and 
 yet they have disregarded thee. Where Daniel 
 was upon this occasion, is not known. He was 
 probably absent on some business of the empire, the 
 importance of which demanded his presence. But 
 why should Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, 
 since they knew they could not worship the image, 
 be present on the occasion ? It was because they 
 were willing to comply with the king's require- 
 ments as far as they could without compromising 
 their religion. The king required them to be pres- 
 ent. With this they could comply, and did. He 
 required them to worship the image. This their 
 religion forbade, and this they therefore refused. 
 
 VERSE 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury 
 commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 
 Then they brought these men before the king. 14. Nebu- 
 chadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, 
 Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor wor- 
 ship the golden image which I have set up 1 15. Now if ye 
 be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, 
 flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds, 
 of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have 
 made ; well : but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same 
 hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace ; and who is 
 that God that shall deliver you out of my hands ? 16. Shad- 
 rach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the 
 king, O Nebuhadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee 
 in this matter. 17. If it be so, our God whom we serve is 
 able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he 
 will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18. But if not, 
 be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy 
 gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up. 
 
102 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 The forbearance of the king is shown in his 
 granting Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, an- 
 other trial, after their first failure to comply with 
 his requirements. Doubtless the matter was thor- 
 oughly understood. They could not plead igno- 
 rance. They knew just what the king wanted, 
 and their failure to do it was an intentional and 
 deliberate refusal to obey him. With most kings 
 this would have been enough to seal their fate. 
 But no, says Nebuchadnezzar, I will overlook this, 
 if upon a second trial they comply with the law. 
 But they informed the king that he need not 
 trouble himself to repeat the farce. " We are not 
 careful," said they, " to answer thee in this matter." 
 That is, you need not be to any further trouble to 
 give us another trial, our mind is made up. We 
 can answer just as well now as at any future time ; 
 and our answer is, "We will not serve thy gods, nor 
 worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 
 Our God can deliver if he will; but if not, it is just 
 the same. We know his will, and to that we shall 
 render unconditional obedience." Their answer was 
 both honest and decisive. 
 
 VERSE 19. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and 
 the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Me- 
 shach, and Abed-nego ; therefore he spake, and commanded 
 that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than 
 it was wont to be heated. 20. And he commanded the most 
 mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Me- 
 shach, and Abed-nego ; and to cast them into the burning 
 fiery furnace. 21. Then these men were bound in their 
 coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 19-25. 103 
 
 and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 
 
 22. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent 
 and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew 
 those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 
 
 23. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- 
 nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery 
 furnace. 24. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was aston- 
 ished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his 
 counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst 
 of the fire ? They answered and said unto the king, True, O 
 King. 25. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, 
 walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt ; and 
 the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar was not entirely free from the 
 faults and follies that ever beset an absolute mon- 
 arch. Intoxicated with unlimited power, he could 
 not brook disobedience or contradiction. Let his 
 authority be resisted, on however good grounds, 
 and he exhibits the weakness common to our fallen 
 humanity under circumstances like his, and flies 
 into a passion. Ruler of the world, he was not 
 equal to that still harder task, of ruling his own 
 spirit. And even the form of his visage was 
 changed. From the calm, dignified, self-possessed 
 ruler that he should have appeared, he betrayed 
 himself, in look and act, the slave of ungovernable 
 passion. 
 
 The furnace was heated one seven times hotter, 
 or in other words, to its utmost capacity. The 
 king overreached himself in this ; for even if the 
 fire had been suffered to have its ordinary effect 
 upon the ones he cast in, it would only have de- 
 stroyed them the sooner. Nothing would have 
 
104 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 been gained by that means on the part of the king. 
 But seeing they were delivered from it, much was 
 gained on the part of the cause of God and his 
 truth ; for the more intense the heat, the greater 
 and more impressive the miracle of being delivered 
 from it. Every circumstance was calculated to 
 show the direct power of God. They were bound 
 in all their garments, but came out with not even 
 the smell of fire upon them. The most mighty 
 men in the kingdom were chosen to cast them in . 
 not the most mighty as regards stature and 
 strength, bub the highest in rank and dignity. 
 These the fire slew ere they came in contact with 
 it ; while on the Hebrews it had no effect, though 
 they were in the very midst of its flames. It was 
 evident that the fire was under the control of some 
 supernatural intelligence ; for while it had effect 
 upon the cords with which they were bound, de- 
 stroying them, so that they were free to walk about 
 in the midst of the fire, it did not even singe their 
 garments. They did not, as soon as free, spring out 
 of the furnace, but continued therein ; for, first, the 
 king had put them in, and it was his to call them 
 out; and, secondly, the form of the fourth was 
 with them, and in his presence they could be con- 
 tent and joyful, as well in the furnace of fire, as in 
 the delights and luxuries of the palace. Let us in 
 all our trials, afflictions, persecutions, and straitened 
 places, but have the form of the fourth with us, 
 and it is enough. 
 
 The king said, And the form of the fourth is like 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 26-SO. 1Q5 
 
 the Son of God. This language is by some sup- 
 posed to refer to Christ. But it is not likely that the 
 king had any idea of the Saviour. A better ren- 
 dering, according to good authorities, would be 
 " like a son of the gods ; " that is, he had the ap- 
 pearance of a supernatural or divine being. Neb- 
 uchadnezzar subsequently called him an angel. 
 
 What a scathing rebuke upon the king for his 
 folly and madness, was the deliverance of these 
 worthies from the fiery furnace ! The Chaldeans 
 worshiped fire; yet the fire slew its devotees 
 and spared its enemies. A higher power than any 
 on earth had vindicated those who stood firm 
 against idolatry, and poured contempt on the wor- 
 ship and requirements of the king. 
 
 VERSE 26. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth 
 of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, 
 Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God ; 
 come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, 
 and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 27. 
 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's 
 counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon 
 whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their 
 head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell 
 of fire had passed on them. 28. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, 
 and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and 
 Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his serv- 
 ants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, 
 and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor 
 worship any god, except their own God. 29. Therefore I 
 make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, 
 which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, 
 Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their 
 houses shall be made a dunghill ; because there is no other 
 
I () Q THO UOHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 God that can deliver after this sort. 30. Then the king pro- 
 moted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-iiego, in the province 
 of Babylon. 
 
 When bidden, these three men came forth from 
 the furnace. Then the princes, governors, and king's 
 counselors, through whose advice, or at least concur- 
 rence, they had been cast into the furnace (for the 
 king said to them, verse 24, Did not we cast three 
 men bound into the midst of the fire ?), were gathered 
 together to look upon these men, and have optical 
 and tangible proof of their wonderful preservation. 
 The worship of the great image was lost sight of. 
 The whole interest of this vast concourse of people 
 was now concentrated upon these three remarkable 
 men. All men's thoughts and minds were full of 
 this wonderful occurrence. And how the knowledge 
 of it would be spread abroad throughout the empire, 
 as they should return to their respective provinces. 
 What a notable instance in which God caused the 
 wrath of man to praise him. 
 
 Then the king blessed the God of Shadrach, Me- 
 shach, and Abed-nego, and made a decree that none 
 should speak against him. This, the Chaldeans had 
 undoubtedly done. In those days, each nation had 
 its god, or its gods ; for there were gods many and 
 lords many. And the victory of one nation over 
 another was attributed to the fact that the gods of 
 the conquered nation were not able to deliver them 
 from the conquerors. The Jews had been wholly 
 subjugated by the Babylonians, on which account 
 they had no doubt spoken disparagingly or contempt- 
 
r 
 
 CHAPTER III, VERSES 26-SO. 1Q7 
 
 uously of the God of the Jews. This the king now 
 prohibits ; for he is plainly given to understand that 
 his success against the Jews was owing to their sins, 
 not to any lack of power on the part of their God. 
 His decree was good so far as it went ; but it fell far 
 short of what it should have been. While it forbade 
 all speaking against the God of the Jews, it still per- 
 mitted the nations to retain their false gods. While 
 acknow]edging the claims of the true God to respect 
 and devotion, he should have prohibited idolatry, 
 which was especially rebuked by the gracious deal- 
 ings of God with his steadfast servants. Had these 
 Jews been time-servers, the name of the true God 
 had not thus been exalted in Babylon. What honor 
 does the Lord put upon them that are steadfast 
 toward him ! 
 
 The king promoted them ; that is, he restored to 
 them the offices which they held before the charges 
 of disobedience and treason were brought against 
 them. At the end of verse 30, the Septuagint adds: 
 " And he advanced them to be governors over all the 
 Jews that were in his kingdom." It is not probable 
 that he insisted on any further worship of his image. 
 
l IV. 
 
 NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DECREE. 
 
 VERSE 1. Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, na- 
 tions, and languages, that dwell in all the earth : Peace be 
 multiplied unto you. 2. I thought it good to shew the signs 
 and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 
 3. How great are his signs ! and how mighty are his wonders ! 
 his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is 
 from generation to generation. 
 
 This chapter opens, says Dr. Clarke, with " a reg- 
 ular decree, and one of the most ancient on record." 
 It was from the pen of Nebuchadnezzar, and was 
 promulgated in the usual form. He wishes to make 
 known, not to a few only, but to all people, nations, 
 and languages, the wonderful dealings of God with 
 him. People are ever ready to tell what God has 
 done for them in the way of benefits and blessings. 
 We ought to be no less ready to tell what God has 
 done for us in the way of humiliation and chastise- 
 ments. And Nebuchadnezzar sets us a good exam- 
 ple in this respect, as we shall see from the subse- 
 quent portions of this chapter. He frankly confesses 
 the vanity and pride of his heart, and the means that 
 God took to abase him. With a genuine spirit of 
 repentance and humiliation, he thinks it good, of his 
 own free will, to show these things, that the sover- 
 eignty of God may be extolled, and his name adored. 
 
 (108) 
 
CHAPTER IV, VERSES 4-18. 1()9 
 
 In reference to the kingdom, he no longer claims im- 
 mutability for his own, but makes a full surrender to 
 God in acknowledging his kingdom alone to be ever- 
 lasting, and his dominion from generation to gen- 
 eration. 
 
 VERSE 4. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, 
 and flourishing in my palace : 5:1 saw a dream which made 
 me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of 
 my head troubled me. 6. Therefore made I a decree to bring 
 in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might 
 make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 7. 
 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, 
 and the soothsayers ; and I told the dream before them ; but 
 they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. 
 8. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was 
 Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom 
 is "the spirit of the holy gods : and before him I told the 
 dream, saying, 9, O Belteshazzar, master of the magi- 
 cians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in 
 thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my 
 dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. 10. 
 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed : I saw, and 
 behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height 
 thereof was great. 11. The tree grew, and was strong, and 
 the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof 
 to the end of all the earth ; 12 ; The leaves thereof were 
 fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all : 
 the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of 
 the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed 
 of it. 13. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, 
 and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from 
 Heaven ; 14 ; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the 
 tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scat- 
 ter his fruit : let the beasts get away from under it, and the 
 fowls from his branches. 15. Nevertheless, leave the stump 
 
HO THO UOHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, 
 in the tender grass of the field ; and let it be wet with the 
 dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the 
 grass of the earth ; 16 ; Let his heart be changed from 
 man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him ; and let 
 seven times pass over him. 17. This matter is by the de- 
 cree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the 
 holy ones : to the intent that the living may know that the 
 Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to 
 whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. 
 18. This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now 
 thou, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, for- 
 asmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to 
 make known unto me the interpretation : but thou art able ; 
 for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee. 
 
 In the events here narrated, several striking 
 points may be noticed. 
 
 1. Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in his house. 
 He had accomplished successfully all his enterprises. 
 He had subdued Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Egypt, 
 and Arabia. It was probably these great conquests 
 that puffed him up, and betrayed him into such 
 vanity and self-confidence. And this very time, 
 when he felt most at rest and secure, when it was 
 most unlikely that he would allow a thought to 
 disturb his self-complacent tranquility, this very 
 time God takes to trouble him with fears and fore- 
 bodings. 
 
 2. The means by which God did this. What 
 could strike with fear the heart of such a monarch 
 as Nebuchadnezzar ? He had been a warrior from 
 his youth. With the perils of battle, and the ter- 
 rors of slaughter and carnage, he had often stood 
 
CHAPTER IV, VERSES 4-18. 
 
 face to face, and his countenance had not blanched 
 nor his nerves trembled. And what should make 
 him afraid now ? for no foe threatened, no hostile 
 cloud was visible. As the most unlikely time was 
 taken for him to be touched with fear, so the most 
 unlikely means were selected by which to accom- 
 plish it, a dream. His own thoughts, and the vis- 
 ions of his own head, were taken to teach him what 
 nothing else could, a salutary lesson of dependence 
 and humility. He who had terrified others, but 
 whom no others could terrify, was made a terror to 
 himself. 
 
 3. A still greater humiliation than that narrated 
 in the second chapter, was brought upon the magi- 
 cians. There they boasted that if they only had 
 the dream they could make known the interpreta- 
 tion. Here Nebuchadnezzar remembers distinctly 
 the dream, but meets the mortification of having 
 his magicians ignominiously fail him again. They 
 could not make known the interpretation, and re- 
 sort is again had to the prophet of God. 
 
 4. The remarkable illustration of the reign of 
 Nebuchadnezzar. This is symbolized by a tree in 
 the midst of the earth. Babylon, where Nebuchad- 
 nezzar reigned, was about in the center of the then 
 known world. The tree reached unto heaven, and 
 the leaves thereof were fair. Its external glory and 
 splendor were great ; but this was not all of it, as 
 is the case with too many kingdoms. It had inter- 
 nal excellences. The fruit of it was much, and it 
 had meat for all. The beasts of the field had 
 
112 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 shadow under it, the fowls of heaven dwelt in the 
 boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. What 
 could represent more plainly and forcibly the fact 
 that Nebuchadnezzar ruled his kingdom in such a 
 way as to afford the fullest protection, support, and 
 prosperity to all his subjects ? To really accomplish 
 this, is the perfection of earthly governments and 
 the highest glory of any kingdom. 
 
 5. The mercy that God mingles with his judg- 
 ments. When order was given that this tree should 
 be cut down, it was commanded that the stump of 
 the roots should be left in the earth, and protected 
 with a band of iron and brass, that it might not be 
 wholly given to decay, but that the source of future 
 growth and greatness might be left. The day is 
 coming when the wicked shall be cut down, and no 
 such residue of hope be left them. No mercy will 
 be mingled with their punishment. They shall be 
 destroyed both root and branch. 
 
 6. An important key to prophetic interpretation. 
 Verse 16. "Let seven times pass over him," said 
 the decree. This is plain, literal narration ; hence 
 the time is here to be understood literally. How 
 long a period is denoted ? This may be determined 
 by ascertaining how long Nebuchadnezzar, in ful- 
 fillment of this prediction, was driven out to have 
 his dwelling with the beasts of the field ; and this, 
 Josephus informs us, was seven years. A " time/' 
 then, denotes one year. When used in symbolic 
 prophecy, it would of course denote symbolic or 
 prophetic time. A "time" would then denote a 
 
CHAPTER IV, VERSES 19-27. 
 
 113 
 
 prophetic year, or, each day standing for a year, 
 three hundred and sixty literal years. 
 
 7. The interest that the holy ones, or the angels, 
 take in human affairs. They are represented as de- 
 manding this dealing with Nebuchadnezzar. They 
 see, as mortals never can see, how unseemly a thing 
 is pride in the human heart. And they approve of, 
 and sympathize with, the decrees and providences of 
 God, with which he works for the correction of these 
 evils. Man must know that he is not the architect 
 of his own fortune, but there is One who ruleth in 
 the kingdom of men, on whom his dependence 
 should be humbly placed. A man may be a success- 
 ful monarch ; but he should not pride himself upon 
 that ; for, unless the Lord had set him up, he would 
 have been the basest of men. 
 
 8. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the supremacy 
 of the true God over the heathen oracles. He ap- 
 peals to Daniel to solve the mystery. Thou art 
 able, he says, for the spirit of the holy gods is in 
 thee. The Septuagint has the singular, the Spirit of 
 the holy God. 
 
 VERSE 19. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, 
 was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. 
 The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or 
 the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar an- 
 swered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate 
 thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. 20. 
 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, 
 whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to 
 all the earth ; 21 ; Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit 
 thereof much, and in it was meat for all ; under which the 
 8 
 
THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls 
 of the heaven had their habitation : 22 : It is thou, O King, 
 that are grown and become strong; for thy greatness is 
 grown, and reachcth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the 
 end of the earth. 23. And whereas the king saw a watcher 
 and an holy one coming down from Heaven, and saying, 
 Hew the tree down, and destroy it ; yet leave the stump of 
 the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and 
 brass, in the tender grass of the field ; and let it be wet with 
 the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of 
 the field, till seven times pass over him ; 24 ; This is the in- 
 terpretation, O King, and this is the decree of the Most 
 High, which is come upon my lord the king ; 25 ; That they 
 shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with 
 the beasts of tho field, and they shall make thee to eat grass 
 as oxen, and the} 7 shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, 
 and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the 
 Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to 
 whomsoever he will. 26. And whereas they commanded to 
 leave the stump of the tree roots ; thy kingdom shall be 
 sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the 
 Heavens do rule. 27. Wherefore, King, let my counsel 
 be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteous- 
 ness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor ; if 
 it m:\y be a lengthening of thy tranquility. 
 
 The hesitation of Daniel, who sat astonished for 
 one hour, did not arise from any difficulty he had in 
 interpreting the dream, but from its being so delicate 
 a matter to make it known to the king. Daniel 
 had received favor from the king, nothing but favor, 
 so far as we know, knd it came hard for him to be 
 the bearer of so terrible a threatening of judgment 
 against him as was involved in this dream. He was 
 troubled to determine in what way he could best 
 
CHAPTER IV, VERSES 19-27. 
 
 make it known. It seems the king anticipated 
 something of this kind, and hence assured the 
 prophet, by telling him not to let the dream or the 
 interpretation trouble him ; as if he had said, Do not 
 hesitate to make it known, whatever bearing it may 
 have upon me. Thus assured, Daniel speaks; and 
 where can we find a parallel to the force and delicacy 
 of his language : " The dream be to them that hate 
 thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies." 
 A calamity is set forth in this dream, which we 
 would might come upon your enemies rather than 
 upon you. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar had given a minute statement of 
 his dream ; and as soon as Daniel informed him that 
 the dream applied to himself, it was evident that he 
 had pronounced his own sentence. The interpreta- 
 tion which follows is so plain that it need not detain 
 us. The threatened judgments were conditional. 
 They were to teach the king that the Heavens do 
 rule ; the word Heavens here being put for God, the 
 Ruler of the Heavens. Hence Daniel takes occasion 
 to give the king counsel in view of the threatened 
 judgment. But he does not denounce him with 
 harshness and censor iousness. Blindness and per- 
 suasion is the weapon he chooses to wield : " Let my 
 counsel be acceptable unto thee." So the apostle be- 
 seeches men to suffer the word of exhortation. Heb. 
 13': 22. If the king would break off his sins by 
 righteousness and his iniquities by showing mercy 
 to the poor, it might be a lengthening of his tran- 
 quility, or, as the margin reads, "An healing of thine 
 
116 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 error." That is, he might even have averted the 
 judgment the Lord designed to bring upon him. 
 
 VERSE 28. All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 
 29. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of 
 the kingdom of Babylon. 30. The king spake, and said, Is 
 not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the 
 kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of 
 my majesty 1 31. While the word was in the king's mouth, 
 there fell a voice from Heaven, saying, king Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, to thee it is spoken : The kingdom is departed from 
 thee. 32. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy 
 dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field ; they shall 
 make thee to eat grass as the oxen, and seven times shall 
 pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth 
 in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 
 33. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchad- 
 nezzar; and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as 
 oxen, and his body Avas wet with the dew of heaven, till his 
 hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like 
 birds' claws. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar failed to profit by the warning 
 he had received. Yet God bore with him twelve 
 months before the blow fell. All the while he was 
 cherishing pride in his heart. At length it reached 
 a climax beyond which God could not suffer it to 
 pass. The king walked in the palace, and as he 
 looked forth upon the wonders of that wonder of the 
 world, great Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, he 
 forgot the Source of all his strength and greatness, 
 and exclaimed, "Is not this great Babylon, that / 
 have built ?" The time had come for his humilia- 
 tion. A voice from Heaven again announces the 
 threatened judgment, and divine Providence proceeds 
 
CHAPTER IV, VERSES 34-37. H7 
 
 immediately to execute it. His reason departed. No 
 longer the pomp and glory of his great city charmed 
 him, when God with a touch of his finger took away 
 his capability to appreciate and enjoy it. He for- 
 sook the dwellings of men, and sought a home and 
 companionship among the beasts of the forest. 
 
 VERSE 34. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar 
 lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding 
 returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I 
 praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion 
 is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from gener- 
 ation to generation. 35. And all the inhabitants of the 
 earth are reputed as nothing ; and he doeth according to his 
 will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of 
 the earth ; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, 
 What doest thou? 36. At the same time my reason re- 
 turned unto me ; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine 
 honor and brightness returned unto me , and my counselors 
 and my lords sought unto me ; and I was established in my 
 kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. 37. 
 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King 
 of Heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judg- 
 ment ; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. 
 
 At the end of the seven years, God removed his 
 afflicting hand, and the reason and understanding of 
 the king returned to him again. His first act then 
 was to bless the Most High. On this, Matthew Henry 
 has the following appropriate remark : " Those may 
 justly be reckoned void of understanding that do not 
 bless and praise God ; nor do men ever rightly use 
 their reason till they begin to be religious, nor li ve as 
 men till they live to the glory of God. As reason is 
 the substratum or subject of religion (so that creat- 
 
118 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 ures which have no reason are not capable of relig- 
 ion), so religion is the crown and glory of reason, 
 and we have our reason hi vain, and shall one day 
 wish we had never had it, if we do not glorify God 
 with it." 
 
 His honor and brightness returned to him again, 
 his counselors sought unto him, and he was once 
 more established in the kingdom. The promise was, 
 verse 26, that his kingdom should be sure unto him. 
 During his insanity, his son, Evil-merodach, is said 
 to have reigned, as regent, in his stead. Daniel's in- 
 terpretation of the dream was doubtless well under- 
 stood throughout the palace, and was probably more 
 or less a subject of conversation. Hence the return 
 of Nebuchadnezzar to his kingdom must have been 
 anticipated, and looked for with interest. Why he 
 was permitted to make his home in the open field in 
 so forlorn a condition, instead of being comfortably 
 cared for by the attendants of the palace, we are not 
 informed. It is supposed that he dextrously escaped 
 from the palace, and eluded all search. 
 
 The affliction had its designed effect. The lesson 
 of humility was learned. He did not forget it with 
 returning prosperity. He was ready to acknowl- 
 edge that the Most High ruled in the kingdom of 
 men and gave it to whomsoever he would ; and he 
 sent forth through all his realm a royal proclamation, 
 containing an acknowledgment of his pride, and a 
 manifesto of praise and adoration to the King of 
 Heaven. 
 
 This is the last scripture record we have of Nebu- 
 
CHAPTER IV, VERSES S4-S7. 
 
 chadnezzar. This decree is dated in the authorized 
 version, says Dr. Clarke, 563 B. c., one year before 
 Nebuchadnezzar's death; though some place the date 
 of this decree seventeen years before his death. Be 
 this as it may, it is not probable that he again re- 
 lapsed into idolatry, but died in the faith of the God 
 of Israel. 
 
 Thus closed the life of this remarkable man. With 
 all the temptations incident to his exalted position 
 as king, may we not suppose that God saw in him 
 honesty of heart, integrity, and purity of purpose, 
 which he could use to the glory of his name ? Hence 
 his wonderful dealings with him, all of which seem 
 to have been designed to wean him from his false 
 religion, and attach him to the service of the true 
 God. We have, first, his dream of the great image, 
 containing such a valuable lesson for the people of 
 all coming generations. Secondly, his experience 
 with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in refer- 
 ence to his golden image, wherein he was again led 
 to an acknowledgment of the supremacy of the true 
 God. And lastly, we have the wonderful incidents 
 recorded in this chapter, showing the still unceasing 
 efforts of the Lord to bring him to a full acknowl- 
 edgment of himself. And may we not hope that 
 the most illustrious king of the first prophetic king- 
 dom, the head of gold, may at last have part in that 
 kingdom, before which all earthly kingdoms shall be- 
 come as the chaff, the glory of which shall never dim, 
 and its dominion have no end ? 
 
V. 
 
 BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST. 
 
 VERSE 1. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a 
 thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 
 
 The chief feature of interest pertaining to this 
 chapter is the fact that it describes the closing scene 
 of the Babylonish empire, the transition from the 
 gold to the silver of the great image, and from the 
 lion to the bear of Daniel's vision in chapter 7. 
 This feast is supposed by some to have been a 
 stated annual festival, the anniversary of the con- 
 quest of Judea. On this account, Cyrus, who was 
 then besieging Babylon, learned of its approach, 
 and knew when to lay his plans for the overthrow 
 of the city. Our translation reads that Belshazzar, 
 having invited a thousand of his lords, drank before 
 the thousand. Some translate it, " drank against 
 the thousand," showing him, with all his other vile 
 and contemptible propensities, to have been an enor- 
 mous drinker. 
 
 VERSE 2. Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, com- 
 manded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his 
 father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which 
 was in Jerusalem ; that the king, and his princes, his wives, 
 and his concubines, might drink therein. 3. Then they 
 brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the 
 (120) 
 
CHAPTER F, VERSES 1-9. 121 
 
 temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem ; and 
 the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, 
 drank in them. 4. They drank wine, and praised the gods 
 of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of 
 stone. 
 
 That this festival had some reference to former 
 victories over the Jews, may be inferred from the 
 fact that the king, when he began to be heated with 
 his wine, called for the sacred vessels which had 
 been taken from Jerusalem. It would be most 
 likely that, lost to a sense of all sacred things, he 
 would use them to celebrate the victory by which 
 they were obtained. No other king, probably, had 
 carried his impiety to such a height as this. And 
 while they drank wine from vessels dedicated to 
 the true God, they praised their gods of gold, silver, 
 brass, iron, wood, and stone. Perhaps, as noticed on 
 chap. 3 . 29, they celebrated the superior power of 
 their gods over the God of the Jews, from whose 
 vessels they now drank to their heathen deities. 
 
 VERSE 5. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's 
 hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plas- 
 ter of the wall of the king's palace ; and the king saw the 
 part of the hand that wrote. 6. Then the king's countenance 
 was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the 
 joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one 
 against another. 7. The king cried aloud to bring in the 
 astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the 
 king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever 
 shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation there- 
 of, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold 
 about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 
 8. Then came in all the king's wise men : but they could not 
 
122 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpre- 
 tation thereof. 9. Then was king Belshazzar greatly 
 troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his 
 lords were astonied. 
 
 No flashes of supernatural light, no deafening 
 peals of thunder announced the interference of 
 God in their impious revelries. A hand silently 
 appeared tracing mystic characters upon the wall. 
 It wrote over against the candlestick. In the light 
 of their own lamp they saw it. Terror seized upon 
 the king ; for his conscience accused him. Although 
 he could not read the writing, he knew it was no 
 message of peace and blessing that was traced in 
 glittering characters upon his palace wall. And 
 the description the prophet gives of the effects of 
 the king's fear cannot be excelled in any particular. 
 The king's countenance was changed, his heart failed 
 him, pain seized him, and so violent was his trem- 
 bling, that his knees smote one against another. 
 He forgot his boasting and revelry ; he forgot his 
 dignity ; and he cried aloud for his astrologers and 
 soothsayers to solve the meaning of the terrible ap- 
 parition. 
 
 VERSE 10. Now the queen, by reason of the words of the 
 king and his lords, came into the banquet house : and the 
 queen spake and said, O king, live forever : let not thy 
 thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed. 
 11. There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of 
 the holy gods ; and in the days of thy father light and un- 
 derstanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was 
 found in him ; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, 
 the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, 
 
CHAPTER V, VERSES 10-16. 123 
 
 astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers ; 12 ; Forasmuch as 
 an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, in- 
 terpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and 
 dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom 
 the king named Belteshazzar : now let Daniel be called, and 
 he will show the interpretation. 13. Then was Daniel 
 brought in before the king. And the king spake and said 
 unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children 
 of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought 
 out of Jewry? 14. I have even heard of thee, that the 
 spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understand- 
 ing and excellent wisdom is found in thee. 15. And now 
 the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before 
 me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto 
 me the interpretation thereof : but they could not show the 
 interpretation of the thing. 16. And I have heard of thee, 
 that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts : 
 now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me 
 the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scar- 
 let, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt 
 be the third ruler in the kingdom. 
 
 It seems that the knowledge of Daniel had been 
 lost from the court and palace. As in the case of 
 the Israelites in Egypt, a king rose who knew not 
 Joseph, so in this case, Nebuchadnezzar was suc- 
 ceeded by kings that knew not Daniel. The queen 
 who came in and made known to the king that 
 there was such a person in his kingdom, is supposed 
 to have been the widow of Nebuchadnezzar, in 
 whose memory the wonderful part Daniel had acted 
 in his reign, was still fresh and vivid. Nebuchad- 
 nezzar is here called Belshazzar's father according 
 to the usage common in those times of calling any 
 paternal ancestor, father, and any male descendant, 
 
124 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 son. Nebuchadnezzar was really his grandfather. 
 Daniel was brought in, and the king inquired if he 
 was the Daniel who was of the children of the cap- 
 tivity of Judah. This captivity was the great sub- 
 ject of that occasion ; and thus acute was the ven- 
 geance God was about to take on the king ; that is, 
 that while they were celebrating their victory over 
 the Jews, and drinking from the sacred vessels then 
 taken, God so orders that at that moment they be- 
 come paralyzed with terror, and one of those very 
 captives has to be called in to pronounce the mer- 
 ited doom upon their wicked course. 
 
 VERSE 17. Then Daniel answered and said before the 
 king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to 
 another ; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make 
 known to him the interpretation. 18. O thou king, the 
 most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, 
 and majesty, and glory, and honor. 19. And for the maj- 
 esty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, 
 trembled and feared before him : whom he would he slew ; 
 and whom he would he kept alive ; and whom he would he 
 set up ; and whom he would he put down. 20. But when 
 his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he 
 was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory 
 from him. 21. And he was driven from the sons of men ; 
 and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was 
 with the wild asses : they fed him with grass like oxen, and his 
 body was wet with the dew of heaven ; till he knew that the 
 most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he ap- 
 pointeth over it whomsoever he will. 22. And thou his son, 
 O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou 
 knewest all this ; 23 ; But hast lifted up thyself against the 
 Lord of Heaven ; and they have brought the vessels of his 
 house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and 
 
CHAPTER F, VERSES 17-24. 125 
 
 thy concubines, have drunk wine in them ; and thou hast 
 praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, 
 and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know : and the God 
 in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, 
 hast thou not glorified. 24. Then was the part of the hand 
 sent from him ; and this writing was written. 
 
 Daniel first of all disclaims the idea of being in- 
 fluenced by such motives as governed the soothsay- 
 ers and astrologers. He says, Let thy rewards be 
 to another. He wishes it distinctly understood 
 that he does not enter upon the work of interpret- 
 ing this matter on account of the offer of gifts and 
 rewards. He then rehearses the experience of his 
 grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, as set forth in the 
 preceding chapter. He told the king that though 
 he knew all this, yet he had not humbled his heart, 
 but had lifted up himself against the God of 
 Heaven, and even carried his impiety so far as to 
 profane his sacred vessels, praising the senseless gods 
 of men's making, and failing to glorify the God in 
 whose hands his breath was. For this reason he 
 tells him it is, that the hand has been sent forth 
 from that God whom he had daringly and insult- 
 ingly challenged, to trace those characters of fear- 
 ful though hidden import. He then proceeds to 
 explain the writing. 
 
 VERSE 25. And this is the writing that was written, 
 MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26. This is the in- 
 terpretation of the thing : MENE ; God hath numbered thy 
 kingdom, and finished it. 27. TEKEL ; Thou art weighed 
 in the balances, and art found wanting. 28. PERES ; Thy 
 kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 
 
126 THO UGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 29. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel 
 with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and 
 made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the 
 third ruler in the kingdom. 
 
 It is not known in what language this inscrip- 
 tion was written. If it had been in Chaldean, the 
 king's wise men would have been able to read it. 
 Dr. Clarke conjectures that it was written in the 
 Samaritan, which is the true Hebrew, and with 
 which Daniel was familiar, as it was the character 
 used by the Jews previous to the Babylonish cap- 
 tivity. It seems to us more likely that it was a 
 character strange to all the parties, and that it was 
 specially made known to Daniel by the Spirit of the 
 Lord. 
 
 In this inscription each word stands for a short 
 sentence. Mene, numbered ; Tekel, weighed ; Uphar- 
 sin, from the root peres, divided. God, whom you 
 have defied, has your kingdom in his own hands, 
 and has numbered its days and finished its course, 
 just at the time you thought it at the height of its 
 prosperity. You, who have lifted up your heart in 
 pride, as the great one of the earth, are weighed, 
 and found lighter than vanity. Your kingdom, 
 which you dreamed was to stand forever, is di- 
 vided between the foes already waiting at your 
 gates. Notwithstanding this terrible denunciation, 
 Belshazzar did not forget his promise, but had Dan- 
 iel at once invested with the scarlet robe and chain 
 of gold, and proclaimed him third ruler in the king- 
 dom. This Daniel accepted, probably with a view 
 
CHAPTER F, VE_RSES 25-29. 127 
 
 to be better prepared to look after the interests of 
 his people during the transition to the succeeding 
 kingdom. 
 
 VERSE 30. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the 
 Chaldeans slain. 31. And Darius the Median took the 
 kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. 
 
 The scene here so briefly mentioned is described 
 in remarks on verse 39 of chapter 2. While Bel- 
 shazzar was indulging in his presumptuous revelry, 
 while the angel's hand was tracing the doom of the 
 empire on the walls of the palace, while Daniel was 
 making known the fearful import of the heavenly 
 writing, the Persian soldiery, through the emptied 
 channel of the Euphrates, had made their way into 
 the heart of the city, and were speeding forward 
 with drawn swords to the palace of the king. 
 Scarcely can it be said that they surprised him, for 
 God had just forewarned him of his doom. But 
 they found him and slew him ; and in the person of 
 this, its last and most unworthy king, the empire of 
 Babylon ceased to be. 
 
 As a fitting conclusion to this chapter, we give 
 the following beautiful poetic description of Bel- 
 shazzar's feast from the pen of Edwin Arnold, au- 
 thor of " The Light of Asia." It was written in 
 1852, and obtained the Newdegate prize for an 
 English poem on the " Feast of Belshazzar," at Uni- 
 versity College, Oxford : 
 
 Not by one portal, or one path alone 
 God's holy messages to men are known ; 
 Waiting the glances of his awful eyes, 
 Silver-winged seraphs do him embassies ; 
 
128 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 And stars, interpreting his high behest, 
 
 Guide the lone feet and glad the falling breast ; 
 
 The rolling thunder and the raging sea 
 
 Speak the stern purpose of the Deity, 
 
 And storms beneath and rainbow hues above 
 
 Herald his anger or proclaim his love ; 
 
 The still small voices of the summer day, 
 
 The red sirocco, and the breath of May, 
 
 The lingering harmony in ocean shells, 
 
 The fairy music of the meadow bells, 
 
 Earth and void air, water and wasting flame, 
 
 Have words to whisper, tongues to tell, his name. 
 
 Once, with no cloak of careful mystery, 
 
 Himself was herald of his own decree ; 
 
 The hand that edicts on the marble drew, 
 
 Graved the stern sentence of their scorner too. 
 
 Listen and learn ! Tyrants have heard the tale, 
 
 And turned from hearing terror-struck and pale ; 
 
 Spiritless captives, sinking with the chain, 
 
 Have read this page and taken heart again. 
 
 From sunlight unto starlight, trumpets told 
 Her king's command in Babylon the old ; 
 From sunlight unto starlight, west and east, 
 A thousand satraps girt them for the feast, 
 And reined their chargers to the palace hall 
 Where king Belshazzar held high festival : 
 A pleasant palace under pleasant skies, 
 With cloistered courts and gilded galleries, 
 And gay kiosk and painted balustrade, 
 For winter terraces and summer shade ; 
 By court and terrace, minaret and dome, 
 Euphrates, rushing from his mountain home, 
 Rested his rage, and curbed his crested pride 
 To belt that palace with his bluest tide ; 
 Broad-fronted bulls with chiseled feathers barred, 
 In silent vigil keeping watch and ward, 
 
CHAPTER F, VERSE SO. 
 
 129 
 
 Giants of granite wrought by cunning hand, 
 Guard in the gate and frown upon the land : 
 Not summer's glow nor yellow autumn's glare 
 Pierced the broad tamarisks that blossomed there ; 
 The moonbeams darting through their leafy screen 
 Lost half their silver in the softened green, 
 And fell with lessened luster, broken light, 
 Tracing quaint arabesque of dark and white ; 
 Or dimly tinting on the graven stones 
 The pictured annals of Chaldean thrones. 
 There, from the rising to the setting day, 
 Birds of bright feather sang the light away, 
 And fountain waters on the palace floor 
 Made even answer to the river's roar, 
 Rising in silver from the crystal well, 
 And breaking into spangles as they fell ; 
 Though now ye heard them not for far along 
 Rang the broad chorus of the banquet song, 
 And sounds as gentle, echoes soft as these, 
 Died out of hearing from the revelries. 
 
 High on a throne of ivory and gold, 
 From crown to footstool clad in purple fold, 
 Lord of the east from sea to distant sea, 
 The king Belshazzar feasteth royally 
 And not that dreamer in the desert cave 
 Peopled his paradise with pomp as brave : 
 Vessels of silver, cups of crusted gold, 
 Blush with a brighter red than all they hold ; 
 Pendulous lamps like planets of the night 
 Flung on the diadems a fragrant light, 
 Or slowly swinging in the midnight sky 
 Gilded the ripples as they glided by : 
 And sweet and sweeter rose the cittern's ring, 
 Soft as the beating of a seraph's wing, 
 And swift and swifter in the measured dance 
 The tresses gather and the sandals glance, 
 9 
 
1 30 THO UGH TS ON DANIEL. 
 
 And bright and brighter at the festal board 
 
 The flagons bubble and the wines are poured ; 
 
 No lack of goodly company was there, 
 
 No lack of laughing eyes to light the cheer ; 
 
 From Dara trooped they, from Daremma's grove 
 
 " The suns of battle and the moons of love ; " * 
 
 From where Arsissa's silver waters sleep 
 
 To Imla's marshes and the inland deep, 
 
 From pleasant Calah and from Cittacene 
 
 The horseman's captain and the harem's queen. 
 
 It seemed no summer-cloud of passing woe ' 
 Could fling its shadow on so fair a show ; 
 It seemed the gallant forms that feasted there 
 Were all too grand for woe, too great for care ; 
 Whence came the anxious eye, the altered tone, 
 The dull presentiment no heart would own, 
 That ever changed the smiling to a sigh 
 Sudden as sea-bird flashing from the sky : 
 It is not that they know the spoiler waits 
 Harnessed for battle at the brazen gates, 
 It is not that they hear the watchman's call 
 Mark the slow minutes on the leaguered wall : 
 The clash of quivers and the ring of spears 
 Make pleasant music in a soldier's ears, 
 And not a scabbard hideth sword to-night 
 That hath not glimmered in the front of fight. 
 May not the blood in every beating vein 
 Have quick foreknowledge of the coming pain, 
 Even as the prisoned silver, t dead and dumb, 
 Shrinks at cold winter's footfall ere he come 1 
 
 The king hath felt it, and the heart's unrest 
 Heaved the broad purple of his belted breast. 
 Sudden he speaks, " What ! doth the beaded juice 
 Savor like hyssop that ye scorn its use ? 
 
 * Hafiz, the Persian, Anacreon. 
 
 t The quicksilver of the tube of the thermometer. 
 
CHAPTER F, VEESE 30. 
 
 Wear ye so pitiful and sad a soul, 
 
 That tramp of foemen scares ye from the bowl 1 
 
 Think ye the gods on yonder starry floor 
 
 Tremble for terror when the thunders roar ? 
 
 Are we not gods 1 have we not fought with God 1 
 
 And shall we shiver at a robber's nod ? 
 
 No ; let them batter till the brazen bars 
 
 Ring merry mocking of their idle wars. 
 
 Their fall is fated for to-morrow's sun ; 
 
 The lion rouses when his feast is done, 
 
 Crown me a cup and fill the bowls we brought 
 
 From Judah's temple when the fight was fought ; 
 
 Drink, till the merry madness fill the soul, 
 
 To Salem's conqueror in Salem's bowl ; 
 
 Each from the goblet of a god shall sip, 
 
 And Judah's gold tread heavy on the lip." * 
 
 The last loud answer dies along the line, 
 
 The last light bubble bursts upon the wine, 
 
 His eager lips are on the jeweled brink, 
 
 Hath the cup poison that he doubts to drink ? 
 
 Is there a spell upon the sparkling gold, 
 
 That so his fevered fingers quit their hold ? 
 
 Whom sees he where he gazes ? what is there 
 
 Freezing his vision into fearful stare ? 
 
 Follow his lifted arm and lighted eye 
 
 And watch with them the wondrous mystery. 
 
 There cometh forth a hand, upon the stone, 
 Graving the symbols of a speech unknown. 
 Fingers like mortal fingers, leaving there 
 The blank wall flashing characters of fear ; 
 And still it glideth silently and slow, 
 And still beneath the spectral letters grow ; 
 Now the scroll endeth ; now the seal is set ; 
 
 " He never drinks 
 But Timon's silver treads upon his lips." 
 
 SHAK. Tit. And. 
 
132 THO UG FfTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 The hand is gone ; the record tarries yet. 
 As one who waits the warrant of his death, 
 With pale lips parted and with bridled breath, 
 They watch the sign and dare not turn to seek 
 Their fear reflected in their fellows' cheek, 
 But stand as statues where the life is none, 
 Half the jest uttered, half the laughter done, 
 Half the flask empty, half the flagon poured ; 
 Each where the phantom found him at the board 
 Struck into silence, as December's arm 
 Curbs the quick ripples into crystal calm. 
 
 With wand of ebony and sable stole 
 Chaldea's wisest scan the spectral scroll. 
 Strong in the lessons of a lying art, 
 Each comes to gaze, but gazes to depart ; 
 And still for mystic sign and muttered spell 
 The graven letters guard their secret well ; 
 Gleam they for warning, glare they to condemn : 
 God speaketh, but he speaketh not for them. 
 
 Oh, ever, when the happy laugh is dumb, 
 All the joy gone, and all the anguish come ; 
 When strong adversity and subtle pain 
 Wring the sad soul and rack the throbbing brain ; 
 When friends onee faithful, hearts once all our own. 
 Leave us to weep, to bleed and die alone ; 
 When fears and cares the lonely thought employ. 
 And clouds of sorrow hide the sun of joy ; 
 When weary life, breathing reluctant breath, 
 Hath no hope sweeter than the hope of death, 
 Then the best counsel and the last relief, 
 To cheer the spirit or to cheat the grief, 
 The only calm, the only comfort heard, 
 Comes in the music of a woman's word 
 Like beacon-bell on some wild island shore, 
 Silveiiy ringing in the tempest's roar, 
 
CHAPTER F, VEltSE 80. 133 
 
 Whose sound borne shipward through the midnight 
 
 gloom, 
 Tells of the path, and turns her from her doom. 
 
 So in the silence of that awful hour, 
 
 When baffled magic mourned its parted power, 
 
 When kings were pale, and satraps shook for fear, 
 
 A woman speaketh, and the wisest hear. 
 
 She, the high daughter of a thousand thrones, 
 
 Telling with trembling lip and timid tones 
 
 Of him, the captive, in the feast forgot, 
 
 Who readeth visions ; him, whose wondrous lot 
 
 Sends him to lighten doubt and lessen gloom, 
 
 And gaze undazzled on the days to come ; 
 
 Daniel, the Hebrew, such his name and race, 
 
 Held by a monarch highest in his grace, 
 
 He may declare oh ! bid them quickly send, 
 
 So may the mystery have happy end. 
 
 Calmly and silent as the fair, full moon 
 Comes smiling upward in the sky of June, 
 Fearfully as the troubled clouds of night 
 Shrink from before the coming of its light, 
 So through the hall the prophet passed along, 
 So from before him fell the festal throng ; 
 By broken wassail-cup, and wine o'erthrown, 
 Pressed he still onward for the monarch's throne. 
 His spirit failed him not, his quiet eye 
 Lost not its light for earthly majesty ; 
 His lip was steady and his accent clear, 
 " The king hath needed me, and I am here." 
 
 " Art thou the prophet ? read me yonder scroll, 
 
 Whose undeciphered horror daunts my soul. 
 
 There shall be guerdon for the grateful task, 
 
 Fitted for me to give, for thee to ask : 
 
 A chain to deck thee, and a robe to grace, 
 
 Thine the third throne, and thou the third in place. " 
 
134 
 
 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 He heard, and turned him where the lighted wall 
 Dimmed the red torches of the festival, 
 Gazed on the sign with steady gaze and set, 
 And he who quailed not at a kingly threat 
 Bent the true knee and bowed the silver hair, 
 For that he knew the King of kings was there ; 
 Then nerved his soul the sentence to unfold, 
 While his tongue trembled at the tale it told. 
 And never tongue shall echo tale as strange 
 Till that change cometh which shall never change. 
 
 " Keep for thyself the guerdon and the gold ; 
 
 What God hath graved, God's prophet must unfold ; 
 
 Could not thy father's crime, thy father's fate, 
 
 Teach thee the terror thou hast learned too late ? 
 
 Hast thou not read the lesson of his life, 
 
 Who wars with God shall strive a losing strife ? 
 
 His was a kingdom mighty as thine own, 
 
 The sword his scepter and the earth his throne ; 
 
 The nations trembled when his awful eye 
 
 Gave to them leave to live or doom to die. 
 
 The lord of life, the keeper of the grave, 
 
 His frown could wither and his smile could save. 
 
 Yet when his heart was hard, his spirit high, 
 
 God drave him from his kingly majesty, 
 
 Far from the brotherhood of fellow-men, 
 
 To seek for dwelling in the desert den ; 
 
 Where the wild asses feed and oxen roam, 
 
 He sought his pasture and he made his home ; 
 
 And bitter-biting frost and dews of night 
 
 Schooled him in sorrow till he knew the right, 
 
 That God is ruler of the rulers still, 
 
 And setteth up the sovereign that he will. 
 
 Oh, hadst thou treasured in repentant breast 
 
 His pride and fall, his penitence and rest, 
 
 And bowed submissive to Jehovah's will, 
 
 Then had thy scepter been a scepter still. 
 
CHAPTER V, VERSE 80. 135 
 
 But them hast mocked the majesty of Heaven, 
 
 And shamed the vessels to its service given, 
 
 And thou hast fashioned idols of thine own, 
 
 Idols of gold, of silver, and of stone ; 
 
 To them hast bowed the knee, and breathed the breath, 
 
 And they must help thee in the hour of death. 
 
 Woe for the sign unseen, the sin forgot ! 
 
 God was among ye, and ye knew it not ! 
 
 Hear what he sayeth now, ' Thy race is run, 
 
 Thy years are numbered and thy days are done ; 
 
 Thy soul hath mounted in the scale of fate, 
 
 The Lord hath weighed thee, and thou lackest weight ; 
 
 Now in thy palace porcli the spoilers stand, 
 
 To seize thy scepter, to divide thy land. ' " 
 
 He ended, and his' passing foot was heard, 
 But none made answer, not a lip was stirred ; 
 Mute the free tongue and bent the fearless brow, 
 The mystic letters had their meaning now. 
 Soon came there other sound, the clash of steel, 
 The heavy ringing of the iron heel, 
 The curse in dying, and the cry for life, 
 The bloody voices of the battle strife. 
 
 That night they slew him on his father's throne, 
 The deed unnoticed and the hand unknown ; 
 Crownless and scepterless Belsha/zar lay, 
 A robe of purple round a form of clay. 
 
VI. 
 
 DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN. 
 
 VERSE 1. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an 
 hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole 
 kingdom ; 2 ; And over these three presidents ; of whom 
 Daniel was first ; that the princes might give accounts unto 
 them, and the king should have no damage. 3. Then this 
 Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, be- 
 cause an excellent spirit was in him ; and the king thought 
 to set him over the whole realm. 4. Then the presidents 
 and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concern- 
 ing the kingdom ; but they could find none occasion nor 
 fault ; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any 
 error or fault found in him. 5. Then said these men, We 
 shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we 
 find it against him concerning the law of his God. 
 
 Babylon was taken by the Persians, and Darius 
 the Median placed upon the throne, B. c. 538. Two 
 years later, B. c. 536, Darius dying, Cyrus took the 
 throne. Somewhere, therefore, between these two 
 dates the event here narrated occurred. 
 
 Daniel was a chief actor in the kingdom of 
 Babylon in the height of its glory ; and from that 
 time on, to the time that the Medes and Persians 
 took the throne of universal empire, he was at least 
 a resident of that city, and acquainted with all the 
 affairs of the kingdom ; yet he gives us no consecu- 
 tive account of events that occurred during his 
 
 (136) 
 
CHAPTER V2\ VERSES 1-5. 
 
 long connection with these kingdoms. He only 
 touches upon an event here and there such as is 
 calculated to lead the people of God in all ages to 
 be steadfast, and inspire faith and hope and courage 
 in their hearts. 
 
 The event narrated in this chapter is alluded to by 
 the apostle Paul in Heb. 11, where he speaks of some 
 who through faith have "stopped the mouths of 
 lions." Darius set over the kingdom a hundred and 
 twenty princes, there being, as is supposed, at that 
 time a hundred and twenty provinces in the empire, 
 each one having its prince or governor. By the vic- 
 tories of Cambyses and Darius Hystaspes, it was 
 afterward enlarged to a hundred and twenty-seven 
 provinces. Esth. 1:1. Over these one hundred 
 and twenty were set three, and of these Daniel was 
 chief. Preference was given to Daniel because of 
 his excellent spirit. Daniel, who, for being a great 
 man in the empire of Babylon, might have been es- 
 teemed an enemy by Darius, and so have been ban- 
 ished or otherwise put out of the way ; or, being a 
 captive from a nation then in ruins, might have 
 been despised and set at naught, was not treated in 
 either of these ways ; but, to the credit of Darius be 
 it said, he was preferred over all because the discern- 
 ing king saw in him an excellent spirit. And the 
 king thought to set him over the whole realm. 
 Then was the envy of the other rulers raised against 
 him, and they set about to destroy him. But Dan- 
 iel's conduct was perfect so far as related to the 
 kingdom. He was faithful and true. They could 
 
138 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 find no occasion against him 011 that score. Then 
 they said they could find no occasion against him 
 except as concerning the law of his God. So let it 
 be with us. A person can have no better recom- 
 mendation. 
 
 VERSE 6. Then these presidents and princes assembled 
 together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, 
 live forever. 7. All the presidents of the kingdom, the 
 governors, and the princes, the counselors, and the captains, 
 have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to 
 make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of 
 any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he 
 shall be cast into the den of lions. 8. Now, O king, estab- 
 lish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, 
 according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which al- 
 tereth not. 9. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing 
 and the decree. 10. Now when Daniel knew that the writ- 
 ing was signed*, he went into his house ; and, his windows 
 being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled 
 upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave 
 thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 
 
 Mark the course these persons took to accomplish 
 their nefarious purposes. They came together to 
 the king, came tumultuously, says the margin. 
 They came as though some urgent matter had sud- 
 denly come up, and they had come unanimously to 
 present it before him. They claimed that all were 
 agreed. This was false; for Daniel, the chief of 
 them all, was not of course consulted in the matter. 
 The decree they fixed upon was one which would 
 flatter the king's vanity, and thus the more readily 
 gain his assent. It would be a position before un- 
 heard of, for a man to be the only dispenser of fa- 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 11-17. 139 
 
 vors and granter of petitions for thirty days. Hence 
 the king, not fathoming their evil designs, signed the 
 decree, and it took its place on the statute book, as 
 one of the unalterable laws of the Medes and 
 Persians. 
 
 Mark the length to which people will go to ac- 
 complish the ruin of the good. If they had made 
 the decree read that no petition should be asked of 
 the God of the Hebrews, which was the real design 
 of the matter, the king would at once have divined 
 their object, and the decree would not have been 
 signed. So they gave it a general application, and 
 were willing to ignore and heap insult upon their 
 whole system of religion, and all the multitude of 
 their gods, for the sake of ruining the object of their 
 hatred. 
 
 Daniel foresaw the conspiracy going on against 
 him ; but took no means to thwart it. He simply 
 committed himself to God, and left the issue to his 
 providence. He did not leave the empire on pre- 
 tended business, or perform his devotions with more 
 than ordinary secrecy ; but, when he knew the writ- 
 ing was signed, just as aforetime, with his face 
 turned toward his beloved Jerusalem, he kneeled 
 down in his chamber three times a day, and poured 
 out his pra}^ers and supplications to God. 
 
 VERSE 11. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel 
 praying and making supplication before his God. 12. Then 
 they came near, and spake before the king concerning the 
 king's decree : Hast theu not signed a decree, that every 
 man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within 
 thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den 
 
140 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 of lions? The king answered and said, This thing is true, 
 according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which alter- 
 eth not. 13. Then answered they and said before the king, 
 That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of 
 Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou 
 hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. 14. 
 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore dis- 
 pleased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver 
 him ; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver 
 him. 15. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said 
 unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and 
 Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king es- 
 tablisheth may be changed. 16. Then the king commanded, 
 and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. 
 Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom 
 thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. 17. And a 
 stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den ; and 
 the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of 
 his lords ; that the purpose might not be changed concerning 
 DanieL 
 
 It only remained for these men, having set the 
 trap, to watch their victim, that they might ensnare 
 him therein. So they again came tumultuously to- 
 gether, this time at the residence of Daniel, as though 
 some important business had called them suddenly 
 together to consult the chief of the presidents ; and 
 lo, they found him just as they intended and hoped, 
 praying to his God. So. far all has worked well. 
 They were not long in going to the king with the 
 matter, and, to render it more sure, got an acknowl- 
 edgment from the king that such a decree was in 
 force. Then they were ready to inform against 
 Daniel ; and mark their mean resort to excite the 
 prejudices of the king : "That Daniel, which is of 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 18-24. 141 
 
 the children of the captivity of Judah." Yes, that 
 poor captive, who is entirely dependent on you for 
 all that he enjoys, so far from being grateful and 
 appreciating your favors, regards not you, nor pays 
 any attention to your decree. Then the king saw 
 the trap that had been prepared for him, as well as 
 for Daniel, and he labored till the going down of the 
 sun to deliver him, probably by personal efforts with 
 the conspirators, to cause them to relent, or by argu- 
 ments and endeavors to procure the repeal of the 
 law. But they were inexorable. The law was sus- 
 tained ; and Daniel, the venerable, the grave, the 
 upright and faultless servant of the kingdom, is 
 thrown, as if he had been one of the vilest of male- 
 factors, into the den of lions to be devoured by them. 
 
 VERSE 18. Then the king went to his palace, and passed 
 the night fasting ; neither were instruments of music brought 
 before him ; and his sleep went from him. 19. Then the 
 king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto 
 the den of lions. 20. And when he came to the den, he 
 cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel ; and the king 
 spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living 
 God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to de- 
 liver thee from the lions ? 21. Then said Daniel unto the 
 king, O king, live forever. 22. My God hath sent his angel, 
 and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me ; 
 forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me ; and 
 also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. 23. Then 
 was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that 
 they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was 
 taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found 
 upon him, because he believed in his God. 24. And the 
 king commanded, and they brought those men which had 
 accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, 
 
142 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 them, their children, and their wives ; and the lions had the 
 mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever 
 they came at the bottom of the den. 
 
 The course of the king after Daniel had been cast 
 into the den of lions attests his genuine interest in 
 his behalf, and the severe condemnation he felt for 
 his own course in the matter. At earliest dawn he 
 repaired to the den where his prime minister had 
 passed the night in company with hungry and rav- 
 enous beasts. Daniel's response to his first salutation 
 was no word of reproach for the king's course in 
 yielding to his persecutors, but a term of respect and 
 honor, " O king, live forever." He afterward, how- 
 ever, reminds the king, in a manner which he must 
 have keenly felt, but to which he could take no ex- 
 ception, that before him he had done no hurt. And 
 on account of his innocency, God, whom he served 
 continually, not at intervals nor by fits and starts, 
 had sent his angel, and shut the lions' mouths. 
 
 Here, then, stood Daniel preserved by a power 
 higher than any of earth. His cause was vindicated, 
 his innocency declared. No hurt was found on him, 
 because he believed in his God. Faith did it. A 
 miracle had been wrought. Why, then, were Dan- 
 iel's accusers brought and cast in ? It is said that 
 they attributed the preservation of Daniel, not to 
 any miracle in his behalf, but to the fact that the 
 lions chanced at that tune not to be hungry. Then, 
 said the king, they will no more attack you than 
 him, so we will test the matter by putting you in. 
 The lions were hungry enough when they could get 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 25-28. 143 
 
 hold of the guilty; and these men were torn to 
 pieces ere they reached the bottom of the den. 
 Thus was Daniel's case doubly vindicated ; and thus 
 strikingly were the words of Solomon fulfilled : 
 " The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the 
 wicked cometh in his stead." Prov. 11:8. 
 
 VERSE 25. Then king Darius wrote unto all people, na- 
 tions, and languages, that dwell in all the earth : Peace be 
 multiplied unto you. 26. I make a decree, That in every 
 dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the 
 God of Daniel ; for he is the living God, and steadfast for- 
 ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, 
 and his dominion shall be even unto the end. 27. He deliv- 
 ereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in 
 heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the 
 power of the lions. 28. So this Daniel prospered in the 
 reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. 
 
 The result of this experience of Daniel is that 
 another proclamation goes out through the empire 
 in favor of the true God, the God of Israel. All 
 men were to fear and tremble before him. What 
 Daniel's enemies <lesigned to prove his ruin, resulted 
 only in his advancement. In this case, and in case 
 of the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, the seal 
 of God is set in favor of two great lines of duty : 
 1. As in the case of the three in the fiery furnace, 
 not to yield to any known sin ; and 2. As in the 
 present case, not to omit any known duty. And 
 from these instances, the people of God are to take 
 encouragement, in all ages. 
 
 The decree of the king sets forth the character 
 of the true God in fine terms : 1. He is the living 
 
144 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 God ; all others are dead. 2. He is steadfast for- 
 ever ; all others change. 3. He has a kingdom ; for 
 he made and governs all. 4. His kingdom shall 
 not be destroyed; all others come to an end. 5. 
 His dominion is without end ; no human power can 
 prevail against it. 6. He delivereth those who are 
 in bondage. 7. He rescueth his servants from their 
 enemies when they call upon him for help. 8. He 
 worketh wonders in the heavens and signs upon the 
 earth. 9. And to complete all, he hath delivered 
 Daniel, giving before our own eyes the fullest proof 
 of his power and goodness in rescuing his servant 
 from the power of the lions. How excellent a 
 eulogium is this on the great God and his faithful 
 servant ! 
 
 Thus closes the historical part of the book of 
 Daniel. We now come to the prophetical portion, 
 which, like a shining beacon light, has thrown its 
 rays over all the course of time from that point to 
 the present, and is still lighting up the pathway of 
 the church onward to the eternal kingdom. 
 
GREECE. 
 
 PLATE II. SYMBOLS OF DANIEL VII. 
 
VII. 
 
 THE FOUR BEASTS. 
 
 VERSE 1. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, 
 Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed ; 
 then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 
 
 This is the same Belshazzar mentioned in chap- 
 ter 5. Chronologically, therefore, this chapter fol- 
 lows chapter 5. But chronological order has been 
 disregarded, in order that the historical part of the 
 book might stand by itself, and the prophetical part, 
 on which we now enter, might not be interrupted 
 by writings of that nature. 
 
 VERSE 2. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by 
 night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon 
 the great sea. 3. And four great beasts came up from the 
 sea, diverse one from another. 
 
 All scripture language is to be taken literally, 
 unless there exists some good reason for supposing 
 it to be figurative ; and all that is figurative is to 
 be interpreted by that which is literal. That the 
 language here used is symbolic, is evident from 
 verse 17, which reads, " These great beasts which 
 are four, are four kings which shall arise out of the 
 earth." And to show that these are not kings 
 simply, but kingdoms, the angel continues, "But 
 the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom." 
 10 (145) 
 
146 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 And further, in the explanation in verse 23, the 
 angel said, The fourth beast shall he the fourth 
 kingdom upon the earth. These beasts are there- 
 fore symbols of four great kingdoms ; and the cir- 
 cumstances under which they arise, and the means 
 by which their elevation was accomplished, as rep- 
 resented in prophecy, are symbolic also. The sym- 
 bols introduced are, the four winds, the sea, four 
 great beasts, ten horns, and another horn which had 
 eyes and a mouth and rose up in war against God 
 and his people. We have now to inquire what 
 they denote. 
 
 Winds, in symbolic language, denote strife, polit- 
 ical commotion, and war. Jer. 25 : 31, 32, 33. 
 "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall 
 go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirl- 
 wind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. 
 And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from 
 one end of the earth even unto the other end of the 
 earth." Here the prophet speaks of a controversy 
 which the Lord is to have with all nations when 
 the wicked shall be given to the sword, and the 
 slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth 
 to the other ; and the strife and commotion which 
 produces all this destruction is called a great whirl- 
 wind. 
 
 That winds denote strife and war is further evi- 
 dent from a consideration of the vision itself ; for 
 as the result of the striving of the winds, kingdoms 
 arise and fall ; and these events arc accomplished 
 through political strife. 
 
CHAPTER VII, VEJiSE 4- 147 
 
 The Bible definition of sea, or waters, when used 
 as a symbol, is peoples, and nations, and tongues. 
 In proof of this, we have only to read Rev. 17 : 
 15, where it is expressly so declared. 
 
 The definition of the symbol of the four beasts is 
 given to Daniel ere the close of the vision. Verse 
 17 : "These great beasts which are four, are four 
 kings which shall arise out of the earth." The field 
 of the vision is thus definitely opened before us. 
 
 VERSE 4. The first was like a lion, and had eagles' wings ; 
 I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was 
 lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a 
 man, and a man's heart was given to it. 
 
 As these beasts denote four kings, or kingdoms, 
 we inquire, What four ? Where shall we commence 
 to enumerate ? These beasts do not rise all at once, 
 but consecutively, as they are spoken of as first, 
 second, etc.; and the last one is in existence when 
 all earthly scenes are brought to an end by the final 
 Judgment. Now, from the time of Daniel to the 
 end of this world's history, there were to be but 
 four universal kingdoms, as we learn from Nebu- 
 chadnezzar's vision of the great image in chapter 
 2. Daniel was still living under the same kingdom 
 which he had declared in his interpretation of the 
 king's dream, about forty-eight years before, to be 
 the head of gold. The first beast of this vision 
 must, therefore, denote the same as the head of gold 
 of the great image, namely, the kingdom of Baby- 
 lon, and the other beasts the succeeding kingdoms 
 as shown by that image. But if this vision covers 
 
148 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 essentially the same ground as the image of chap- 
 ter 2, the query may arise why it is given ; why 
 was not the vision of chapter 2 sufficient? We 
 answer, The ground is passed over again and again, 
 that additional characteristics may be brought out, 
 and additional facts and features may be presented. 
 It is thus that we have line upon line. Here earthly 
 governments are represented as viewed in the light 
 of Heaven. Their true character is shown by the 
 symbols of wild and ravenous beasts. 
 
 At first, the lion had eagles' wings, denoting the 
 rapidity with which Babylon extended its con- 
 quests under Nebuchadnezzar. When this vision 
 was given, a change had taken place. Its wings 
 had been plucked. It no longer flew like an eagle 
 upon its prey. The boldness and spirit of the lion 
 were gone. A man's heart, weak, timorous, and 
 faint, had taken its place. Such was emphatically 
 the case in the person of the imbecile and pusillani- 
 mous Belshazzar, who in weakness and fear shut 
 himself up in the city of Babylon, and with whom 
 the Babylonian kingdom came to an end, B. c. 538. 
 
 VERSE 5. And behold another beast, a second, like to a 
 bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three 
 ibs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it; and they 
 said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 
 
 As in the great image of chapter 2, so in this 
 series of symbols, a marked deterioration will be no- 
 ticed as we descend from one kingdom to another. 
 The breast and arms of silver were inferior to the 
 head of gold. The bear was inferior to the lion. 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSE 6. 
 
 Medo-Persia fell short of Babylon in wealth and 
 magnificence, and the brilliancy of its career. And 
 now we come to additional particulars respecting 
 this power. The bear raised itself up on one side. 
 This kingdom was composed of two nationalities, 
 the Medes and Persians. The same fact is repre- 
 sented by the two horns of the ram of chapter 8, 
 of which it is said, the higher came up last. This 
 illustrates the same thing as the bear's rising up on 
 one side, that is, the Persian element came up last, 
 but attained the higher eminence, becoming the 
 leading division of the kingdom. The three ribs 
 perhaps signify the three provinces of Babylon, 
 Lydia, and Egypt, which were especially ground 
 down and oppressed by this power. Their saying 
 unto it, "Arise and devour much flesh," is thought 
 by some to refer to the stimulus given to the Medes 
 and Persians, by the overthrow of these provinces, 
 to plan and enter upon extensive conquests. The 
 character of the power is well represented by a 
 bear. The Medes and Persians were cruel and ra- 
 pacious, robbers and spoilers of the people. As al- 
 ready noticed in the exposition of chapter 2, it 
 dated from the overthrow of Babylon by Cyrus, B. 
 c. 538, and continued to the battle of Arbela, B. c., 
 331, a period of 207 years. 
 
 VERSE 6. After this I beheld, and lo, another, like a leop- 
 ard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl ; the 
 beast had also four heads ; and dominion was given to it. 
 
 The third kingdom, Grecia, is represented by this 
 symbol. If wings upon the lion signified rapidity 
 
150 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 of conquest, they would signify the same here. 
 The leopard itself is a swift-footed beast, but this 
 was not enough ; it must have wings in addition. 
 Two wings, the number the lion had, were not suf- 
 ficient ; it must have four. If we are correct in the 
 application, this must denote unparalleled celerity 
 of movement ; and this we find to be historically 
 true of the Grecian kingdom. The conquests of 
 Grecia, especially under Alexander, for suddenness 
 and rapidity have no parallel in historic annals. 
 
 Rollin, Ancient Hist., B. 15, Sec. 2, gives the fol- 
 lowing brief synopsis of Alexander's marches : 
 
 "From Macedonia to, the Ganges, which river Alexander 
 nearly approached, is computed at least eleven hundred 
 leagues. Add to this the various turnings in Alexander's 
 marches ; first, from the extremity of Cilicia, where the bat- 
 tle of Issus was fought, to the temple of Jupiter Ammon in 
 Libya ; and his returning from thence to Tyre, a journey 
 of three hundred leagues at least, and as much space at least 
 for the windings of his route in different places ; we shall 
 find that Alexander, in less than eight years, marched his 
 army upwards of seventeen hundred leagues [or more than 
 fifty-one hiwidred miles], without including his return to 
 Babylon." 
 
 " The beast had also four heads." The Grecian 
 empire maintained its unity only during the life of 
 Alexander. When his brilliant career ended in a 
 drunken debauch, the empire was shortly divided 
 between his four leading generals. Cassander had 
 Macedon and Greece in the west ; Lysimachus had 
 Thrace and the parts of Asia on the Hellespont and 
 Bosporus, in the north; Ptolemy received Egypt, 
 
PAGAN ROME. 
 
 PAPAL ROME. 
 
 PLATE III. FOURTH BEAST OF DAN. VII. 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 7, 8. 151 
 
 Lydia, Arabia, Palestine, and Coele-Syria, in the 
 south ; and Seleucus had Syria and all the rest of 
 Alexander's dominions in the east. 
 
 Thus accurately were the words of the prophet 
 fulfilled. As Alexander left no available successor, 
 why did not the huge empire break up into count- 
 less petty fragments ? Why just four parts and no 
 more ? Because the prophecy had said that there 
 should be four. The leopard was to have four 
 heads, the rough goat four horns, the kingdom four 
 divisions; and thus it was. See on chapter 8. 
 
 VERSE 7. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold 
 a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceed- 
 ingly ; and it had great iron teeth ; it devoured and brake 
 in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it ; and it 
 was diverse from all the beasts that were before it ; and it 
 had ten horns. 
 
 Inspiration finds no beast in nature which it can 
 make even the basis of a symbol to represent the 
 power here illustrated. No addition of hoofs, heads, 
 wings, scales, or horns, to any beast found in nature 
 would answer. The power was diverse from all 
 others, and the symbol wholly nondescript. 
 
 TERSE 8. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came 
 up among them another little horn, before whom there were 
 three of the first horns plucked up by the roots ; and, be- 
 hold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a 
 mouth speaking great things. 
 
 The foundation for a volume is laid in verses 7 
 and 8 just quoted; and we are disposed to treat 
 them the more briefly here, because anything like a 
 
152 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 full exposition is entirely beyond the space that 
 can be allowed in these brief thoughts. This beast 
 of course corresponds to the fourth division of the 
 great image, the legs of iron. Under chapter 2, 
 verse 40, are given some reasons for supposing this 
 power to be Rome. The same are applicable to the 
 present prophecy. How accurately Rome answered 
 to the iron division of the image ! How accurately 
 it answers to the beast before us ! In the dread and 
 terror which it inspired, and in its exceeding 
 strength, the world never has seen its equal. It de- 
 voured, as with iron teeth, and brake in pieces ; and 
 it ground the nations into the very dust, beneath 
 its brazen feet. It had ten horns, which are ex- 
 plained in verse 24 to be ten kings or kingdoms 
 which should arise out of this empire. As already 
 noticed, Rome was divided into ten kingdoms, enu- 
 merated by Machiavel as follows : 1. The Huns ; 
 2. The Ostrogoths; 3. The Visigoths; 4. The 
 Franks; 5. The Vandals; 6. The^Suevi ; 7. The 
 Burgundians ; 8. The Heruli ; 9. The Anglo-Sax- 
 ons; 10. The Lombards. These divisions have ever 
 since been spoken of as the ten kingdoms of the 
 Roman empire. See on chap. 2:41, 42. 
 
 Daniel considered the horns. Indications of a 
 strange movement appeared among them. A little 
 horn (at first little, but afterward more stout than 
 its fellows), thrust itself up among them. It was 
 not content to quietly find a place of its own, and 
 fill it ; it must thrust aside some of the others, and 
 usurp their places. Three kingdoms were plucked 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 9, 10. 153 
 
 up before it. This little horn, as we shall have oc- 
 casion to notice more fully hereafter, was the pa- 
 pacy. The three horns plucked up before it, were 
 the Heruli, the Ostrogoths, and the Vandals. Not 
 that these kingdoms were destroyed ; this was not 
 necessary ; but they must retire from the Held be- 
 fore the arrogant claims of the papacy, arid seek 
 their territorial limits in other quarters. 
 
 And "in this horn were eyes like the eyes of 
 man, and a mouth speaking great things," the eyes 
 a fit emblem of the shrewdness, penetration, cun- 
 ning, and foresight of the papal hierarchy ; and the 
 mouth speaking great things a fit symbol of the 
 arrogant claims of the bishops of Rome. 
 
 VERSE 9. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and 
 the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as 
 snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool ; his throne 
 was like the fiery ilame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10. 
 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him ; 
 thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand 
 times ten thousand stood before him ; the Judgment was set, 
 and the books were opened. 
 
 A sublimer description of a sublimer scene is not 
 to be found in the English language. But not only 
 on account of the grand and lofty imagery intro- 
 duced should it arrest our attention ; the nature of 
 the scene itself is such as to demand most serious 
 consideration. The Judgment is brought to view ; 
 and whenever the Judgment is mentioned, it ought 
 to take an irresistible hold upon every mind ; for 
 all have an interest in its eternal issues. 
 
154 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 By an unfortunate translation in verse 9, a wrong 
 idea is almost sure to be conveyed. The words 
 " cast down " are from a word which in the original 
 signifies just the opposite, namely, to set up. Dr. 
 Clarke says " that it might be translated erected ; 
 so the Vulgate positi sunt [were placed], and so all 
 the versions." The Septuagint has etethesan [ Gr., 
 irt&qaav], which is defined to mean "to set, put, 
 place, to set up, to erect." The thrones are not the 
 thrones of earthly kingdoms which are to be thrown 
 down at the last day, but thrones of Judgment 
 which are to be set up, just before the end. 
 
 The "Ancient of Days," God the Father, takes 
 the throne of Judgment. Mark the description of 
 his person. Those who believe in the impersonality 
 of God are obliged to admit that he is here de- 
 scribed as a personal being ; but they console them- 
 selves by saying that it is the only description of 
 the kind in the Bible. We do not admit this latter 
 assertion ; but granting that it were true, is not 
 one description of this kind as fatal to their theory 
 as though it were repeated a score of times ? The 
 thousand thousands who minister unto him, and the 
 ten thousand times ten thousand who stand before 
 him, are not sinners arraigned before the judgment- 
 seat, but heavenly beings who wait before him at- 
 tendant on his will. An understanding of these 
 verses involves an understanding of the subject of 
 the sanctuary, to works on which subject we refer 
 the reader. The closing up of the ministration of 
 Christ, our great High Priest, in the heavenly sane- 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 11, 13. 155 
 
 tuary, is the work of the Judgment here introduced. 
 It is an investigative Judgment. The books are 
 opened, and the cases of all come up for examina- 
 tion before that great tribunal, that it may be de- 
 termined beforehand who are to receive eternal life 
 when the Lord shall come to confer it upon his 
 people. John, as recorded in Rev. 5, had a view of 
 this same place, and saw the same number of heav- 
 enly attendants engaged with Christ in the work 
 of investigative Judgment. Looking into the sanc- 
 tuary (as we learn from Rev. 4 that he was), in 
 chapter 5 : 11, he says, "And I beheld, and I heard 
 the voice of many angels round about the throne, 
 and the beasts, and the elders ; and the number of 
 them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and 
 thousands of thousands." 
 
 It will appear from the testimony of chapter 8 : 
 14, that this solemn work is even now transpiring 
 in the sanctuary above. 
 
 VEKSE 11. I beheld then, because of the voice of the great 
 words which the horn spake ; I beheld, even till the beast 
 was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning 
 flame. 12. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had 
 their dominion taken away ; yet their lives were prolonged 
 for a season and time. 
 
 There are persons who believe in a thousand 
 years' triumph of the gospel and reign of righteous- 
 ness jover all the world before the Lord comes ; and 
 there are others who believe in probation after the 
 Lord comes, and a mixed millennium, the immortal 
 righteous still proclaiming the gospel to mortal sin- 
 
156 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 ners, and turning them into the way of salvation. 
 But both of these systems of error are completely 
 demolished by the verses before us. 
 
 1. The fourth terrible beast continues without 
 change of character, and the little horn continues 
 to utter its blasphemies, and hold its millions of 
 votaries in the bonds of a blind superstition, till the 
 beast is given to the burning flame ; and this is not 
 its conversion, but its destruction. See 2 Thess. 2 : 8. 
 
 2. The life of the fourth beast is not prolonged 
 after its dominion is gone, as were the lives of the 
 preceding beasts. Their dominion was taken away, 
 but their lives were prolonged for a season. The 
 territory and subjects of the Babylonish kingdom 
 still existed, though subjected to the Persians. So 
 of the Persian kingdom in respect to Grecia, and of 
 Grecia in respect to Rome. But what succeeds the 
 fourth kingdom ? No government or state in which 
 mortals have any part. Its career ends in the lake 
 of fire, and it has no existence beyond. The lion 
 was merged into the bear ; the bear into the leopard ; 
 the leopard into the fourth beast ; and the fourth 
 beast into what ? Not into another beast ; but it is 
 cast into the lake of fire, under which destruction 
 it rests till men shall suffer the second death. Then 
 let no one talk of probation or a mixed millennium 
 after the Lord comes. 
 
 The adverb then, in the sentence, " I beheld then, 
 because of the voice of the great words which the 
 horn spake," etc., seems to refer to some particular 
 time. The work of investigative Judgment is in- 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES IS, 14. 157 
 
 troduced in the verses before. And this verse would 
 seem to imply that while this work is going for- 
 ward, and just before this power is destroyed and 
 given to the burning flame, the little horn utters its 
 great words against the Most High. Have we not 
 heard them, and that, too, within a few years ? 
 Look at the Vatican Council of 1870. What can 
 be more blasphemous than to attribute infallibility 
 to a mortal man ? Yet in that year the world be- 
 held the spectacle of an Ecumenical Council assem- 
 bled for the purpose of deliberately decreeing that 
 the occupant of the papal throne, the man of sin, 
 possesses this prerogative of God, and cannot err. 
 Can anything be more presumptuous and blasphe- 
 mous ? Is not this the voice of the great words which 
 the horn spake ? and is not this power ripe for the 
 burning flame, and near its end ? 
 
 VERSE 13. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one 
 like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and 
 came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near 
 before him. 14. And there was given him dominion, and 
 glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and lan- 
 guages, should serve him : his dominion is an everlasting 
 dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that 
 which shall not be destroyed. 
 
 The scene here described is not the second advent 
 of Christ to this earth, unless the Ancient of Days 
 
 is on this earth ; for it is a coming to the Ancient 
 
 of Days. There in the presence of the Ancient of 
 Days a kingdom, dominion, and glory, are given 
 him. The Son of man receives his kingdom before 
 
158 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 his return to this earth. See Luke 19 : 1012, and 
 onward. This is a scene, therefore, which transpires 
 in the heavenly temple, and is closely connected 
 with that brought to view in verses 9 and 10. He 
 receives the kingdom at the close of his priestly 
 work in the sanctuary. The people, nations, and 
 languages, that shall serve him are the nations of 
 the saved, B,ev. 21 : 24, not the wicked nations of 
 the earth ; for these are dashed in pieces at the sec- 
 ond advent. Some out of all the nations, tribes, 
 and kindreds of the earth will find themselves at 
 last in the kingdom of God, to serve him there with 
 joy and gladness forever and ever. 
 
 VEBSE 15. I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit in the midst 
 of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16. I 
 came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him 
 the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the 
 interpretation of the things. 17. These great beasts, which 
 are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 
 18. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, 
 and possess the kingdom forever, even for ever and ever. 
 
 No less anxious should we be than was Daniel, to 
 understand the truth of all this. And whenever 
 we inquire with equal sincerity of heart, we shall 
 find the Lord no less ready now, than in the days 
 of the prophet, to lead to a correct knowledge of 
 these important truths. The beasts, and the king- 
 doms which they represent, have already been ex- 
 plained. We have followed the prophet down 
 through the course of events even to the complete 
 destruction of the fourth and last beast, the final 
 
(JM APT Eli VII, VERSES 15-20. 159 
 
 subversion of all earthly governments. What next ? 
 Verse 18 tells us : " The saints shall take the king- 
 dom." The saints ! those of all others held in low 
 esteem in this world, despised, reproached, perse- 
 cuted, cast out ; those who were considered the least 
 likely of all men ever to realize their hopes ; these 
 shall take the kingdom and possess it forever. The 
 usurpation and misrule of the wicked shall come to 
 an end. The forfeited inheritance shall be re- 
 deemed. Peace shall be restored to its distracted 
 borders, and righteousness shall reign over all the 
 fair expanse of the renovated earth. 
 
 VERSE 19. Then I would know the truth of the fourth 
 beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding 
 dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass ; 
 which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue 
 with his feet ; 20 ; and of the ten horns that were in his head, 
 and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell ; 
 even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake 
 very great tilings, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 
 
 Of the first three beasts of this series, Daniel 
 had so clear an understanding, that he had no 
 trouble in reference to them. But he was aston- 
 ished at this fourth beast, so unnatural and dread- 
 ful; for the farther we come down the stream of 
 time, the farther it is necessary to depart from 
 nature in forming symbols to accurately represent 
 the degenerating governments of earth. The lion 
 is a production of nature; but it must have the un- 
 natural addition of two wings to represent the 
 kingdom of Babylon. The bear we also find in 
 
THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 nature ; but as a symbol of Medo-Persia, an unnat- 
 ural ferocity must be denoted by the insertion of 
 three ribs into its mouth. So the leopard is a beast 
 of nature ; but to fitly represent Grecia there is a 
 departure from nature in respect to 'wings, and the 
 number of heads. But nature furnishes no symbol 
 which can fitly illustrate the fourth kingdom. A 
 beast, the likeness of which never was seen, is 
 taken ; a beast dreadful and terrible, with nails of 
 brass, and teeth of iron, so cruel, rapacious and 
 fierce, that from mere love of oppression, it de- 
 voured, and brake in pieces, and trampled its vic- 
 tims beneath its feet. 
 
 Wonderful was all this to the prophet, but some- 
 thing still more wonderful appears. A little horn 
 comes up, and, true to the nature of the beast from 
 which it springs, thrusts aside three of its fellows ; 
 and lo! the horn has eyes, not the uncultivated 
 eyes of the brute, but the keen, shrewd, intelligent 
 eyes of a man ; and stranger yet, it has a mouth. 
 and with that mouth it utters proud sayings, and 
 puts forth preposterous and arrogant claims. No 
 wonder the prophet made special inquiry respect- 
 ing this monster, so unearthly in its instincts, and 
 so fiendish in its works and ways. In the follow- 
 ing verses some specifications are given respecting 
 the little horn, which enable the student of proph- 
 ecy to make an application of this symbol, without 
 danger of mistake : 
 
 VERSE 21. I beheld, and the same horn made Avar with 
 the saints, and prevailed against them ; 22 ; Until the An- 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 21, 22. 
 
 cient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of 
 the Most High ; and the time came that the saints possessed 
 the kingdom. 
 
 The wonderful wrath of this little horn against 
 the saints particularly attracted the attention of 
 Daniel. The rise of the ten horns, or the division 
 of Rome into ten kingdoms, between the years A. 
 D. 356 and 483, has already been noticed. See on 
 chapter 2 : 41. As these horns denote kingdoms, 
 the little horn must denote a kingdom also, but 
 not of the same nature, because it was diverse from 
 the others. They were political kingdoms. And 
 now we have but to inquire if any kingdom has 
 arisen among the ten kingdoms of the Roman Em- 
 pire, since A. p. 483, and yet diverse from them all ; 
 and if so, what one ? The answer is, The spiritual 
 kingdom of the papacy. This answers to the sym- 
 bol in every particular, as is easily proved; and 
 nothing else will do it. See the specifications more 
 particularly mentioned in verse 23. 
 
 Daniel beheld this horn making war upon the 
 saints. Has such a war been waged by the pa- 
 pacy ? Fifty millions of martyrs, with a voice like 
 the sound of many waters, answer, Yes. Witness 
 the cruel persecutions of the Waldenses, the Al- 
 bigenses, and Protestants in general, by the papal 
 power. It is stated, on good authority, that the 
 persecutions, massacres, and religious wars, excited 
 by the church and bishop of Rome, have occasioned 
 the shedding of far more blood of the saints of the 
 Most High, than all the enmity, hostility, and per- 
 
 il 
 
1(52 THOUGHTS ON DA KIEL. 
 
 seditions, of professed heathens from the founda- 
 tion of the world. 
 
 In verse 22, three consecutive events seem to be 
 brought to view. Daniel, looking onward from the 
 time when the little horn was in the height of its 
 power, to the full end of the long contest between 
 the saints and Satan with all his agents, notes three 
 prominent events that stand as mile-posts along the 
 way : 1. The coming of the Ancient of Days ; that 
 is, the position which Jehovah takes in the opening 
 of the Judgment scene described in verses 9, 10. 2. 
 The judgment that is given to the saints ; that is, 
 the time when the saints sit with Christ in judg- 
 ment a thousand years, following the first resurrec- 
 tion, Rev. 20 : 1-4, apportioning to the wicked the 
 punishment due to their sins. Then the martyrs 
 will sit in judgment upon the great antichristian, 
 persecuting power, which, in the days of their trial, 
 hunted them like the beasts of the desert, and 
 poured out their blood like water. 3. The time 
 that the saints possess the kingdom ; that is, the 
 time of their entrance upon the possession of the 
 new earth. Then the last vestige of the curse, of 
 sin, and of sinners, root and branch, will have been 
 wiped away, and the territory so long misruled by 
 the wicked powers of earth, the enemies of God's 
 people, will be taken by the righteous, to be held 
 by them forever and ever. 
 
 VERSE 23. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the 
 fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all 
 kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 2S-26. 1(J3 
 
 it down, and break it in pieces. 24. And the ten horns out 
 of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise ; and another 
 shall rise after them ; and he shall be diverse from the ihst, 
 and he shall subdue three kings. 25. And he shall spe.-tk 
 great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the 
 saints of the Most High, and think to ehange timos and laws : 
 and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times 
 and the dividing of time. 26. But the judgment shall sit, 
 and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to 
 destroy it unto the end. 
 
 We have here further particulars respecting the 
 fourth beast, and the little horn. 
 
 Perhaps enough has already been said respecting 
 the fourth beast (Rome), and the ten horns or ten 
 kingdoms which arose therefrom. The little horn 
 now more particularly demands attention. As 
 stated on verse 8, we find the fulfillment of the 
 prophecy concerning this horn, in the rise and work 
 of the papacy. It is a matter of both interest and 
 importance, therefore, to inquire into the causes 
 which resulted in the development of this anti- 
 christian power. 
 
 The first pastors, or bishops, of Rome enjoyed a 
 respect proportionate to the rank of the city in 
 which they resided ; and for the first few centuries 
 of the Christian era, Rome was the largest, richest, 
 and most powerful city in the world. It was the 
 seat of empire, the capital of the nations. " All the 
 inhabitants of the earth belong to her," said Julian ; 
 and Claudian declared her to be " the fountain of 
 laws." " If Rome is the queen of cities, why should 
 not her pastor be the king of bishops ? " was the 
 
164 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 reasoning these Roman pastors adopted. "Why 
 should not the Roman church be the mother of 
 Christendom ? Why should not all nations be her 
 children, and her authority their sovereign law? 
 It was easy," says D' Aubigne, from whom we 
 quote these words (Hist. Ref., vol. 1, chap. 1), "for 
 the ambitious heart of man to reason thus. Am- 
 bitious Rome did so." 
 
 The bishops in the different parts of the Roman 
 empire felt a pleasure in yielding to the bishop of 
 Rome some portion of that honor which Rome, as 
 the queen city, received from the nations of the 
 earth. There was originally no dependence implied 
 in the honor thus paid. " But," continues D'Au- 
 bigne, " usurped power increases like an avalanche. 
 Admonitions at first simply fraternal, soon became 
 absolute commands in the mouth of the pontiff. 
 The western bishops favored this encroachment of 
 the Roman pastors, either from jealousy of the 
 eastern bishops, or because they preferred submit- 
 ting to the supremacy of a pope rather than to the 
 dominion of a temporal power." 
 
 Such were the influences clustering around the 
 bishop of Rome, and thus was everything tending 
 toward his speedy elevation to the supreme spiritual 
 throne of Christendom. But the fourth century 
 was destined to witness an obstacle thrown across 
 the path of this ambitious dream. Arius, parish 
 priest of the oldest and principal church of Alex- 
 andria, sprung his doctrine upon the world, occa- 
 sioning so fierce a controversy in the Christian 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 2S-S6. 
 
 165 
 
 church that a general council was called at Nicsea, 
 by the Emperor Constantine, in A. D. 325, to con- 
 sider and adjust it. Arius maintained "that the 
 Son was totally and essentially distinct from the 
 Father ; that he was the first and noblest of those 
 beings whom the Father had created out of nothing, 
 the instrument by whose subordinate operation the 
 Almighty Father formed the universe, and there- 
 fore inferior to the Father both in nature and dig- 
 nity." This opinion was condemned by the coun- 
 cil, which decreed that Christ was of one and the 
 same substance with the Father. Hereupon Arius 
 was banished to Illyria, and his followers were 
 compelled to give their assent to the creed composed 
 on that occasion. Mosheim, cent. 4, part 2, chap. 5. 
 Stanley, Hist, of Eastern Church, p. 239. 
 
 The controversy itself, however, was not to be 
 disposed of in this summary manner, but continued 
 for ages to agitate the Christian world, the Arians 
 everywhere becoming the bitter enemies of the pope 
 and of the Roman Catholic Church. From these 
 facts it is evident that the spread of Arianism 
 would check the influence of the Catholics; and 
 the possession of Rome and Italy by a people of the 
 Arian persuasion, would be fatal to the supremacy 
 of a Catholic bishop. But the prophecy had de- 
 clared that this horn would rise to supreme power, 
 and that in reaching this position it would 
 
 Subdue three kings. Some difference of opinion 
 has existed in regard to the particular powers 
 which were overthrown in the interest of the pa- 
 
166 
 
 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 pacy, in reference to which the following remark 
 by Albert Barnes seems very pertinent : " In the 
 confusion that existed on the breaking up of the 
 Roman empire, and the imperfect accounts of the 
 transactions which occurred in the rise of the papal 
 power, it would not be wonderful if it should be 
 difficult to find events distinctly recorded that 
 would be in all respects an accurate and absolute 
 fulfillment of the vision. Yet it is possible to make 
 out the fulfillment of this with a good degree of 
 certainty in the history of the papacy." Notes on 
 Dan. 7. 
 
 Mr. Mede supposed the three kingdoms plucked 
 up to have been the Greeks, the Lombards, and the 
 Franks ; and Sir Isaac Newton supposes they were 
 the Exarchate of Ravenna, the Lombards, and the 
 Senate and the Dukedom of Rome. Bishop New- 
 ton (Dissertation on the Prophecies, pp. 217, 218) 
 states some serious objections to both these schemes. 
 The Franks could not have been one of these king- 
 doms; for they were never plucked up before 
 the papacy. The Lombards could not have been 
 one; for they were never made subject to the 
 popes. Says Barnes, " I do not find, indeed, that 
 the kingdom of the Lombards was, as is commonly 
 stated, among the number of the temporal sov- 
 ereignties that became subject to the authority of 
 the popes." And the Senate and Dukedom of 
 Rome could not have been one; for they, as such,, 
 never constituted one of the ten kingdoms, three of 
 which were to be plucked up before the little horn. 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 2S-26. 
 
 But we apprehend that the chief difficulty in the 
 application made by these eminent commentators, 
 lay in the fact that they supposed that the prophecy 
 respecting the exaltation of the papacy, was not, 
 and could not have been, fulfilled, till the pope be- 
 came a temporal prince ; and hence they sought to 
 find an accomplishment of the prophecy in the 
 events which led to the pope's temporal sovereignty. 
 Whereas we think the prophecy of verses 24, 25, re- 
 fere not to his civil power, but to his power to dom- 
 ineer over the minds and consciences of men; that 
 the pope reached this position, as will hereafter 
 appear, in A. D. 538 ; arid that the plucking up of 
 the three horns took place before this, and to make 
 way for this very exaltation to spiritual dominion. 
 The. insuperable difficulty in the way of all attempts 
 to apply the prophecy to the Lombards and the 
 other powers named above is, that they come alto- 
 gether too late in point of time ; for the prophecy 
 deals with the arrogant efforts of the Roman pon- 
 tiff to gain power, not with his endeavors to oppress 
 and humble the nations after he had secured the 
 supremacy. - 
 
 The position is here confidently taken that the 
 three powers, or horns, plucked up before the pa- 
 pacy, were the Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostro- 
 goths ; and this position rests upon the following 
 statements of historians : 
 
 Odoacer, the leader of the Heruli, was the first 
 of the barbarians who reigned over the Romans. 
 He took the throne of Italy, according to Gibbon 
 
168 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 3, pp. 
 510, 515), in 476. Of his religious belief Gibbon (ib., 
 516) says, " Like the rest of the barbarians, he had 
 been instructed in the Arian heresy ; but he revered 
 the monastic and episcopal characters, and the si- 
 lence of the Catholics attests the toleration which 
 they enjoyed." 
 
 Again he says (p. 547), " The Ostrogoths, the 
 Burdundians, the Suevi, and the Vandals, who had 
 listened to the eloquence of the Latin clergy, pre- 
 ferred the more intelligible lessons of their domestic 
 teachers ; and Arianism was adopted as the national 
 faith of the warlike converts who were seated on 
 the ruins of the Western empire. This irreconcil- 
 able difference of religion was a perpetual source of 
 jealousy and hatred ; and the reproach of Barba- 
 rian was embittered by the more odious epithet of 
 Heretic. The heroes of the North who had sub- 
 mitted, with some reluctance, to believe that all 
 their ancestors were in hell, were astonished and ex- 
 asperated to learn that they themselves had only 
 changed the mode of their eternal condemnation." 
 
 The reader is requested to consider carefully a 
 few more historical statements which throw some 
 light on the situation at this time. Stanley (His- 
 tory of the Eastern Church, p. 151) says: "The 
 whole of the vast Gothic population which de- 
 scended on the Roman empire, so far as it was 
 Christian at all, held to the faith of the Alexan- 
 drian heretic. Our first Teutonic version of the 
 Scriptures was by an Arian missionary, Ulfilas. 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 2S-26. 169 
 
 The first conqueror of Rome, Alaric, the first con- 
 queror of Africa, Genseric, were Arians. Theodoric, 
 the great king of Italy, and hero of the Nibe- 
 lungen Lied, was an Arian. The vacant place in 
 his massive tomb at Ravenna is a witness of the 
 vengeance which the Orthodox took on his memory, 
 when, in their triumph, they tore down the por- 
 phyry vase in which his Arian subjects had en- 
 shrined his ashes." 
 
 Ranke, in his History of the Popes (London ed. 
 1871), vol. 1, p. 9, says: "But she [the church] fell, 
 as was inevitable, into many embarrassments, and 
 found herself in an entirely altered condition. A 
 pagan people took possession of Britain; Arian 
 kings seized the greater part of the remaining 
 West ; while the Lombards, long attached to Arian- 
 ism, and, as neighbors, most dangerous and hostile, 
 established a powerful sovereignty before the very 
 gates of Rome. The Roman Bishops, meanwhile, 
 beset on all sides, exerted themselves with all the 
 prudence and pertinacity which have remained 
 their peculiar attributes, to regain the mastery at 
 least in their patriarchal diocese." 
 
 Machiavelli, in his History of Florence, p. 14, 
 says : " Nearly all the wars which the northern bar- 
 barians carried on in Italy, it may be here remarked, 
 were occasioned by the pontiffs ; and the hordes with 
 which the country was inundated, were generally 
 called in by them." 
 
 These extracts give us a general view of the 
 state of affairs at this time, and show us that though 
 
r~ 
 
 170 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 the hands of the Roman pontiffs might not be vis- 
 ibly manifest in the movements upon the political 
 board, they constituted the power working assidu- 
 ously behind the scenes to secure their own pur- 
 poses. The relation which these Arian kings sus- 
 tained to the pope, from which we can see the neces- 
 sity of their being overthrown to make way for pa- 
 pal supremacy, is shown in the following testimony 
 from Mosheim, given in his History of the Church, 
 cent. 6, part 2, chap. 2, sec. 2 : 
 
 " On the other hand, it is certain, from a variety 
 of the most authentic records, that both the emper- 
 ors and the nations in general were far from being 
 disposed to bear with patience the yoke of servi- 
 tude which the popes were imposing upon the 
 Christian church. The Gothic princes set bounds 
 to the power of those arrogant prelates in Italy, 
 permitted none to be raised to the pontificate with- 
 out their approbation, and reserved to themselves 
 the right of judging of the legality of every new 
 election." 
 
 An instance in proof of this statement occurs in 
 the history of Odoacer, the first Arian king above 
 mentioned, as related by Bower in his History of 
 the Popes, vol. 1, p. 271. When, on the death of 
 Pope SimpHcius, A. D. 483, the clergy arid people 
 had assembled for the election of a new pope, sud- 
 denly Basilius, prtefectus praetorio, and lieutenant of 
 King Odoacer, appeared in the assembly, expressed 
 his surprise that any such work as appointing a suc- 
 cessor to the deceased pope should be undertaken 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 23-26. 
 
 without him, in the name of the king declared all 
 that had been done null and void, and ordered the 
 election to be begun anew. The horn which exer- 
 cised such a restrictive power over the papal pontiff 
 must certainly be taken out of the way before the 
 pope could reach the predicted supremacy. 
 
 Meanwhile, Zeno, the emperor of the East, and 
 friend of the pope, was anxious to drive Odoacer 
 out of Italy (Machiavelli, p. 6), a movement which 
 he soon had the satisfaction of seeing accomplished 
 without trouble to himself, in the following manner : 
 Theodoric had come to the throne of the Ostrogothic 
 kingdom in Moesia and Pannonia. He, being on 
 friendly terms with Zeno, wrote him, stating that it 
 was impossible for him to restrain his Goths within 
 the impoverished province of Pannonia, and asking 
 his permission to lead them to some more favorable 
 region which they might conquer and possess. Zeno 
 gave him permission to march against Odoacer, and 
 take possession of Italy. Accordingly, after a three 
 years' war, the Herulian kingdom in Italy was 
 overthrown, Odoacer was treacherously slain, and 
 Theodorie established his Ostrogoths in the Italian 
 peninsula. As already stated, he was an Arian, and 
 the law of Odoacer, subjecting the election of the 
 pope to the approval of the king, was still retained. 
 
 The following incident will show how completely 
 the papacy was in subjection to his power. The 
 Catholics in the East, having commenced a persecu- 
 tion against the Arians in 523, Theodoric summoned 
 Pope John into his presence, and thus addressed 
 
172 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 him: "If the emperor [Justin, the predecessor of 
 Justinian] does not think fit to revoke the edict 
 which he has lately issued against those of my per- 
 suasion [that is, the Arians], it is my firm resolu- 
 tion to issue the like edict against those of his [that 
 is, the Catholics] ; and to see it everywhere exe- 
 cuted with the same rigor. Those who do not pro- 
 fess the faith of Nicsea are heretics to him, and those 
 who do are heretics to me. Whatever can excuse 
 or justify his severity to the former, will excuse 
 and justify mine to the latter. But the emperor," 
 continued the king, " has none about him who dare 
 freely and openly speak what they think, or to 
 whom he would hearken, if they did. But the 
 great veneration which he professes for your See, 
 leaves no room to doubt but he would hearken to 
 you. I will therefore have you to repair forthwith 
 to Constantinople, and there to remonstrate, both 
 in my name and your own, against the violent meas- 
 ures in which that court has so rashly engaged. It 
 is in your power to divert the emperor from them ; 
 and till you have, nay, till the Catholics [this name 
 Theodoric applies to the Arians] are restored to the 
 free exercise of their religion, and to all the churches 
 from which they have been driven, you must not 
 think of returning to Italy." Bowers Hist, of 
 Popes, vol. 1, p. 325. 
 
 The pope who was thus peremptorily ordered not 
 to set his foot again upon Italian soil until he had 
 carried out the will of the king, certainly could not 
 hope for much advancement toward any kind of 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 2S-26. 173 
 
 supremacy till that power was taken out of the way. 
 Baronius, according to Bovver, will have it that the 
 pope sacrificed himself on this occasion, and advised 
 the emperor not by any means to comply with the 
 demand the king had sent him. But Mr. Bower 
 thinks this inconsistent, since he could not, he says, 
 "sacrifice himself without sacrificing, at the same 
 time, the far greater part of the innocent Catholics 
 in the West, who were either subject to King Theo- 
 doric, or to other Arian princes, in alliance with 
 him" It is certain that the pope and the other em- 
 bassadors were treated with severity on their re- 
 turn, which Bower explains on this wise : " Others 
 arraign them all of high treason; and truly the 
 chief men of Rome were suspected at this very time 
 of carrying on a treasonable correspondence with 
 the court of Constantinople, and machinating the 
 ruin of the Gothic empire in Italy" Id. p. 326. 
 
 The feelings of the papal party toward Theodoric 
 may be accurately estimated, according to a quota- 
 tion already given, by the vengeance which they 
 took on his memory, when they tore from his 
 massive tomb in Ravenna the porphyry vase in 
 which his Arian subjects had enshrined his ashes. 
 But these feelings are put into language by Baro- 
 nius, who inveighs " against Theodoric as a cruel bar- 
 barian, as a barbarous tyrant, as an impious Arian." 
 But " having exaggerated with all his eloquence, and 
 bewailed the deplorable condition of the Roman 
 Church reduced by that heretic to a state of slavery, 
 he comforts himself in the end, and dries up his 
 
174 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 tears with the pious thought, that the author of 
 such a calamity died soon after, and was eternally 
 damned!" Baronius Annals, A. D. 526, p. 116; 
 Bower, vol. 3, p. -328. 
 
 While the Catholics were thus feeling the re- 
 straining power of an Arian king in Italy, they 
 were suffering a violent persecution from the Arian 
 Vandals in Africa. Gibbon, chap. 37, sec. 2. Elliot, 
 in his Horse Apocalypticse, vol. 3, p. 152, note 3, 
 says : " The Vandal kings were not only Arians, 
 but persecutors of the Catholics ; in Sardinia and 
 Corsica under the Roman Episcopate, we may pre- 
 sume, as well as in Africa." 
 
 Such was the position of affairs when, in 533, Jus- 
 tinian entered upon his Vandal and Gothic wars. 
 Wishing to secure the influence of the pope and the 
 Catholic party, he issued that memorable decree 
 which was to constitute the pope the head of all the 
 churches, and from the carrying out of which in 
 538, the period of papal supremacy is to be dated. 
 And whoever will read the history of the African 
 campaign, 533-4, and the Italian campaign, 534-8, 
 will notice that the Catholics everywhere hailed as 
 deliverers the army of Belisarius, the general of 
 Justinian. 
 
 The testimony of D'Aubigne (Reformation, b. 1, 
 chap. 1), also throws light upon the undercurrents 
 which gave shape to outward movements in these 
 eventful times. He says: "Princes whom these 
 stormy times often shook upon their thrones, offered 
 their protection if Rome would in its turn support 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 23-86. 175 
 
 them. They conceded to her the spiritual authority, 
 provided she would make a return in secular power. 
 They were lavish of the souls of men, in the hope 
 that she would aid them against their enemies. The 
 power of the hierarchy, which was ascending, and 
 the imperial power, which was declining, leaned thus 
 one upon the other, and by this alliance accelerated 
 their twofold destiny. Rome could not lose by it. 
 An edict of Theodosius II. and of Valentinian III. 
 proclaimed the Roman bishop 'rector of the whole 
 church/ Justinian published a similar decree." 
 
 But no decree of this nature could be carried into 
 effect until the Arian horns, which stood in its way, 
 were plucked up. The Vandals fell before the victo- 
 rious arms of Belisarius in 534 ; and the Goths, re- 
 tiring, left him in undisputed possession of Rome in 
 538. Gibbon's Rome, chap. 41. 
 
 Procopius relates that the African war was under- 
 taken by Justinian for the relief of the Christians 
 (Catholics) in that quarter ; and that when he ex- 
 pressed his intention in this respect, the prefect of 
 the palace came very near dissuading him from his 
 purpose ; but a dream appeared to him, in which he 
 was bidden " not to shrink from the execution of his 
 design ; for by assisting the Christians he would 
 overthrow the power of the Vandals." Evagrius 
 Ecd. Hist, book 4, chap. 16. 
 
 Listen again to Mosheim : "It is true that the 
 Greeks who had received the decrees of the council of 
 Nice [that is, the Catholics], persecuted and oppressed 
 the Arians wherever their influence and authority 
 
176 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 could reach ; but the Nicenians, in their turn, were 
 not less rigorously treated by their adversaries [the 
 Arians] particularly in Africa and Italy, where they 
 felt, in a very severe manner, the weight of the 
 Arian power, and the bitterness of hostile resentment. 
 The triumphs of Arianism were, however, transitory, 
 and its prosperous days were entirely eclipsed, when 
 the Vandals were driven out of Africa, and the Goths 
 out of Italy, by the arms of Justinian." Mosheim's 
 Church Hist., cent. 6, p. 2, chap. 5, sec. 3. 
 
 Elliot, in his Horse Apocalypticse, makes two enu- 
 merations of the ten kingdoms which arose out of 
 the Roman empire, varying the second list from the 
 first according to the changes which had taken place 
 at the later period to which the second list applies. 
 His first list differs from that of Machiavelli, adopted 
 by Adventists, only in that he puts the " Allemans " 
 in place of the Huns, and the Bavarians in place of 
 the Lombards, a variation which can be easily ac- 
 counted for. But out of this list he names the three 
 that were plucked up before the papacy in these 
 words : " I might cite three that were eradicated 
 from before the pope, out of the list first given, viz., 
 the Heruli under Odoacer, the Vandals, and the 
 Ostrogoths" Vol. 3, p. 152, note 1. 
 
 Although he prefers the second list, in which he 
 puts the Lombards instead of the Heruli, the forego- 
 ing is good testimony that if we make the enumera- 
 tion of the ten kingdoms while the Heruli were a 
 ruling power, they were one of the horns which 
 were plucked up. 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 23-2B. 177 
 
 By the historical testimony above cited, we think 
 it clearly established that the three horns plucked up 
 were the powers named; viz., the Heruli in A. D. 
 493, the Vandals hi 534, and the Ostrogoths in 538. 
 
 1. He shall speak great words against the Most 
 High. Has the papacy done this ? Look at a few 
 of his self -assumed titles : " His Holiness," " Vicege- 
 rent of the Son of God," " Our Lord God, the Pope," 
 " Another God upon earth," " King of the world," 
 "King of kings, and Lord of lords." Said Pope 
 Nicholas to the emperor Michael, " The Pope, who is 
 called God by Constantine, can never be bound or 
 released by man ; for God cannot be judged by 
 man." Is there need of bolder blasphemy than this? 
 Listen also to the adulation the popes have received 
 from their followers without rebuke : A Venetian 
 prelate in the fourth session of the Lateran, ad- 
 dressed the pope as follows : " Thou art our Shep- 
 herd, our Physician, in short, a second God upon 
 earth." Another bishop called him " the lion of the 
 tribe of Judah, the promised Saviour." Lord An- 
 thony Pucci, in the fifth Lateran, said to the pope, 
 " The sight of thy divine majesty does not a little 
 terrify me; for I am not ignorant that all power 
 both in Heaven and in earth is given unto you; 
 that the prophetic saying is fulfilled in you, * All the 
 kings of the earth shall worship him, and nations 
 shall serve him/" See Oswald's "Kingdom Which 
 Shall not Be Destroyed," pp. 97-99. Again, Dr. 
 Clarke, on verse 25, says : '" He shall speak as if he 
 were God.' So St. Jerome quotes from Symmachus. 
 
 12 
 
178 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 To none can this apply so well or so fully as to the 
 popes of Rome. They have assumed infallibility, 
 which belongs only to God. They profess to for- 
 give sins, which belongs only to God. They profess 
 to open and shut Heaven, which belongs only to 
 God. They profess to be higher than all the kings 
 of the earth, which belongs only to God. And they 
 go beyond God in pretending to loose whole nations 
 from their oath of allegiance to their kings, when 
 such kings do not please them. And they go 
 against God, when they give indulgences for sin. 
 This is the worst of all blasphemies." 
 
 2. And shall wear out the saints of the Most 
 High. Has the papacy done this ? For the mere 
 information of any student of church history, no an- 
 swer need here be given. All know that for long 
 years the papal church has pursued its relentless 
 work against the true followers of God. Chapter 
 after chapter might be given, would our limited 
 space permit. Wars, crusades, massacres, inquisi- 
 tions, and persecutions of all kinds, these were their 
 weapons of extinction. 
 
 Scott's Church History says : " No computation 
 can reach the numbers who have been put to death, 
 in different ways, on account of their maintaining 
 the profession of the gospel, and opposing the cor- 
 ruptions of the church of Rome. A million of poor 
 Waldenses perished in France ; nine hundred thou- 
 sand orthodox Christians were slain in less than 
 thirty years after the institution of the order of the 
 Jesuits. The Duke of Alva boasted of having put 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 28-26. 179 
 
 . . 
 
 to death in the Netherlands thirty-six thousand by 
 the hand of the common executioner during the 
 space of a few years. The Inquisition destroyed, by 
 various tortures, one hundred and fifty thousand 
 within thirty years. These are a few specimens, 
 and but a few of those which history has recorded. 
 But the total amount will never be known till the 
 earth shall disclose her blood and no more cover her 
 slain." 
 
 Commenting upon the prophecy that the little 
 horn should " wear out the saints of the Most High," 
 Barnes, in his Notes on Daniel 7 : 25, says : " Can any 
 one doubt that this is true of the papacy ? The In- 
 quisition; the persecutions of the Waldenses; the rav- 
 ages of the Duke of Alva ; the f^res of Smithfield ; 
 the tortures at Goa indeed the whole history of 
 the papacy may be appealed to in proof that this is 
 applicable to that power. If anything could have 
 worn out the saints of the Most High, could have 
 cut them off so that evangelical religion would have 
 become extinct, it would have been the persecutions 
 of the papal power. In the year 1208 a crusade 
 was proclaimed by Pope Innocent III. against the 
 Waldenses and Albigenses, in which a million of 
 men perished. From the beginning of the order of 
 Jesuits, in the year 1540 to 1580, nine hundred 
 thousand were destroyed. One hundred and fifty 
 thousand perished by the Inquisition in thirty years. 
 In the Low Countries fifty thousand persons were 
 hanged, beheaded, burned, and buried alive, for the 
 crime of heresy, within the space of thirty-eight 
 
180 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 years from the edict of Charles V., against the 
 Protestants, to the peace of Gateau- Cam bresis in 
 1559. Eighteen thousand suffered by the hand of 
 the executioner, in the space of five years and a 
 half, during the administration of the Duke of Alva. 
 Indeed the slightest acquaintance with the history 
 of the papacy, will convince any one that what is 
 here said of ' making war with the saints ' (verse 21), 
 and ' wearing out the saints of the Most High ' (verse 
 25), is strictly applicable to that power, and will ac- 
 curately describe its history." See Buck's Theolog- 
 ical Dictionary, Art., Persecutions ; Oswald's King- 
 dom, etc., pp. 107-133 ; Dowling's History of Ro- 
 manism ; Fox's Book of Martyrs ; Charlotte Eliza- 
 beth's Martyrology ; The Wars of the Huguenots ; 
 The Great Red Dragon, by Anthony Gavin, for- 
 merly one of the Roman Catholic priests of Sara- 
 gossa, Spain ; Histories of the Reformation, etc. 
 
 To parry the force of this damaging testimony 
 from all history, papists deny that the church has 
 ever persecuted any one; it has been the secular 
 power ; the church has only passed decision upon 
 the question of heresy, and then turned the offenders 
 over to the civil power to be dealt with according to 
 the pleasure of the secular court. The impious hy- 
 pocrisy of this claim is transparent enough to make 
 it an absolute insult to common sense. In those 
 days of persecution what was the secular power ? 
 Simply a tool in the hand of the church and under 
 its control, to do its bloody bidding. And when the 
 church delivered its prisoners to the executioners to 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 23-26. 181 
 
 be destroyed, with fiendish mockery it made use of 
 the following formula : " And we do leave thee to 
 the secular arm, and to the power of the secular 
 court, but at the same time do most earnestly be- 
 seech that court so to moderate its sentence as not to 
 touch thy blood, nor to put thy life in any sort of 
 danger." And then, as intended, the unfortunate 
 victims of popish hate were immediately executed. 
 Geddes' Tracts on Popery. View of the Court of 
 Inquisition in Portugal, p. 446. Limborch, vol. 
 ii., p. 289. 
 
 But the false claims of papists in this respect have 
 been flatly denied and disproved by one of their 
 own standard writers, Cardinal Bellarmine, who was 
 born in Tuscany in 1542, and who, after his death 
 in 1621, came very near being placed in the cal- 
 endar of saints, on account of his great services in 
 behalf of popery. This man, on one occasion, under 
 the spur of controversy, betrayed himself into an 
 admission of the real facts in the case. Luther hav- 
 ing said that the church (meaning the true church) 
 never burned heretics, Bellarmine understanding it 
 of the Romish church, made answer : " This argu- 
 ment proves not the sentiment but the ignorance or 
 impudence of Luther ; for as almost an infinite 
 number, were either burned or otherwise put to 
 death, Luther either did not know it, and was there- 
 fore ignorant ; or if he knew it, he was convicted of 
 impudence and falsehood ; for that heretics were 
 often burned by the church may be proved by ad- 
 ducing a few from many examples." 
 
182 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 To show the relation of the secular power to the 
 church, as held by Romanists, we quote the answer 
 of the same writer to the argument that the only 
 weapon committed to the church is " the sword of 
 the Spirit, which is the word of God." To this he 
 replied: "As the church has ecclesiastical and sec- 
 ular princes, who are her two arms ; so she has two 
 swords, the spiritual and material ; and therefore 
 when her right hand is unable to convert a heretic 
 with the sword of the Spirit, she invokes the aid of 
 the left hand, and coerces heretics with the material 
 sword." In answer to the argument that the apos- 
 tles never invoked the secular arm against heretics, 
 he says, " The apostles did it not, because there was 
 no Christian prince whom they could call on for 
 aid. But afterward, in Constantine's time, .... 
 the Church called in the aid of the secular arm." 
 - Dowling's History of Romanism, pp. 547, 548. 
 
 In corroboration of these facts, fifty millions of 
 martyrs this is the lowest computation made by 
 any historian will rise up in the resurrection, as 
 witnesses against her bloody work. 
 
 Pagan Rome persecuted relentlessly the Christian 
 church ; and it is estimated that three millions of 
 Christians perished in the first three centuries ; yet 
 it is said that the primitive Christians prayed for 
 the continuance of Imperial Rome ; for they knew 
 that when this form of government should cease, 
 another far worse persecuting power would arise, 
 which would literally, as this prophecy declares, 
 "wear out the saints of the Most High." Pagan 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 23-26. 183 
 
 Rome could slay the infants, but spare the mothers ; 
 but Papal Rome slew both mothers and infants to- 
 gether. No age, no sex, no condition in life, was 
 exempt from her relentless rage. "When Herod 
 died," says a forcible writer, " he went down to the 
 grave with infamy, and earth had one murderer, 
 one persecutor, less, and hell one victim more. 
 Rome ! what will not be thy hell, and that of thy 
 votaries, when thy judgment shall have come !" 
 
 3. And shall " think to change times and laws." 
 What laws ? and whose ? Not the laws of other 
 earthly governments; for it was nothing marvel- 
 ous nor strange for one power to change the laws of 
 another, whenever it could bring such power under 
 its dominion. Not human laws of any kind ; for 
 the little horn had power to change these so far as 
 its jurisdiction extended ; but the times and laws in 
 question were such as this power should only think 
 to change, but not be able to change. They are 
 the laws of the same Being to whom the saints be- 
 long, whom it wears out with persecution ; namely, 
 the laws of the Most High. And has the papacy 
 attempted this ? Yes, even this. It has, in its cat- 
 echisms, expunged the second commandment of the 
 decalogue, to make way for its adoration of images. 
 It has divided the tenth, to make up the number 
 ten. And, more audacious than all ! it has taken 
 hold of the fourth commandment, torn from its 
 place the Sabbath of Jehovah, the only memorial 
 of the great God ever given to man, and erected in 
 its place a rival institution to serve another purpose. 
 
184 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 See Catholic catechisms, and the work entitled, 
 " Who Changed the Sabbath ? " and works on the 
 Sabbath and Law, published at the office of the 
 Review and Herald, Battle Creek, Mich. 
 
 4. " And they shall be given unto his hands un- 
 til a time and times and the dividing of time. 
 The pronoun " they " embraces the saints, the times, 
 and the laws just mentioned. How long a time 
 were they to be given into the hands of this power ? 
 A time, as we have seen from chapter 4 : 23, is one 
 year ; two times, the least that could be denoted by 
 the plural, two years, and the dividing of time, or 
 half a time ( Sept., ^///.au ), half a year. Gesenius 
 also gives "jSa, Chald. a half. Dan. 7 : 25." We 
 thus have three years and a half for the continu- 
 ance of this power. The Hebrew, or rather the 
 Chaldee, word for time in the text before us is 
 idddn, pj? , which Gesenius defines thus: " Time. 
 Spec, in prophetic language for a year. Dan. 7 : 
 25, \*y h^ p^] nJT"U?> for a year, also two years, 
 and half a year, i. e., for three years and a half ; 
 comp. Jos. B. J. 1. 1. 1." We must now consider 
 that we are in the midst of symbolic prophecy; 
 hence this measurement is not literal, but prophetic. 
 The inquiry then arises, How long a period is de- 
 noted by the three years and a half of prophetic 
 time ? The rule given us in the Bible is, that when 
 a day is used as a symbol, it stands for a year. 
 Eze. 4:6; Num. 14 : 34. Under the Hebrew word 
 for day, or yom, Gesenius has this remark : "3. 
 Sometimes D'pj [yamim] marks a definite space of 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 23-26. 185 
 
 time, viz. a year ; as also Syr. and Chald. j^# [ id- 
 dan] denote both time and year; and as in Engl. 
 several words signifying time, weight, measure, are 
 likewise used to denote certain specific times, 
 weights and measures." The ordinary Jewish year, 
 which must be used as the basis of reckoning, con- 
 tained three hundred and sixty days. Three years 
 and a half contained twelve hundred and sixty 
 days. As each day stands for a year, we have 
 twelve hundred and sixty years for the continua- 
 tion of this horn. Did the papacy possess dominion 
 that length of time? The answer again is, Yes. 
 The edict of the emperor Justinian, dated A. D 
 533, made the bishop of Rome the head of all the 
 churches. But this edict could not go into effect till 
 the Arian Ostrgoths, the last of the three horns that 
 were plucked up to make room for the papacy, were 
 driven from Rome, and this was not accomplished, as 
 already shown, till A. D. 538. The edict would have 
 been of no effect had this latter event not been accom- 
 plished ; hence from this latter year we are to date, 
 as this was the earliest point where the saints were 
 in reality in the hands of this power. From this 
 point did the papacy hold supremacy for twelve 
 hundred and sixty years ? Exactly. For in the 
 year 1798, Berthier, a French general, entered Rome, 
 proclaimed a Republic, took the pope prisoner, and 
 for a time abolished the papacy. It has never since 
 enjoyed the privileges and immunities which it pos- 
 sessed before. Thus again this power fulfills to the 
 very letter, the specifications of the prophecy, which 
 
186 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 proves beyond question that the application is cor- 
 rect. 
 
 Here the judgment, a judgment like other na- 
 tional judgments of which the Bible speaks, (see 
 Acts 7 : 7, etc.), sat upon the papacy. Its dominion 
 was taken away, that is, its supremacy was broken, 
 and a consuming process there commenced which is 
 to continue till the end of time. Yet the papacy 
 will exist, though with but a shadow of its former 
 prestige, till the appearing of Christ, to be consumed 
 with the spirit of his mouth, and destroyed by the 
 brightness of his coming. 
 
 How accurately verse 26 has been fulfilled since 
 1798, and is being fulfilled to-day, is evident even 
 to the casual observer of passing events. This is 
 doubtless to be understood more particularly in a 
 national sense. Individuals are still the zealous 
 devotees of that church ; but everywhere it has 
 lost and is losing national recognition and support. 
 
 VERSE 27. And the kingdom and dominion, and the great- 
 ness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given 
 to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom 
 is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve 
 and obey him. 28. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As 
 for me Daniel my cogitations much troubled me, and my 
 countenance changed in me ; but I kept the matter in my 
 heart. 
 
 After beholding the dark and desolate picture of 
 papal oppression upon the church, the prophet once 
 more turns his eyes with delight upon the glorious 
 period of the saints' rest, when they shall have the 
 kingdom free from all oppressive powers, in ever- 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES #7, 28. 187 
 
 lasting possession. How could the children of God 
 keep heart in this present evil world, amid the mis- 
 rule and oppression of the governments of earth, 
 and the abominations that are done in the land, if 
 they could not look forward to the kingdom of Cod, 
 and the return of their Lord, with full assurance 
 that the promises concerning them both, shall cer- 
 tainly be fulfilled, and that speedily ? 
 
 NOTE 1. Some startling events relative to the papacy, fill- 
 ing up the prophecies uttered in this chapter concerning 
 that power, have taken place within a few years of the pres- 
 ent time. Commencing in 1798, where the great national 
 judgment fell upon the papacy, what have been the chief 
 characteristics of its history ? Answer : The rapid defection 
 of its natural supporters, and greater assumptions on its own 
 part. In 1844, Judgment of another kind began to sit, 
 namely, the investigative Judgment, in the Heavenly sanct- 
 uary, preparatory to the coming of Christ. Dec. 8, 1854, 
 the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was decreed by the 
 pope. July 21, 1870, in the great Ecumenical Council as- 
 sembled at Rome, it was deliberately decreed by a vote of 
 538 against 2 that the pope was infallible. In the same 
 year, Napoleon, by whose bayonets the pope was kept upon 
 his throne, was crushed by Prussia, and the last prop was 
 taken from under the papacy. Then Victor Emmanuel, 
 seeing his opportunity to carry out the long-cherished dream 
 of a United Italy, seized Rome to make it the capital of his 
 kingdom. To his troops, under General Cadorna, Rome 
 surrendered, Sept. 20, 1870. The pope's temporal power was 
 thus wholly taken away, nevermore, said Victor Emmanuel, 
 to be restored ; and the pope has been virtually a prisoner 
 in his own palace since that time. Because of the great 
 words which the horn uttered, Daniel saw the beast de- 
 stroyed and given to the burning flame. This destruction is 
 tt> take place at the second coming of Christ and by means 
 
188 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 of that event ; for the man of sin is to be consumed by the 
 spirit of Christ's mouth, and destroyed by the brightness of 
 his coming. 2 Thess. 2 : 8. What words could be more 
 arrogant, presumptuous, blasphemous, or insulting to high 
 Heaven, than the deliberate adoption of the dogma of infal- 
 libility, thus clothing a mortal man with the prerogative of 
 the Deity ? And this was accomplished by papal intrigue and 
 influence, July 21, 1870. Following in swift succession, the 
 last vestige of temporal power was wrenched from his grasp. 
 It was because of these words, and as if in almost immediate 
 connection with them, that the prophet saw this power given 
 to the burning flame. His dominion was to be consumed 
 unto the end ; implying that when his powers as a civil ruler 
 should be wholly destroyed, the end would not be far off. 
 And the prophet immediately adds, " And the kingdom and 
 dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the 
 whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of 
 the Most High." All has now been fully accomplished ex- 
 cept the closing scene. Next conies the last, crowning, fin- 
 ishing act in the drama, when the beast will be given 
 to the burning flame, and the saints of the Most High 
 take the kingdom. 
 
 NOTE 2. The query has arisen whether the judgment of 
 verse 26 may not refer to the same judgment as that of 
 verse 10, the investigative Judgment, which commenced in 
 1844. There seems to be no serious objection to this view ; 
 for while it is true that the dominion of the papal power has 
 been waning away since 1708, this has been especially mani- 
 fest since 1844. In 1848 the pope was driven from his cap- 
 ital, and in 1870 was stripped of his temporal dominion. 
 With this view, the necessity of accounting for two kinds of 
 judgment in the same chapter is avoided. 
 
VISION OF THE RAM, HE-GOAT, AND LITTLE HORN. 
 
 " WE now come once more," says Dr. Clarke, " to 
 the Hebrew, the Chaldee part of the book being fin- 
 ished. As the Chaldeans had a particular interest 
 both in the history and prophecies from chap. 2 : 4, 
 to the end of chap. 7, the whole is written in Chal- 
 dee; but as the prophecies which remain concern 
 times posterior to the Chaldean monarchy, and prin- 
 cipally relate to the church and people of God gen- 
 erally, they are written in the Hebrew language, 
 this being the tongue in which God chose to reveal 
 all his counsels given under the Old Testament rela- 
 tive to the New." 
 
 VERSE 1. In the third year of the reign of king Belshaz- 
 zar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after 
 that which appeared unto me at the first. 
 
 One prominent characteristic of the sacred writ- 
 ings, and one which should forever shield them from 
 the charge of being works of fiction, is the frankness 
 and freedom with which the writers state all the cir- 
 cumstances connected with that which they record. 
 This verse states the time when the vision recorded 
 in this chapter was given to Daniel. The first year 
 of Belshazzar is set down as B. c. 555. His third 
 
 (189) 
 
190 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 year, in which this vision was given, would conse- 
 quently be 553. If Daniel, as is supposed, was 
 about twenty years of age when he was carried to 
 Babylon, in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, B. c. 
 606, he was at this time about seventy-three years 
 of age. The vision he speaks of as the one " which 
 appeared unto him at the first," is doubtless the vis- 
 ion of the seventh chapter, which he had in the first 
 year of Belshazzar. 
 
 VERSE 2. And I saw in a vision ; and it came to pass, 
 when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in 
 the province of Elam ; and I saw in a vision, and 1 was by 
 the river of Ulai. 
 
 As verse 1 states the time when, this verse gives 
 the place where, the vision was given. Shushan, as 
 we learn from Prideaiix, was the metropolis of the 
 province of Elam. This was then in the hands of 
 the Babylonians, and there the king of Babylon had 
 a royal palace. Daniel, as minister of State, and 
 employed about the king's business, was accordingly 
 in that place. About three years after this time, 
 Abradates, viceroy or prince of Shushan, revolted to 
 Cyrus, and the province was joined to the Modes 
 and Persians ; so that, according to the prophecy of 
 Isaiah, 21:2, Elam went up with the Medes to be- 
 sieare Babylon. Under the Medes and Persians it re- 
 
 o / 
 
 gained its liberties which it had been deprived of by 
 the Babylonians, according to the prophecy of Jere- 
 miah 49 : 39. 
 
 VERSE 3. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, be- 
 hold, there stood before the river a ram which had two 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VEItSES 3, 4. 
 
 horns ; and the two horns were high ; but one was higher 
 than the other, and the higher came up last. 4. I saw the 
 rum pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so 
 that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there 
 any that could deliver out of his hand ; but he did according 
 to his will, amd became great. 
 
 In verse 20, an interpretation of this symbol is 
 given us in plain language : " the ram which thou 
 sawest, having two horns, are the kings of Media and 
 Persia." We have only therefore to consider how 
 well the symbol answers to the power in question. 
 The two horns represented the two nationalities of 
 which the empire consisted. The higher came up 
 last. This represented the Persian element, which, 
 from being at first simply an ally of the Medes, came 
 to be the leading division of the empire. The differ- 
 ent directions in which the ram was seen pushing, 
 denote the directions in which the Medes and Persians 
 carried their conquests. No earthly powers could 
 stand before them while they were marching up to 
 the exalted position to which the providence of God 
 had pointed them. And so successfully were their 
 conquests prosecuted that in the days of Ahasuerus 
 (Esth. 1 : 1), the Medo-Persian kingdom extended 
 from India to Ethiopia, the extremities of the then 
 known world, over a hundred and twenty-seven 
 provinces. The prophecy almost seems to fall short 
 of the facts as stated in history when it simply says 
 that this power did according to its will, and became 
 great. 
 
 VERSE 5. And as I was considering, behold, an he-goat 
 came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and 
 
192 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 touched not the ground ; and the goat had a notable horn 
 between his eyes. 6. And he came to the ram that had two 
 horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran 
 unto him in the fury of his power. 7. And I saw him come 
 close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against 
 him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns ; and there 
 was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast 
 him down to the ground, and stamped upon him ; and there 
 was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 
 
 "As I was considering," says the prophet ; and in 
 this he sets an example for every lover of the truth, 
 and all who have any regard for things higher than 
 the objects of time and sense. When Moses saw the 
 burning bush, he said, " I will now turn aside and 
 see this great sight." But how few are willing at 
 the present time to turn aside from their pursuits of 
 business or pleasure, to consider those important 
 themes to which both the mercy and the providence 
 of God are striving to call their attention. 
 
 The symbol here introduced is also explained by 
 the angel to Daniel. Verse 21 : " And the rough 
 goat is the king [or kingdom] of Grecia." Concern- 
 ing the fitness of this symbol to the Grecian or Mace- 
 donian people, Bishop Newton observes that, " two 
 hundred years before the time of Daniel, they were 
 called jEgcadae, the goat's people ; the origin of which 
 name is said to be as follows: Caranus, their first 
 king, going with a multitude of Greeks to seek a new 
 habitation in Macedonia, was advised by an oracle to 
 take the goats for his guide ; and afterward, seeing 
 a herd of goats flying from a violent storm, he fol- 
 lowed them to Edessa, and there fixed the seat of his 
 
PLATE IV. SYMBOLS OF DANIEL VIII. 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 5-7. 
 
 empire, and made the goats his ensigns or standards, 
 and called the place jEge or jEgea, the goats' town, 
 and the people ^Egeadse, the goats' people ; names 
 which are derived from dig, <hyof, a goat. The city 
 of ^ge or jEgea, was the usual bury ing-place of the 
 Macedonian kings ; and in reference to this origin, 
 Alexander called his son by Roxana, Alexander 
 jEgus, Alexander the goat. All this shows the very 
 great propriety of the symbol here used." 
 
 The goat came from the west Grecia lay west 
 of Persia. 
 
 " On the face of the whole earth." He covered all 
 the ground as he passed ; that is, he swept every- 
 thing before him ; he left nothing behind. 
 
 He "touched not the ground." Such was the 
 speed and celerity of his movements that he did not 
 seem to touch the ground, but to fly from point to 
 point with the speed of the wind ; the same feature 
 is brought to view by the four wings of the leopard 
 in the vision of chapter 7. 
 
 The notable horn between his eyes. This is ex- 
 plained in verse 21 to be the first king of the Mace- 
 donian Empire. This king was Alexander the Great. 
 
 Verses 6 and 7 give a concise account of the over- 
 throw of the Persian Empire by Alexander. The 
 contests between the Greeks and Persians are said to 
 have been exceedingly furious ; and some of the 
 scenes as recorded in history are vividly brought to 
 mind by the words of the prophecy, a ram standing 
 before the river and the goat running unto him in 
 the fury of his power. Alexander first vanquished 
 
 13 
 
194 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 the generals of Darius at the river Granicus in 
 Phrygia ; he next attacked and totally routed 
 Darius, at the straits of Issus in Cilicia, and after- 
 ward on the plains of Arbela in Syria. This battle 
 occurred B. c. 331, and marks the conclusion of the 
 Persian Empire ; for by this event Alexander became 
 complete master of the whole country. Bishop 
 Newton quotes verse G: "And he [the goat] came 
 to the ram which I had seen standing before the 
 river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power," 
 and adds : " One can hardly read these words, with- 
 out having some image of Darius' army standing 
 and guarding the river Granicus, and of Alexan- 
 der on the other side, with his forces plunging in, 
 swimming across the stream, and rushing on the en- 
 emy with all the fire and fury that can be imagined." 
 
 Ptolemy begins the reign of Alexander B. c. 332, 
 but it was not till the battle of Arbela, the year 
 following, that he became, according to Prideaux (i, 
 p. 378), " absolute lord of that empire to the utmost 
 extent in which it was ever possessed by the Per- 
 sian kings." On the eve of this engagement, Da- 
 rius sent ten of his chief relations to sue for peace ; 
 and upon their presenting their conditions to Alex- 
 ander, he replied, "Tell your sovereign . . . . 
 that the world will not permit two suns nor two 
 sovereigns ! " 
 
 The language of verse 7 sets forth the complete- 
 ness of the subjection of Medo-Persia to Alexan- 
 der. The two horns were broken, and the ram cast 
 to the ground and stamped upon. Persia was sub- 
 
CHAPTER Vlll, VERSE 8. 
 
 dued, the country ravaged, its armies cut to pieces 
 and scattered, its cities plundered, and the royal 
 city of Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Em- 
 pire, and even in its ruins one of the wonders of 
 the world to the present day, was sacked and 
 burned. Thus the ram had no power to stand 
 before the goat, and there was none that could 
 deliver him out of his hand. 
 
 VERSE 8. Therefore the he-goat waxed very great : and 
 when he was strong, the great horn was broken ; and for it 
 came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 
 
 The conqueror is greater than the conquered. 
 The ram, Medo-Persia, became great : the goat, Gre- 
 cia, became very great. And when he was strong, 
 the great horn was broken. Human foresight and 
 speculation would have said, When he becomes 
 weak, his kingdom racked by rebellion, or paralyzed 
 by luxury, then the horn will be broken and the 
 kingdom shattered. But Daniel saw it broken in 
 the very prime of its strength, and the height of 
 its power, when every beholder would have ex- 
 claimed, Surely, the kingdom is established, and 
 nothing can overthrow it. Thus it is often with 
 the wicked : The horn of their strength is broken 
 when they think they stand firm ; but the right- 
 eous, even when they think themselves ready to 
 perish, often find that, through the sustaining 
 power of God, the bruised reed is not broken, and 
 the smoking flax is not quenched. 
 
 Alexander fell in the prime of life. See notes 
 on verse 39 of chapter 2. After his death there 
 
196 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 arose much confusion among his followers respect- 
 ing the succession. It was finally agreed, after a 
 seven days' contest, that his natural brother, Philip 
 Aridseus, should be declared king. By him, and 
 Alexander's sons, Alexander ^Egus and Hercules, 
 the name and show of the Macedonian Empire was 
 for a time sustained ; but all these persons were soon 
 murdered ; and the regal family being then extinct, 
 the chief commanders of the army who had gone in- 
 to different parts of the empire as governors of the 
 provinces, assumed the title of kings. They there- 
 upon fell to leaguing and warring with each other, 
 to such a degree that within the short space of fif- 
 teen years from Alexander's death, t)ie number was 
 reduced to how many ? Five ? No. Three ? 
 No. Two? No. But four; just the number 
 specified in the prophecy; for four notable horns 
 were to come up toward the four winds of heaven, 
 in place of the great horn that was broken. These 
 were, 1. Seleucus, who had Syria and Babylon, and 
 from whom came the line of kings known as the 
 Seleucidse, so famous in history. 2. Lysimachus, 
 who had Asia Minor. 3. Ptolemy, son of Lagus, 
 from whom sprang the Lagidae ; and 4. Cassander, 
 who had Greece and the neighboring countries. 
 These held dominion toward the four winds of 
 heaven. Cassander had the western parts, Lysim- 
 achus had the northern regions, Ptolemy possessed 
 the southern countries, and Seleucus had the east- 
 ern portions of the empire. These four horns may 
 therefore be named Macedonia, Thrace (which then 
 
ROME 
 
 SYRIA 
 
 EGYPT. B.C. 30. 
 
 PLATE V. LITTLE HORN OF DANIEL VIII. 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VEMSES 9-12. 197 
 
 included Asia Minor, and those parts lying on the 
 Hellespont and Bosporus,) Syria, and Egypt. 
 
 VERSE 9. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, 
 which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward 
 the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10. And it waxed 
 great, even to the host of heaven ; and it cast down some of 
 the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon 
 them. 11. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of 
 the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and 
 the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12. And an host 
 was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of trans- 
 gression, and it cast down the truth to the ground ; and it 
 practiced, and prospered. 
 
 A third power is here introduced into the proph- 
 ecy. In the explanation which the angel gave to 
 Daniel of these symbols, this one is not dascribed in 
 language so definite as that of Medo-Persia and Gre- 
 cia. Hence a flood of wild conjecture is at once let 
 loose. Had not the angel positively, and in language 
 which cannot be misunderstood, stated that Medo- 
 Persia and Grecia were denoted by the ram and the 
 he-goat, it is impossible to tell what application men 
 would have given us of those symbols. Probably 
 they would have applied them to anything and 
 everything but the right objects. Leave men a mo- 
 ment to their own judgment in the interpretation of 
 prophecy, and we immediately have the most sub- 
 lime exhibitions of human folly. 
 
 There are two leading applications of the symbol 
 now under consideration, which are all that need be 
 noticed in these brief thoughts. The first is that the 
 little horn here introduced denotes Antiochus Epiph- 
 
198 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 anes ; the second is that it denotes the Roman power. 
 It is an easy matter to test the claims of these two 
 positions. 
 
 Does it mean Antiochus ? If so, this king must 
 fulfill the specifications of the prophecy. If he does 
 not fulfill them, the application cannot be made to 
 him. The little horn came out of one of the four 
 horns of the goat. It was then a separate power, 
 existing independently of, and distinct from, any of 
 the horns of the goat. * Was Antiochus such a 
 power ? 
 
 1. Who was Antiochus ? From the time that 
 Seleucus made himself king over the Syrian portion 
 of Alexander's empire, thus constituting the Syrian 
 horn of the goat, until that country was conquered 
 by the Romans, twenty-six kings ruled in succession 
 over that territory. The eighth of these, in order, 
 was Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus, then, was 
 simply one of the twenty-six kings who consti- 
 tuted the Syrian horn of the goat. He was, for the 
 time being, that horn. Hence, he could not be at 
 the same time a separate and independent power, or 
 another and remarkable horn, as the little horn was. 
 
 2. If it were proper to apply the little horn to any 
 one of these twenty-six Syrian kings, it should cer- 
 tainly be applied to the most powerful and illustrious 
 of them all ; but Antiochus Epiphanes did not by 
 any means sustain this character. Although he 
 took the name Epiphanes, that is, the illustrious, he 
 was illustrious only in name ; for nothing, says Prid- 
 eaux, on the authority of Polybius, Livy, and Dio- 
 
CHAPTER VI 11, VERSES 9-1S. ^99 
 
 dorus Siculus, could be more alien to his true char- 
 acter. For, on account of his vile and extravagant 
 folly, some thinking him a fool and others a mad- 
 man, they changed the name of Epiphanes, The 
 Illustrious, into Epimanes, The Madman. 
 
 3. Antiochus the Great, the father of Epiphanes, 
 being terribly defeated in a war with the Romans, 
 was enabled to procure peace only by the payment 
 of a prodigious sum of money, and a surrender of a 
 portion of his territory ; ' and, as a pledge that he 
 would faithfully adhere to the terms of the treaty, 
 he was obliged to give hostages, among whom was 
 this very Epiphanes, his sou, who was carried to 
 Rome. The Romans ever after maintained this as- 
 cendency. 
 
 4. The little horn waxed exceeding great ; but 
 this Antiochus did not enlarge his dominion except 
 by some temporary conquests in Egypt, which he 
 immediately relinquished when the Romans took the 
 part of Ptolemy, and commanded him to desist from 
 his designs in that quarter. The rage of his disap- 
 pointed ambition, he vented upon the unoffending 
 Jews. 
 
 5. The little horn, in comparison with the powers 
 that preceded it, was exceeding great. Persia is 
 simply called great, though it reigned over a hun- 
 dred and twenty -seven provinces. Esth. 1:1. Gre- 
 cia, being more extensive still, is called very great. 
 Now the little horn, which waxed exceeding great, 
 must surpass them both. How absurd, then, to 
 apply this to Antiochus, who was obliged to abandon 
 
200 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Egypt at the dictation of the Romans, to whom he 
 paid enormous sums of money as tribute. The Re- 
 ligious Encyclopedia gives us this item of his history : 
 " Finding his resources exhausted, he resolved to go 
 into Persia to levy tribute, and collect large sums 
 which he had agreed to pay to the Romans." It 
 cannot take long for any one to decide the question 
 which was the greater power, the one which evacu- 
 ated Egypt, or the one which commanded that evac- 
 uation ; the one that exacted tribute, or the one 
 which was compelled to pay it. 
 
 6. The little horn was to stand up against the 
 Prince of princes. The Prince of princes here 
 means, beyond controversy, Jesus Christ. Dan. 9 : 
 25 ; Acts 3 : 15 ; Rev. 1:5. But Antiochus died 
 one hundred and sixty-four years before our Lord 
 was born. The prophecy cannot, therefore, apply to 
 him ; for he does not fulfill the specifications in one 
 single particular. The question may then be asked 
 how any one has ever come to apply it to him. We 
 answer, Romanists take that view, to avoid the ap- 
 plication of the prophecy to themselves ; and many 
 Protestants follow them, in order to oppose the doc- 
 trine that Christ is now soon to come. 
 
 It has been an easy matter to show that the little 
 horn does not denote Antiochus. It will be just as 
 easy to show that it does denote Rome. 
 
 1. The field of vision here is substantially the 
 same as that covered by Nebuchadnezzar's image, of 
 chapter 2, and Daniel's vision, of chapter 7. And in 
 both those prophetic delineations we found that the 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 9-12. 201 
 
 power which succeeded Grecia as the fourth great 
 power, was Rome. The only natural inference 
 would be that the little horn, the power which in 
 this vision succeeds Grecia as an exceeding great 
 power, is also Rome. 
 
 2. It comes forth from one of the horns of the 
 goat. How, it may be asked, can this be true of 
 Rome ? It is unnecessary to remind the reader that 
 earthly governments are not introduced into proph- 
 ecy till they become in some way connected with 
 the people of God. Rome became connected with 
 the Jews, the people of God at that time, by the 
 famous Jewish League B. c. 161. 1 Maccabees 8 ; 
 
 o y 
 
 Josephus' Antiq., b. 12, chapter 10, sec. 6; Prideaux, 
 vol. ii, p. 166. But seven years before this, that is, 
 in B. c. 168, Rome had conquered Macedon, and 
 made it a part of itself. It is therefore introduced 
 into prophecy just as, from the conquered Macedo- 
 nian horn of the goat, it is preparing to go forth to 
 new conquests in other directions. It therefore ap- 
 peared to the prophet, or may be properly spoken of 
 in this prophecy, as coining forth from one of the 
 horns of the goat. 
 
 3. It waxed great toward the south. Egypt was 
 made a province of the Roman Empire, B. C. 30, and 
 continued such for some centuries. 
 
 4. Toward the east. Rome conquered Syria, B. c. 
 65, and made it a province. 
 
 5. Toward the pleasant land. Judea is so called 
 in many scriptures. The Romans finally made this 
 a province, B. c. 63, and eventually destroyed the 
 
202 
 
 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 city and the temple, and scattered the Jews over the 
 face of the whole earth. 
 
 6. It waxed great even to the host of heaven. 
 The host of heaven when used in a symbolic sense 
 in reference to events transpiring upon the earth, 
 must denote persons of illustrious character, or ex- 
 alted position. The great red dragon, Rev. 12 : 4, is 
 said to have cast down a third part of the stars of 
 heaven to the ground. The dragon was there in- 
 terpreted to symbolize pagan Rome, and the stars it 
 cast to the ground were Jewish rulers. We think it 
 is the same power and the same work that is here 
 brought to view ; which again makes it necessary to 
 apply it to Rome. 
 
 7. He magnified himself even to the Prince of the 
 host. In the interpretation, verse 25, this is called 
 standing up against the Prince of princes. How 
 clear an allusion to the crucifixion of our Lord, under 
 the jurisdiction of the Romans ! 
 
 8. By him the daily sacrifice was taken away. 
 We understand that the little horn symbolized 
 Rome in its entire history, including the two phases 
 of pagan and papal. These two phases are else- 
 where spoken of as the " daily " (sacrifice is a sup- 
 plied word) and the " transgression of desolation ; " 
 the daily (desolation) signifying the pagan form, 
 and the transgression of desolation, the papal. In 
 the actions ascribed to this power, sometimes one 
 form is spoken of, sometimes the other. " By him," 
 (the papal form) " the daily," (the pagan form) " was 
 taken away." Pagan Rome gave place to papal 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 9-12. 20 o 
 
 Rome. And the place of his sanctuary, or worship, 
 the city of Rome, was cast down. The seat of gov- 
 ernment was removed to Constantinople. The 
 same transaction is brought to view in Revelation 
 13 : 2, where it says that the dragon, pagan Rome, 
 gave to the beast, papal Rome, his seat, the city of 
 Rome, and power and great authority, the whole in- 
 fluence of the empire. 
 
 9. A host was given him against the daily. The 
 barbarians that subverted the Roman Empire, in the 
 changes, attritions, and transformations of those 
 times, became converts to the Catholic faith, and 
 the instruments of the dethronement of their for- 
 mer religion. Though conquering Rome politically, 
 they were themselves vanquished by the religion of 
 Rome, and became the perpetuators of the same 
 empire in another phase. And this was brought 
 about by reason of transgression, that is, by the 
 working of the mystery of iniquity. The papacy 
 is the most God-dishonoring system of iniquity ever 
 devised, because in his name it commits its abomi- 
 nations, and practices its orgies of hell in the garb, 
 and under the pretense, of pure and undefiled re- 
 ligion. 
 
 10. It cast the truth to the ground and practiced 
 and prospered. This describes, in few words, the 
 work and career of the papacy. The truth is by it 
 hideously caricatured ; it is loaded with traditions ; 
 it is turned into mummery and superstition ; it is 
 cast down and obscured. 
 
 And this antichristian power has practiced prac- 
 
204 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 ticed its deceptions upon the people, practiced its 
 schemes of cunning to carry out its own ends, and 
 aggrandize its own power. 
 
 And it has prospered. It has made war with the 
 saints and prevailed against them. It has run its 
 allotted career, and soon is to be broken without 
 hand, to be given to the burning flame, and perish 
 in the consuming glories of the second appearing of 
 our Lord. 
 
 Rome meets all the specifications of the proph- 
 ecy. No other power does meet them. Hence 
 Rome, and no other, is the power in question. And 
 the descriptions given in the word of God, of the 
 character of this monstrous system are fully met 
 and the prophecies of its baleful history have been 
 most strikingly and accurately fulfilled. 
 
 VERSE 13. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another 
 saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long 
 shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the 
 transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and 
 the host to be trodden under foot ? 14. And he said unto me, 
 Unto two thousand and three hundred days ; then shall the 
 sanctuary be cleansed. 
 
 Tlie Time. These two verses close the vision 
 proper of chapter 8; and they introduce the one 
 remaining point which of all others would natu- 
 rally be of the most absorbing interest to the 
 prophet, and to all the church; namely, the time 
 the desolating powers previously brought to view 
 were to continue. How long shall they continue 
 their course of oppression against God's people, and 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 13, 14. 205 
 
 of blasphemy against high Heaven ? Daniel, if 
 time had been given, might perhaps have asked this 
 question himself, but Heaven is ever ready to antic- 
 ipate our wants, and sometimes to answer, even be- 
 fore we ask. Hence, two celestial beings appear 
 upon the scene, holding a conversation, in the hear- 
 ing of the prophet, upon this question which it is so 
 important that the church should understand. 
 Daniel heard one saint speaking. What this saint 
 spoke at this time we are not informed ; but there 
 must have been something either in the matter or 
 the manner of this speaking which made a deep im- 
 pression upon the mind of Daniel, inasmuch as he 
 uses it 'in the very next sentence as a designating 
 title, calling the angel "that certain saint which 
 spake" He may have spoken something of the 
 same nature as that which the seven thunders of 
 the Apocalypse uttered, Rev. 10 : 3, and which, 
 when John was about to write, he was restrained, 
 for some good reason, from so doing. But another 
 saint asked this one that spake an important ques- 
 tion : How long the vision ? and both the question 
 and the answer are placed upon record, which is 
 prima facie evidence that this is a matter which it 
 was designed that the church should understand. 
 And this view is further confirmed by the fact that 
 the angel did not ask this question for his own in- 
 formation, inasmuch as the answer was addressed 
 to Daniel, as the one whom it chiefly concerned, and 
 for whose information it was given. " And he said 
 unto me" said Daniel, recording the answer to the 
 
206 THO UGHTS ON DA NIEL. 
 
 angel's question, " Unto two thousand a.nd three 
 hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.' 
 
 The Daily Sacrifice. We have proof in verse 13, 
 that sacrifice is the wrong word to be supplied in 
 connection with the word daily. If the daily sac- 
 rifice of the Jewish service is here meant, or in 
 other words, the taking away of that sacrifice, as 
 some suppose, which sacrifice was at a certain point 
 of time taken away, there would be no propriety in 
 the question, How long the vision concerning it ? 
 This question evidently implies that those agents or 
 events to which the vision relates, occupy a long 
 series of years. Continuance of time is the central 
 idea. And the whole time of the vision is filled by 
 what is here called the daily and the transgression 
 of desolation. Hence the daily cannot be the daily 
 sacrifice of the Jews, the taking away of which, 
 when the time came for it, occupied comparatively 
 but an instant of time. It must denote something 
 which occupies a series of years. 
 
 The word here rendered daily, occurs in the Old 
 Testament, according to the Hebrew Concordance, 
 one hundred and two times, and is, in the great ma- 
 jority of instances, rendered " continual," and " con- 
 tinually." The idea of sacrifice does not attach to 
 the word at all. Nor is there any word in the text 
 which signifies sacrifice. It is wholly a supplied 
 word, the translators putting in that word which 
 their understanding of the text seemed to demand. 
 But they evidently took an erroneous view, the sac- 
 rifices of the Jews not being referred to at all. We 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 13, 14. 207 
 
 therefore suggest, as being more in accordance with 
 both the construction and the context that the 
 word daily refers to a desolating power, like the 
 transgression of desolation with which it is con- 
 nected. Then we have two desolating powers, which 
 for a long period oppress, or desolate, the church. 
 The Hebrew, ooP ;'?rn Tonn, justifies this con- 
 struction; the last word, DDtf, desolation, being 
 the leading word, in the construct state, and having 
 a common relation to the two preceding nouns, 
 " the perpetual " and " the transgression," which are 
 connected by the conjunction "and." Literally it 
 may be rendered, " How long the vision (concerning) 
 the continuance and the transgression of desolation," 
 the word desolation being related to both continu- 
 ance and transgression, as though it were expressed 
 in full, " the continuance of desolation and the trans- 
 gression of desolation." By the continuance of deso- 
 lation, or the perpetual desolation, paganism through 
 all its long history is meant ; and by " the trans- 
 gression of desolation " is meant the papacy. The 
 phrase describing this power is stronger than that 
 used to describe paganism. It is the transgression 
 (or rebellion, as the word also means) of desolation ; 
 as though under this period of the history of the 
 church, the desolating power had rebelled against 
 all restraint previously imposed upon it. 
 
 From a religious point of view, the world has pre- 
 sented only these two phases. Hence, although 
 three earthly governments are introduced in the 
 prophecy, as oppressors of the church, they are here 
 
 1 
 
208 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 ranged under two heads ; the daily, and the trans- 
 gression of desolation. Medo-Persia was pagan ; 
 Grecia was pagan ; Rome in its first phase was 
 pagan; these all composed the daily; then comes 
 the papal form, which was to be the leading perse- 
 cuting power to the end of time, a marvel of satanic 
 craft and cunning, an incarnation of fiendish blood- 
 thirstiness and cruelty. No wonder the cry has 
 gone up from suffering martyrs, from age to age, 
 How long, Lord, how long ? And no wonder the 
 Lord, in order that hope might not wholly die out 
 of the hearts of his down-trodden, waiting people, 
 has lifted before them the vail of futurity, showing 
 them the consecutive events of the world's history, 
 till all these persecuting powers should meet an 
 utter and everlasting destruction, and giving them 
 glimpses beyond, of the unfading glories of their 
 eternal inheritance. 
 
 The Lord's eye is upon his people. The furnace 
 will be heated no hotter than necessary to consume 
 the dross. It is through much tribulation we are 
 to enter the kingdom ; and the word tribulation is 
 from tribulum, a threshing sledge. Blow after blow 
 must be laid upon us, till all the wheat is beaten 
 free from the chaff, and we are made fit for the 
 heavenly garner. But not a kernel of wheat shall 
 be lost. Says the Lord to his people, Ye are the 
 light of the world, the salt of the earth. In his 
 eyes, there is nothing else of consequence or impor- 
 tance on the earth. Hence the peculiar question 
 here asked, How long the vision respecting the 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 13, 14. 209 
 
 daily and the transgression of desolation concern- 
 ing what ? the glory of earthly kingdoms ? the skill 
 of renowned warriors ? the fame of mighty conquer- 
 ors ? the greatness of human empire ? No ; but 
 concerning the sanctuary and the host, the people 
 and worship of the Most High. How long shall 
 they be trodden under foot ? Here is where all 
 Heaven's interest and sympathy are enlisted. He 
 who touches the people of God, touches not mere 
 mortals, weak and helpless, but Omnipotence ; he 
 opens an account which must be settled at the bar 
 of Heaven. And soon all these accounts will be 
 adjusted, the iron heel of oppression will itself be 
 crushed, and a people will be brought out of the 
 furnace prepared to shine as the stars forever and 
 ever. To be one who is an object of interest to 
 heavenly beings, one whom the providence of God 
 is engaged to preserve while here, and crown with 
 immortality hereafter what an exalted position ! 
 How much higher than that of any king, president, 
 or potentate of earth ! Reader, are you one of the 
 number ? 
 
 Respecting the 2300 days, introduced for the first 
 time in verse 14, there are no data in this chapter 
 from which we can determine their commencement 
 and close, or tell what portion of the world's history 
 they cover. We are obliged, therefore, for the pres- 
 ent, to pass them by. Let the reader be assured, 
 however, that we are not left in any uncertainty 
 concerning those days. The declaration respecting 
 them is a part of a revelation which is given for the 
 
 14 
 
210 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 instruction of the people of God, and is consequently 
 to be understood. They are spoken of in the midst 
 of a prophecy which the angel Gabriel was com- 
 manded to make Daniel understand ; and which in- 
 struction we may be certain that the angel at some 
 time carried out, and hence that somewhere the nec- 
 essary information is given respecting this important 
 period. We shall look for something further on this 
 point in subsequent portions of the prophecy of 
 Daniel ; and we shall find that the mystery which 
 hangs over these days in this chapter, is dispelled in 
 the next. 
 
 The Sanctuary. Connected w T ith the 2300 days 
 is another object of equal importance, which now pre- 
 sents itself for investigation ; namely, the sanctuary ; 
 and with this is also connected the subject of its 
 cleansing. As we examine these subjects, we shall 
 see the importance of having an understanding of the 
 commencement and termination of the 2300 days, 
 that we m&y know when the great event called the 
 cleansing of the sanctuary is to transpire ; for all 
 the inhabitants of earth, as will in due time appear, 
 have a personal interest in that solemn work. 
 
 Several objects have been claimed by different 
 ones as the sanctuary here mentioned : 1. The earth. 
 2. The land of Canaan. 3. The church. 4. The 
 sanctuary, the "true tabernacle, which the Lord 
 pitched and not man," which is " in the Heavens," 
 and of which the Jewish tabernacle was a type, pat- 
 tern, or figure. Heb. 3:1,2; 9 : 23, 24. These 
 conflicting claims must be decided by what the 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 13, 14* 211 
 
 Scriptures say on the subject ; and fortunately its 
 testimony is neither meager nor ambiguous. 
 
 1. The word sanctuary occurs in the Old and New 
 Testaments one hundred and forty-four times, and 
 from the definitions of lexicographers, and its use 
 in the Bible, we learn that it is used to signify a 
 holy or sacred place, a dwelling-place for the Most 
 High. If, now, the earth is the sanctuary, it will 
 answer to the definition, and the Bible will some- 
 where speak of it as such. But we do not find a 
 single characteristic pertaining to this earth which 
 will satisfy the definition. It is neither a holy nor 
 a sacred place, nor is it a dwelling-place for the 
 Most High. It has no mark of distinction except 
 as being a revolted planet, marred by sin, and 
 scarred and withered by the curse. Moreover it is 
 nowhere in all the Scriptures called the sanctuary. 
 Only one text can be produced in favor of this view, 
 and that only by a false application. Isa. 60 : 13, 
 says : " The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, 
 the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to 
 beautify the place of my sanctuary ; and I will 
 make the place of my feet glorious." This language 
 undoubtedly refers to the new earth ; but even that 
 is not called the sanctuary, but only the place of the 
 sanctuary, just, as it is called the place of the Lord's 
 feet ; an expression which probably denotes the 
 continual presence of God with his people, as it was 
 revealed to John when it was said, "Behold, the 
 tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell 
 with them, and they shall be his people, aud God 
 
212 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 himself shall be with them, and be their God." Rev. 
 21:3. All that can be said of the earth, therefore, 
 is, that when renewed it will be the place where the 
 sanctuary of God will be located. It can present 
 not a shadow of a claim to being the sanctuary 
 at the present time, or the sanctuary of the proph- 
 ecy. 
 
 2. Is the land of Canaan the sanctuary ? So far 
 as we may be governed by the definition of the 
 word, it can present no better claim than the earth 
 to that distinction. If we inquire where in the Bi- 
 ble it is called the sanctuary, a few texts are 
 brought forward which seem to be supposed by 
 some to furnish the requisite testimony. The first 
 of these is Ex. 15:17. Moses, in his song of tri- 
 umph and praise to God after the passage of the 
 Red Sea, exclaimed : " Thou shalt bring them in, 
 and plant them in the mountain of thine inherit- 
 ance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made 
 for thee to dwell in, in the sanctuary, O Lord, which 
 thy hands have established." A writer who urges 
 this text, says, " I ask the reader to pause, and ex- 
 amine and settle the question most distinctly, before 
 he goes further What is the sanctuary here spoken 
 of?" We think it would be safer for the reader 
 not to attempt to settle the question definitely from 
 this one isolated text, before comparing it with 
 other scriptures. Moses here speaks in anticipation. 
 His language is a prediction of what God would do 
 for his people. Let us see how it was accomplished. 
 If we find, in the fulfillment, that the land in which 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 13, 14. 213 
 
 they were planted is called the sanctuary, it will 
 greatly strengthen the claim that is based upon this 
 text. If, on the other hand, we find a plain dis- 
 tinction drawn between the land and the sanctu- 
 ary, then Ex. 15:17 must be interpreted accord- 
 ingly. We turn to David, who records as a matter 
 of history what Moses uttered as a matter of proph- 
 ecy. Ps. 78:53,54. The subject of the psalmist 
 here, is the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian 
 servitude, and their establishment in the promised 
 land ; and he says : " And he [God] led them on 
 safely, so that they feared not ; but the sea over- 
 whelmed their enemies. And he brought them to 
 the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain 
 which his right hand had purchased." The " moun- 
 tain " here mentioned by David, is the same as the 
 " mountain of thine inheritance " spoken of by Mo- 
 ses, in which the people were to be planted; and 
 this mountain David calls, not the sanctuary, but 
 only the border of the sanctuary. What, then, was 
 the sanctuary? Verse 69 of the same psalm in- 
 forms us : "And he built his sanctuary like high 
 palaces, like the earth which he hath established 
 forever." The same distinction between the sanct- 
 uary and the land is pointed out in the prayer of 
 good king Jehoshaphat. 2 Chron. 20:7, 8: "Art 
 thou not our God who didst drive out the inhabit- 
 ants of this land before thy people Israel, and gav- 
 est it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend, forever ? 
 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanct- 
 uary therein for thy name." Taken alone, some 
 
214 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 try to draw an inference from Ex. 15 : 17, that the 
 mountain was the sanctuary ; but when we take in 
 connection with it the language of David, which is 
 a record of the fulfillment of Moses' prediction, and 
 an inspired commentary upon his language, such an 
 idea cannot be entertained ; for David plainly says 
 that the mountain was simply the border of the 
 sanctuary; and that in that border or land, the 
 sanctuary was built like high palaces, reference be- 
 ing made to the beautiful temple of the Jews, the 
 center and symbol of all their worship. But who- 
 ever will read carefully Ex. 15 : 17, will see that not 
 even an inference is necessary, that by the word 
 sanctuary Moses means the mountain of inheritance, 
 much less the whole" land of Palestine. In the free- 
 dom of poetic license, he employs elliptical expres- 
 sions, and passes rapidly from one idea or object to 
 another. First, the inheritance engages his atten- 
 tion, and he speaks of it; then the fact that the 
 Lord was to dwell there ; then the place he was to 
 provide for his dwelling there, namely, the sanctu- 
 ary which he would cause to be built. David thus 
 associates Mount Zion and Judah together, in Ps. 
 78 : 68, because Zion was located in Judah. 
 
 The three texts, Ex. 15:17; Ps. 78:54, 69, are 
 the ones chiefly relied on to prove that the land of 
 Canaan is the sanctuary ; but, singularly enough, 
 the two latter in plain language clear away the am- 
 biguity of the first, and utterly disprove the claim 
 that it is based thereon. 
 
 Having disposed of the main proof on this point, 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES IS, 14- 215 
 
 it would hardly seem worth while to spend time 
 with those texts from which only inferences can be 
 drawn. As there is, however, only one even of 
 this class, we will refer to it, that no point may be 
 left unnoticed. Isa. 63:18: " The people of thy 
 holiness have possessed it but a little while ; our 
 adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary." 
 This language is as applicable to the temple as to 
 the land ; for when the land was overrun with the 
 enemies of Israel, their temple was laid in ruins. 
 This is plainly stated in verse 11 of the next chap- 
 ter : " Our holy and our beautiful house, where our 
 fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire." The 
 text therefore proves nothing for this view. 
 
 Respecting the earth, or the land of Canaan, as 
 the sanctuaiy, we offer one thought more. If they 
 constitute the sanctuary, they should not only be 
 somewhere described as such, but the same idea 
 should be carried through to the end, and the puri- 
 fication of the earth, or of Palestine, should be 
 called the cleansing of the sanctuary. The ear.th is 
 indeed denied, and it is to be purified by fire ; but 
 fire, as we shall see, is not the agent which is used 
 in the cleansing of the sanctuary ; and this, purifi- 
 cation of the earth, or any part of it, is nowhere in 
 the Bible called the cleansing of the sanctuary. 
 
 3. Is the church the sanctuary ? The evident 
 mistrust with which this idea is suggested is a 
 virtual surrender of the argument, before it is 
 presented. One solitary text is adduced in its 
 support : Ps. 114 : 1, 2 : " When Israel went out of 
 
216 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange 
 language, Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his 
 dominion." Should we take this text in its most 
 literal sense, what would it prove respecting the 
 sanctuary ? It would prove that the sanctuary 
 was confined to one of the twelve tribes ; and hence 
 that a portion of the church only, not the whole of 
 it, constitutes the sanctuary. But this, proving too 
 little for the theory under consideration, proves 
 nothing. Why Judah is called the sanctuary in 
 the text quoted, need not be a matter of perplexity 
 when we remember that God chose Jerusalem 
 which was in Judah, as trie place of his sanct- 
 uary. "But chose," says David, "the tribe of 
 Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved. And 
 he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like 
 the earth which he hath established forever." 
 This clearly shows the connection which existed 
 between Judah and the sanctuary. That tribe it- 
 self was not the sanctuary ; but it is once spoken of 
 as such when Israel came forth from Egypt, be- 
 cause God purposed that in the midst of the terri- 
 tory of that tribe, his sanctuary should be located. 
 But even if it could be shown that the church is 
 anywhere called the sanctuary, it would be of no 
 consequence to our present purpose, which is to de- 
 termine what constitutes the sanctuary of Dan. 
 8 : 13, 14 ; for the church is there spoken of as an- 
 other object : " To give both the sanctuary and the 
 host to be trodden under foot." That by the term 
 host, the church is here meant, none will dispute ; 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 13, 14. 
 
 the sanctuary is therefore another and a different 
 object. 
 
 4. There remains but one more position to be ex- 
 amined ; namely, That the sanctuary mentioned in 
 the text is what Paul calls in Hebrews the " true 
 tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man," 
 to which he expressly gives the name of " the sanct- 
 uary," and which he locates in " the Heavens ; " of 
 which sanctuary, we had, under the former dispen- 
 sation, first in the tabernacle built by Moses, and 
 afterward in the temple at Jerusalem, a pattern, 
 type, or figure. And let it be particularly noticed, 
 that on the view here suggested rests our only 
 hope of ever understanding this question ; for we 
 have seen that all other positions are untenable. 
 No other object which has ever been supposed by 
 any one to be the sanctuary, neither the earth, the 
 land of Canaan, nor the church, can for a moment 
 support such a claim. If, therefore, we do not find 
 it in the object before us, we may abandon the 
 search in utter despair ; we may discard so much 
 of revelation as still unrevealed, and may cut out 
 from the sacred page, as so much useless reading, 
 the numerous passages which speak on this subject. 
 All those, therefore, who, rather than that so im- 
 portant a subject should go by default, are willing 
 to lay aside all preconceived opinions and cherished 
 views, will approach the position before us with in- 
 tense anxiety and unbounded interest. They will 
 lay hold of any evidence that may here be given 
 us, as a man bewildered in a labyrinth of darkness 
 
218 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 would lay hold on the thread which was his only 
 guide to lead him forth again to light, or as the 
 perishing man would leap for the last life-boat that 
 could rescue him from destruction. 
 
 It will be safe for us to put ourselves, in imag- 
 ination, in the place of Daniel, and view the subject 
 from his standpoint. What would he understand 
 by the term sanctuary as addressed to him ? If we 
 can ascertain this, it will not be difficult to arrive 
 at correct conclusions on this subject. His mind 
 would inevitably turn, on the mention of that 
 word, to the sanctuary of that dispensation ; and 
 certainly he well knew what that was. His mind 
 did turn to Jerusalem, the city of his fathers, which 
 was then in ruins, and to their " beautiful house," 
 which, as Isaiah laments, was burned with fire. 
 And so, as was his wont, with his face turned to- 
 ward the place of their once venerated temple, he 
 prayed God to cause his face to shine upon his 
 sanctuary, which was desolate. By the word sanct- 
 uary, Daniel evidently understood their temple at 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 But Paul bears testimony which is most explicit 
 on this point. Heb. 9:1: "Then verily the first 
 covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and 
 a worldly sanctuary." This is the very point, which 
 at present we are concerned to determine : What 
 was the sanctuary of the first covenant ? Paul 
 proceeds to tell us. Hear him. Verses 2-5 : " For 
 there was a tabernacle made; the first [or first 
 apartment], wherein was the candlestick, and the 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES IS, 14. 219 
 
 table, and the showbread; which is called the sanct- 
 uary [margin, the holy]. And after the second 
 vail, the tabernacle which is called the holiest of 
 all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of 
 the covenant overlaid round about with gold, 
 wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and 
 Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the 
 covenant ; and over it the cherubims of glory shad- 
 owing the mercy-seat; of which we cannot now 
 speak particularly." 
 
 There is no mistaking the object to which Paul 
 here has reference. It is the tabernacle erected by 
 Moses according to the direction of the Lord, with 
 a holy and a most holy place, and various vessels of 
 service, as here set forth. A full description of 
 this building, with its various vessels and their 
 uses, will be found in Exodus, chapter 25, and on- 
 ward. If the reader is not familiar with this sub- 
 ject, he is requested to turn and carefully examine 
 the description of this building. This, Paul plainly 
 says, was the sanctuary of the first covenant. And 
 we wish the reader to carefully mark the logical 
 value of this declaration. By telling us what did 
 positively for a time constitute the sanctuary, Paul 
 sets us on the right track of inquiry. He gives us a 
 basis on which to work. For a time, the field is 
 cleared of all doubt and all obstacles. During the 
 time covered by the first covenant, which reached 
 from Sinai to Christ, we have before us a distinct 
 and plainly-defined object, minutely described by 
 Moses, and declared by Paul to be the sanctuary 
 during that time. 
 
220 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 But Paul's language has greater significance even 
 than this. It forever annihilates the claims which 
 are put forth in behalf of the earth, the land of 
 Canaan, or the church, as the sanctuary. For the 
 arguments which would prove them to be the 
 sanctuary at any time would prove them to be 
 such under the old dispensation. If Canaan was 
 at any time the sanctuary, it was such when Israel 
 was planted in it. If the church was ever the sanct- 
 uary, it was such when Israel was led forth 
 from Egypt. If the earth was ever the sanct- 
 uary, it was such during the period of which 
 we speak. To this period the arguments urged in 
 their favor apply as fully as to any other period ; 
 and if they were not the sanctuary during this 
 time, then all the arguments are destroyed which 
 would show that they ever were, or ever could be, 
 the sanctuary. But were they the sanctuary dur- 
 ing that time ? This is a final question for these 
 theories; and Paul decides it in the negative by 
 describing to us the tabernacle of Moses, and tell- 
 ing us that that, not the earth, nor Canaan, nor 
 the church, was the sanctuary of that dispensation! 
 
 And this building meets all the requirements of 
 the true sanctuary. 1. It was the earthly dwelling- 
 place of God. " Let them make me a sanctuary," 
 said he to Moses, "that I may dwell among them." 
 Ex. 25 : 8. In this tabernacle, which they erected 
 according to his instructions, he manifested his 
 presence. 2. It was a holy or sacred place : " The 
 holy sanctuary." Lev. 16:33. 3. It is over and 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 25, 
 
 over again called the sanctuary, in the word of God. 
 Of the one hundred and forty instances in which 
 the word is used in the Old Testament, it refers in 
 almost every case to this building. 
 
 The tabernacle was at first constructed in such a 
 manner as to be adapted to the condition of the 
 children of Israel at that time. They were just 
 entering upon their forty years' wandering in the 
 wilderness, when this building was set up in their 
 midst as the habitation of God and the center of 
 their religious worship. Journeying was a neces- 
 sity, and removals were frequent. It would be 
 necessary that the tabernacle should often be 
 moved from place to place. It was, therefore, so 
 fashioned of movable parts, the sides being com- 
 posed of upright boards, and the covering consist- 
 ing of curtains of linen and dyed skins, that it 
 could be readily taken down, conveniently trans- 
 ported, and easily erected at each successive stage 
 of their journey. After entering the promised land, 
 this temporary structure in time gave place to the 
 magnificent temple of Solomon. In this more per- 
 manent form it existed, saving only the time it lay 
 in ruins in Daniel's day, till its final destruction by 
 the Romans, in A. D. 70. 
 
 This is the only sanctuary connected with the 
 earth, about which the Bible gives us any instruc- 
 tion, or history any record. But is there nowhere 
 any other ? This was the sanctuary of the first 
 covenant ; with that covenant it came to an end ; 
 is there no sanctuary which pertains to the second 
 
222 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 or new covenant ? There must be ; otherwise there 
 is no analogy between these covenants ; and in this 
 case, the first covenant had a system of worship, 
 which, though minutely described, is unintelligible, 
 and the second covenant has a system of worship 
 which is indefinite and obscure. And Paul virtu- 
 ally asserts that the new cove nant, in force since 
 the death of Christ the testator, has a sanctuary ; 
 for when, in contrasting the two covenants, as he 
 does in the book of Hebrews, he says in chapter 
 1) : 1, that the first covenant " had also ordinances 
 of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary," it is 
 the same as saying that the new covenant has like- 
 wise its services and its sanctuary. Furthermore, 
 in verse 8 of this chapter, he speaks of the worldly 
 sanctuary as the first tabernacle. If that was the 
 first, there must be a second ; and as the first tab- 
 ernacle existed so long as the first covenant was in 
 force, when that covenant came to an end, the sec- 
 ond tabernacle must have taken the place of the 
 first, and must be the sanctuary of the new cove- 
 nant. There can be no evading this conclusion. 
 
 Where, then, shall we look for the sanctuary of 
 the new covenant ? Paul, by the use of the word 
 also, in verse 1 of Hebrews 9, intimates that he 
 had before spoken of this sanctuary. We turn 
 back to the beginning of the previous chapter and 
 find him summing up his foregoing arguments as 
 follows : " Now of the things which we have spo- 
 ken this is the sum : We have such an High Priest, 
 who is set on the right hand of the throne of the 
 
CHAPTER nil, VEM&EX.13, 14, 953 
 
 Majesty in the Heavens ; a minister of the sanct- 
 uary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord 
 pitched, and not man." Can there be any doubt 
 that we here have the sanctuary of the new cove- 
 nant ? A plain allusion is here made to the sanct- 
 uary of the first covenant. That was pitched by 
 man, erected by Moses ; this was pitched by the 
 Lord, not by man. That was the place where the 
 earthly priests performed their ministry ; this is 
 the place where Christ, the High Priest of the new 
 covenant, performs his ministry. That was on 
 earth ; this is in Heaven. That was very properly 
 therefore called by Paul a worldly sanctuary ; this 
 is a heavenly. 
 
 This view is further sustained by the fact that 
 the sanctuary built by Moses, was not an original 
 structure, but was built after a pattern. The great 
 original existed somewhere else ; what Moses con- 
 structed was but a type or model. Listen to the 
 directions the Lord gave him on this point: "Ac- 
 cording to all that I show thee, after the pattern of 
 the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instru- 
 ments thereof, even so shall ye make it." Ex. 
 25 : 9. " And look that thou make them after their 
 pattern, which was showed thee in the mount." 
 Verse 40. To the same end see Ex. 26 : 30 ; 27 : 8; 
 Acts 7 : 44. 
 
 Now of what was the earthly sanctuary a type 
 or figure ? Answer. Of the sanctuary of the new 
 covenant, the "true tabernacle, which the Lord 
 pitched, and not man." The relation which the 
 
224 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 first covenant sustains to the second throughout, is 
 that of type to antitype. Its sacrifices were types 
 of the greater sacrifice of this dispensation; its 
 priests were types of our Lord, in his more perfect 
 priesthood ; their ministry was performed unto the 
 shadow and example of the ministry of our High 
 Priest above ; and the sanctuary, where they min- 
 istered, was a type or figure of the true sanctuary 
 in Heaven where our Lord performs his ministry. 
 
 All these facts are plainly stated by Paul in a 
 few verses to the Hebrews. Chapter 8 : 4, 5 : " For 
 if he [Christ] were on earth, he should not be a 
 priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts 
 according to the law ; who serve unto the example 
 and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was ad- 
 monished of God when he was about to make the 
 tabernacle; for, See, saith he ; that thou make all 
 things according to the pattern showed to thee in 
 the mount." This testimony shows that the min- 
 istry of the earthly priests was a shadow of Christ's 
 priesthood; and the evidence Paul brings forward 
 to prove it, is the direction which God gave to 
 Moses to make the tabernacle according to the pat- 
 tern showed him in the mount. This clearly iden- 
 tifies the pattern showed to Moses in the mount, 
 with the sanctuary or true tabernacle in Heaven, 
 where our Lord ministers, mentioned three verses 
 before. 
 
 In chapter 9 : 8, 9, Paul further says : "The Holy 
 Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest 
 of all [Greek, holy places, plural] was not yet made 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES IS, 14. 225 
 
 manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet 
 standing; which was a figure for the time then 
 present," etc. While the first tabernacle stood, and 
 the first covenant was in force, the ministration of 
 the more perfect tabernacle, and the work of the new 
 covenant, was not of course carried forward. But 
 when Christ came an high priest of good things to 
 come, when the first tabernacle had served its pur- 
 pose, and the first covenant had ceased, then Christ, 
 raised to the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens 
 as a minister of the true sanctuary, entered by his 
 own blood, says verse 12, "into the holy place 
 [where also the Greek has the plural, the holy 
 places] having obtained eternal redemption for us." 
 Of these heavenly holy places, therefore, the first 
 tabernacle was a figure for the tune then present. 
 If any further testimony is needed, he speaks, in 
 verse 22, of the earthly tabernacle, with its apart- 
 ments and instruments, as patterns of things in the 
 Heavens ; and in verse 23, he calls the holy places 
 made with hands, that is, the earthly tabernacle 
 erected by Moses, figures of the true. 
 
 This view is still further corroborated by the tes- 
 timony of John. Among the things which he was 
 permitted to behold in Heaven, he saw seven lamps 
 of fire burning before the throne, Rev. 4:5; he saw 
 an altar of incense, and a golden censer, chapter 8 : 
 3 ; he saw the ark of God's testament, chapter 11 : 
 19 ; and all this in connection with a temple in 
 Heaven ; chapter 11 : 19 ; 15 : 8. These objects 
 every Bible reader must at once recognize as imple- 
 
 15 
 
226 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 ments of the sanctuary. They owed their existence 
 to the sanctuary, and were confined to it, to be em- 
 ployed in the ministration connected therewith. As 
 without the sanctuary, they had not existed, so 
 wherever we find these, we may know that there is 
 the sanctuary ; and hence the fact that John saw 
 these things in Heaven in this dispensation, is proof 
 that there is a sanctuary there, and that he was per- 
 mitted to behold it. 
 
 However reluctant a person may have been to 
 acknowledge that there is a sanctuary in Heaven, 
 the testimony that has been presented is certainly 
 sufficient to prove this fact. Paul says that the tab- 
 ernacle of Moses was the sanctuary of the first cov- 
 enant. Moses says that God showed him in the 
 mount a pattern, according to which he was to make 
 this tabernacle. Paul testifies again that Moses did 
 make it according to the pattern, and that the pat- 
 tern was the true tabernacle in Heaven which the 
 Lord pitched, and not man ; and that of this heav- 
 enly sanctuary, the tabernacle erected with hands 
 was a true figure or representation. And finally 
 John, to corroborate the statement of Paul that this 
 sanctuary is hi 'Heaven, bears testimony, as an eye- 
 witness, that he beheld it there. What further tes- 
 timony could be required ? Nay, more, what further 
 is conceivable ? 
 
 So far as the question as to what constitutes the 
 sanctuary, is concerned, we now have the subject 
 before us in one harmonious whole. The sanctuary 
 of the Bible mark it all, dispute it who can con- 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 13, 1 227 
 
 sists, first, of the typical tabernacle established with 
 the Hebrews at the exode from Egypt, which was 
 the sanctuary of the first covenant ; and secondly, 
 of the true tabernacle in Heaven of which the for- 
 mer was a type or figure, which is the sanctuary of 
 the new covenant. These are inseparably connected 
 together as type and antitype. From the antitype 
 we go back to the type, and from the type we are 
 carried forward naturally and inevitably to the 
 antitype. 
 
 We have said that Daniel would at once under- 
 stand by the word sanctuary, the sanctuary of his 
 people at Jerusalem ; so would any one under that 
 dispensation. But does the declaration of Daniel 
 8 : 14, have reference to that sanctuary? That de- 
 pends upon the time to which it applies. Whatever 
 declarations respecting the sanctuary apply under 
 the old dispensation, they have respect to the sanct- 
 uary of that time ; and whatever declarations ap- 
 ply in this dispensation, they have reference to the 
 sanctuary of this dispensation. If the 2300 days, 
 at the termination of which the sanctuary is to be 
 cleansed, ended in the former dispensation, the 
 sanctuary to be cleansed w r as the sanctuary of that 
 time. If they reach over into this dispensation, the 
 sanctuary to which reference is made, is the sanctu- 
 ary of this time. This is a point which can only 
 be determined by a further argument on the 2300 
 days. What we have thus far said respecting the 
 sanctuary has been only incidental to the main 
 question in the prophecy. That question has re- 
 
228 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 spect to its cleansing. Unto 2SOO days, then shall 
 the sanctuary be cleansed. But it was necessary 
 first to determine what constituted the sanctuary 
 before we could understandingly examine the ques- 
 tion of its cleansing. For this we are now pre- 
 pared. 
 
 Having learned what constitutes the sanctuary } 
 the question of its cleansing and how it is accom- 
 plished, is soon decided. It has been noticed that 
 whatever constitutes the sanctuary of the Bible, 
 must have some service connected with it which is 
 called its cleansing. There is no account in the Bi- 
 ble of any such work as pertaining to this earth, 
 the land of Canaan, or the church ; which is good 
 evidence that none of these objects constitutes 
 the sanctuary; there is such a service connected 
 with the object which we have shown to be the 
 sanctuary, and which in reference to both the 
 earthly building, and the heavenly temple, is called 
 its cleansing. 
 
 Does the reader object to the idea of there being 
 anything in Heaven which is to be cleansed ? Is 
 this a barrier in the way of his receiving the view 
 here presented ? Then his controversy is with 
 Paul, who positively affirms this fact. But before 
 he decides against the apostle, we ask the objector 
 to examine carefully in reference to the nature of 
 this cleansing, as he is here undoubtedly laboring 
 under an utter misapprehension. The following- 
 are the plain terms in which Paul affirms the cleans- 
 ing of both the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary : 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 13, 14, 
 
 229 
 
 " And almost all things are by the law purged with 
 blood ; and without shedding of blood is no remis- 
 sion. It was therefore necessary that the patterns 
 of things in the Heavens should be purified with 
 these ; but the heavenly things themselves with bet- 
 ter sacrifices than these." Heb. 9 : 22, 23. In the 
 light of foregoing arguments, this may be para- 
 phrased thus : " It was therefore necessary that the 
 tabernacle, as erected by Moses, with its sacred ves- 
 sels, which were patterns of the true sanctuary in 
 Heaven, should be purified, or cleansed, with the 
 blood of calves and goats ; but the heavenly things 
 themselves, the true tabernacle which the Lord 
 pitched, and not man, must be cleansed with better 
 sacrifices, even with the blood of Christ." 
 
 We now inquire, What is the nature of this 
 cleansing, and how is it* to be accomplished ? Ac- 
 cording to the language of Paul, just quoted, it is 
 performed by means of blood. The cleansing is not 
 therefore, a cleansing from physical unclean ness or 
 impurity ; for blood is not the agent used in such a 
 work. And this consideration should satisfy the 
 objector's mind in regard to the cleansing of the heav- 
 enly things. The fact that Paul speaks of heavenly 
 things to be cleansed, does not prove that there is 
 any physical impurity in Heaven ; for that is not 
 the kind of cleansing of which he speaks. The 
 reason Paul assigns why this cleansing is performed 
 with blood, is because without the shedding of blood 
 there is no remission. Remission, then, that is, the 
 putting away of sin, is the work to be done. The 
 
230 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 cleansing, therefore, is not physical cleansing, but a 
 cleansing from sin. But how came sins attached to 
 the sanctuary, either the earthly or the heavenly ? 
 This can be ascertained from the ministration con- 
 nected with the type, to which we now turn. 
 
 The closing chapters of Exodus give us an account 
 of the construction of the earthly sanctuary, and 
 the arrangement of the service connected therewith. 
 Leviticus opens with an account of the ministration, 
 which was there to be performed. All that is to our 
 purpose to notice here, is one particular branch of 
 the service, which was performed as follows : The 
 person who had committed sin, brought his victim 
 to the door of the tabernacle. Upon the head of this 
 victim, for a moment, he placed his hand, and, as we 
 may reasonably infer, confessed over him his sin. 
 By this expressive act, he signified that he had 
 sinned and was worthy of death, but that in his 
 stead he consecrated his victim, and transferred his 
 guilt to it. With his own hand (and what must 
 have been his emotions ?) he then took the life of 
 his victim on account of that guilt. The law de- 
 manded the life of the transgressor for his disobe- 
 dience ; the life is in the blood ; Lev. 17 : 11, 14 ; 
 hence, without the shedding of blood there is no re- 
 mission ; with the shedding of blood, remission is 
 possible ; for the law demanded life, and its de- 
 mand is satisfied. The blood of the victim, repre- 
 sentative of a forfeited life, and the vehicle of its 
 guilt, was then taken by the priest and ministered 
 before the Lord. 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 13, 14* 231 
 
 The sin ot the individual was thus, by his con- 
 fession, by the slaying of the victim and the minis- 
 try of the priest, transferred from himself to the 
 sanctuary. Victim after victim was thus offered 
 by the people; day by day the work went for- 
 ward ; and thus the sanctuary continually became 
 the receptacle of the sins of the congregation. But 
 this was not the final disposition of these sins. 
 This accumulation of guilt was removed by a spe- 
 cial service which was called the cleansing of the 
 sanctuary. This service in the type occupied one 
 day in the year ; and the tenth day of the seventh 
 month on which it was performed, was called the 
 day of atonement. On this day, while all Israel 
 refrained from work, and afflicted their souls, the 
 priest brought two goats and presented them be- 
 fore the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the 
 congregation. On these goats he cast lots ; one lot 
 for the Lord, and the other lot for the scape-goat. 
 The one upon which the Lord's lot fell, was then 
 slain, and his blood was carried by the priest into 
 the most holy place of the sanctuary, and sprinkled 
 upon the mercy-seat. And this was the only day 
 on which he was permitted to enter into that 
 apartment. Coming forth, he was then to lay 
 both his hands upon the head of the scape-goat, 
 confess over him all the iniquities of the children 
 of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their 
 sins, and, thus putting them upon his head, Lev. 16 : 
 21, he was to send him away by the hand of a fit 
 man into a land not inhabited, a land of separation 
 
232 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 or forge tfulness, the goat never again to appear in 
 the camp of Israel, and the sins of the people to 
 be remembered against them no more. This serv- 
 ice was for the purpose of cleansing the people from 
 their sins, and cleansing the sanctuary and its 
 sacred vessels. Lev. 16:30,33. By this process, 
 sin was removed, but only in figure; for all that 
 work was typical. 
 
 The reader to whom these views are new will 
 be ready here to inquire, perhaps with some aston- 
 ishment, what this strange work could possibly be 
 designed to typify ; what there is in this dispensa- 
 tion, which it was designed to prefigure. We an- 
 swer, A work in the ministration of Christ, as Paul 
 clearly teaches. After stating, in Hebrews 8, that 
 Christ is the minister of the true tabernacle, the 
 sanctuary in Heaven, he states that the priests on 
 earth served unto the example and shadow of 
 heavenly things. In other words, the work of the 
 earthly priests was a shadow, an example, a correct 
 representation, so far as it could be carried out by 
 mortals, of the ministration of Christ above. These 
 priests ministered in both apartments of the earthly 
 tabernacle ; Christ therefore ministers in both apart- 
 ments of the heavenly temple ; for that temple has 
 two apartments, or it was not correctly represented 
 by the earthly, and our Lord officiates in both, or 
 the service of the priest on earth was not a correct 
 shadow of his work. But Paul directly states that 
 he ministers in both apartments ; for he says that 
 he has entered into the holy place (Greek, plural, 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES IS, 14- 233 
 
 holy places) by his own blood. Heb. 9:12. There 
 is, therefore, a work performed by Christ in his 
 ministry in the heavenly temple, corresponding to 
 that performed by the priests in both apartments 
 of the earthly building. But the work in the sec- 
 ond apartment, or most holy place, was a special 
 work, to close the yearly round of service, and 
 cleanse the sanctuary. Therefore Christ's minis- 
 tration in the second apartment of the heavenly 
 sanctuary must be a work of like nature, and con- 
 stitute the cleansing of that sanctuary. 
 
 As through the sacrifices of the former dispensa- 
 tion the sins of the people were transferred in fig- 
 ure by the priests to the earthly sanctuary, where 
 those priests ministered; so, ever since Christ as- 
 cended to be our intercessor in the presence of his 
 Father, the sins of all those who legitimately seek 
 pardon through him, are transferred, in fact, to the 
 heavenly sanctuary where he ministers. Whether 
 Christ ministers for us in the heavenly holy places 
 with his own blood literally, or only by virtue of 
 its merits, we need not stop to inquire. Suffice it 
 to say, that his blood has been shed, and through 
 that blood we have remission of sins in fact, which 
 was obtained only in figure through the blood of 
 calves and goats. But those sacrifices had real 
 virtue in this respect : they signified faith in a real 
 sacrifice to come ; and thus those who employed 
 them have an equal interest in the work of Christ, 
 with those who come to him by faith in this dis- 
 pensation. 
 
234 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 This continual transfer of sins to the heavenly 
 sanctuary (and if they are not thus transferred, 
 will any one in the light of the types, and in view 
 of the language of Paul, explain the nature of the 
 work of Christ in our behalf ?) this continual 
 transfer, we say, of sins to the heavenly sanctuary, 
 makes its cleansing necessary on the same ground 
 that a like work was required in the earthly sanct- 
 uary. 
 
 An important distinction between the two min- 
 istrations must here be noticed: In the earthly 
 tabernacle, a complete round of service was accom- 
 plished every year. For three hundred and fifty- 
 nine days, in their ordinary years, the ministration 
 went forward in the first apartment. One day's 
 work in the mpst holy, completed the yearly round. 
 The work then commenced again in the holy place, 
 and went forward till another day of atonement 
 completed the year's work. And so on, yeai* by 
 year. This continual repetition of the work was 
 necessary on account of the short lives of mortal 
 priests. But no such necessity exists in the case 
 of our divine Lord, who ever liveth to make in- 
 tercession for us. See Heb. 7 : 23-25. Hence the 
 work of the heavenly sanctuary, instead of being 
 a yearly work, is performed once for all. Instead 
 of being repeated year by year, one grand cycle 
 is allotted to it, in which it is carried forward, and 
 finished, never to be repeated. 
 
 One year's round of service, in the earthly sanct- 
 uary, represented the entire work of the sanctuary 
 
CHAl'TER VIII, VERSES IS, 14. 235 
 
 above. In the type, the cleansing of the sanctuary 
 was the brief and closing work of the year's serv- 
 ice. In the antitype, the cleansing of the sanct- 
 uary must be the closing work of Christ, our grea-t 
 High Priest, in the tabernacle on high. In the 
 type, to cleanse the sanctuary the high priest en- 
 tered into the most holy place to minister in the 
 presence of God before the ark of his testament. 
 In the antitype, when the time comes for the 
 cleansing of the sanctuary, our High Priest, in like 
 manner enters into the most holy place to make a 
 final end of his intercessory work in behalf of man- 
 kind. We confidently affirm that no other conclu- 
 sion can be arrived at on this subject, without do- 
 ing despite to the holy word of God. 
 
 Reader, do you see the importance of this sub- 
 ject? Do you begin to perceive what an object of 
 interest for all the world is the sanctuary of God ? 
 Do you see that the whole work of salvation cen- 
 ters there ; and that when the work is done, proba- 
 tion is ended, and the cases of the saved and lost 
 are eternally decided ? Do you see that the cleans- 
 ing of the sanctuary is a brief and special work by 
 which the great scheme is forever finished ? Do 
 you see that if it can be made known when this 
 work of cleansing commences, it is a solemn an- 
 nouncement to the world that salvation's last hour 
 is reached, and is fast hastening to its close ? And 
 this is what the prophecy is designed to show. It 
 is to make known the commencement of this mo- 
 mentous work: "Unto two thousand three hun- 
 dred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." 
 
236 
 
 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 In advance of any argument on the nature and 
 application of these days, the position may be 
 safely taken that they reach to the cleansing of 
 the heavenly sanctuary, for the earthly was to be 
 cleansed each year ; and we make the prophet ut- 
 ter nonsense, if we understand hirn as saying that 
 at the end of 2300 days, a period of time over six 
 years in length, even if we take them literally, an 
 event should take place which was to occur regu- 
 larly every year. It is the heavenly sanctuary in 
 which the decision of all cases is to be rendered. 
 The progress of the work there, is what especially 
 concerns mankind to know. If people understood 
 the bearing of these subjects on their eternal inter- 
 ests, with what earnestness and anxiety would 
 they give them their most careful and prayerful 
 study. See on verse 20 and onward, of chapter 9, 
 an argument on the 2300 days, at the end of which 
 this sanctuary is to be cleansed. 
 
 VERSE 15. And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, 
 had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, be- 
 hold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 
 16. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, 
 which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to under- 
 stand the vision. 
 
 We now enter upon an interpretation of the vis- 
 ion. And first of all we have mention of Daniel's 
 solicitude, and his efforts to understand these things. 
 He sought for the meaning. Those who have had 
 most experience in reference to prophetic subjects, 
 are not the ones who are unconcerned in such mat- 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VEMSES 16, 16. 237 
 
 ters. They only can tread with indifference over a 
 mine of gold, who do not know that a bed of the 
 precious metal lies beneath their feet. Immedi- 
 ately there stood before the prophet as the appear- 
 ance of a man. It does not say it was a man, as 
 some would fain have us think, who wish to prove 
 that angels are dead men, and who resort to such 
 texts as this for their evidence. It says, The ap- 
 pearance of a man ; from which we are evidently 
 to understand an angel in human form. And he 
 heard a man's voice ; that is, the voice of an angel, 
 as of a man, speaking. The commandment given 
 was, to make this man, Daniel, understand the vis- 
 ion. It was addressed to Gabriel, a name that sig- 
 nifies, " the mighty one." He continues his instruc- 
 tion to Daniel in chapter 9 ; and under the new dis- 
 pensation, he was commissioned to announce the 
 birth of John the Baptist to his father, Zacharias, 
 Luke 1:11 ; and that of the Messiah to the virgin 
 Mary, verse 26. To Zacharias, he introduced him- 
 self with these words : " I am Gabriel that stand in 
 the presence of God." From this it appears that 
 he was an angel of a high order and superior dig- 
 nity ; but the one who addressed him was evidently 
 above him in rank, and had power to command 
 and control his actions. This was probably no 
 other than the archangel Michael, or Christ, be- 
 tween whom and Gabriel, alone, a knowledge of 
 the matters communicated to Daniel existed. See 
 chapter 10 : 21. 
 
 VERSE 17. So he came near where I stood ; and when he 
 
238 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face ; but he said unto 
 me, Understand, O son of man ; for at the time of the end 
 shall be the vision. 18. Now as he was speaking with me, 
 1 was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground ; but he 
 touched me, and set me upright. 19. And he said, Behold, 
 I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the 
 indignation ; for at the time appointed the end shall be. 
 
 Under similar circumstances to the ones here 
 narrated, John fell down before the feet of an an- 
 gel ; f but it was for the purpose of worship ; Rev. 
 19:10; 22:8. Daniel seems to have been com- 
 pletely overcome by the majesty of the heavenly 
 messenger. He prostrated himself with his face to 
 the ground, probably as though in a deep sleep, but 
 not really so. Sorrow, it is true, caused the disci- 
 ples to sleep ; but fear, as in this case, would hardly 
 seem to have that effect. The angel gently laid his 
 hand upon him to give him assurance (how many 
 times have mortals been told by heavenly beings to 
 "fear not"!), and from his helpless and prostrate 
 condition set him upright. With a general state- 
 ment that at the time appointed the end shall be, 
 and that he will make him know what shall be in 
 the last end of the indignation, he enters upon an 
 interpretation of the vision. We understand that 
 the indignation covers a period of time. What 
 time? God told his people Israel that he would 
 pour upon them his indignation for their wicked- 
 ness ; and thus he gave directions concerning the 
 " profane wicked prince of Israel : " " Remove the 
 diadem, and take off the crown. ... I will over- 
 turn, overturn, overturn it : and it shall be no more, 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 20-22, 239 
 
 until he come whose right it is ; and I will give it 
 him." Eze. 21:25-27,31. 
 
 Here is the period of God's indignation against his 
 covenant people ; the period during which the sanct- 
 uary and host are to be trodden under foot. The 
 diadem was removed, and the crown taken off, when 
 Israel was subjected to the kingdom of Babylon. It 
 was overturned again by the Medes and Persians, 
 again by the Grecians, again by the Romans, corre- 
 sponding to the three times the word is repeated by 
 the prophet. The Jews then having rejected Christ, 
 were soon scattered abroad over the face of the 
 earth; and spiritual Israel has taken the place of 
 the literal seed ; but they are in subjection to earthly 
 powers, and will be till the throne of David is again 
 set up, till He who is its rightful heir, the Messiah, 
 the Prince of peace, shall come ; and then it will be 
 given him. Then the indignation will have ceased. 
 What shall take place in the last end of this period, 
 the angel is to make known to Daniel. 
 
 VERSE 20. The ram which thou sawest having two horns 
 are the kings of Media and Persia. 21. And the rough 
 goat is the king of Grecia ; and the great horn that is be- 
 tween Ms eyes is the first king. 22. Now that being broken, 
 whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up 
 out of the nation, but not in his power. 
 
 As the disciples said to the Lord, so we may here 
 say of the angel who spake to Daniel, Lo, now 
 speakest thou plainly, and speakest no parable. 
 This is an explanation of the vision in language as 
 plain as need be given. See on verses 3-8. The 
 
240 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 distinguishing feature of the Persian Empire, the 
 union of the two nationalities which composed it, is 
 represented by the two horns of the ram. Grecia 
 attained its greatest glory, as a unit, under the lead- 
 ership of perhaps as vile a man and as great a king 
 as the world has ever seen. This part of her history 
 is represented by the first phase of the goat, the one 
 notable horn, symbolizing Alexander the Great. 
 Upon his death, the kingdom fell into fragments, 
 but almost immediately consolidated into four grand 
 divisions, represented by the second phase of the 
 goat, the four horns, which came up in the place of 
 the first which was broken. These divisions did not 
 stand in his power. None of them possessed the 
 strength of the original kingdom. These great 
 waymarks in history, on which the historian bestows 
 volumes, the inspired penman here gives us in sharp 
 outline, with a few strokes of the pencil and a few 
 dashes of the pen. 
 
 VERSE 23. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when 
 the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce coun- 
 tenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 
 24. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own 
 power ; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, 
 and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy 
 people. 25. And through his policy also he shall cause 
 craft to prosper in his hand ; and he shall magnify himself 
 in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many ; he shall also 
 stand up against the Prince of princes ; but he shall be 
 broken without hand. 
 
 This power succeeds to the four divisions of the 
 goat kingdom in the latter time of their kingdom, 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 23-25. 24] 
 
 that is, toward the termination of their career. It 
 is, of course, the same as the little horn of verse 9, 
 and onward. Apply it to Rome, as set forth in re- 
 marks on verse 9, and all is harmonious and clear. 
 A king of fierce countenance. Moses, in predicting 
 punishment to come upon the Jews from this same 
 power, rails it "a nation- of fierce countenance." 
 Deut. 28 :4I), oO. No people made a more formid- 
 able appearance in warlike array than the Romans. 
 " Understanding dark sentences." Moses, in the 
 scripture j list referred to, says, " Whose tongue thou 
 shalt not understand." This could not be said of the 
 Babylonians, Persians, or Greeks, in reference to the 
 Jews ; for the Chaldean and Greek languages were 
 used to a greater or less extent in Palestine. This 
 was not the case, however, with the Latin. 
 
 " When the transgressors are come to the full." 
 All along, the connection between God's people and 
 their oppressors is kept in view. It was on account 
 of the transgressions of his people that they were 
 sold into captivity. And their continuance in sin 
 brought more and more severe punishment. At no 
 time were the Jews more corrupt, morally, as a na- 
 tion, than at the time they came under the jurisdic- 
 tion of the Romans. 
 
 " Mighty, but not by his own power." The suc- 
 cess of the Romans was owing largely to the aid of 
 their allies, and divisions among their enemies, of 
 which they were ever ready to take advantage. 
 " He shall destroy wonderfully." The Lord told the 
 Jews by the prophet Ezekiel that he would deliver 
 
 16 
 
242 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 them to men who were " skillful to destroy." How 
 full of moaning is such a description, and how ap- 
 plicable to the Romans ! In taking Jerusalem, they 
 slew eleven hundred thousand Jews, and made 
 ninety-seven thousand captives. So wonderfully did 
 they destroy this once mighty and holy people. 
 
 And what they could not accomplish by force, 
 they secured by artifice. Their flatteries, fraud, and 
 corruption, were as fatal as their thunderbolts of 
 war. And Rome, finally, in the person of one of its 
 governors, stood up against the JPrince of princes, by 
 giving sentence of death against Jesus Christ. But 
 it shall be broken without hand ; an expression 
 which identifies the destruction of this power with 
 the smiting of the image of chapter 2. 
 
 VERSE 26. And the vision of the evening and the morning 
 which was told is true ; wherefore shut thou up the vision ; 
 for it shall be for many days. 27. And I Daniel fainted, 
 and was sick certain days ; afterward I rose up, and did the 
 king's business ; and I was astonished at the vision, but 
 none understood it. 
 
 The vision of the evening and the morning, the 
 2300 days. In view of the long period of oppres- 
 sion, and the calamities which were to come upon 
 his people, Daniel fainted and was sick certain days. 
 He was astonished at the vision, but did not under- 
 stand it. Why did not Gabriel at this time carry 
 out fully his instructions, and cause Daniel to under- 
 stand the vision ? Because Daniel had received all 
 that he could then bear. Further instruction is 
 therefore deferred to a future time. 
 
IX. 
 
 THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 
 
 VEESE 1. In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasue- 
 rus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the 
 realm of the Chaldeans ; 2 ; In the first year of his reign, I 
 Daniel understood by books the number of the years, where- 
 of the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that 
 he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Je- 
 rusalem. 
 
 The vision recorded in the preceding chapter was 
 given in the third year of Belshazzar, B. c. 553. 
 The events narrated in this chapter occurred in the 
 first year of Darius, B. c. 538. A period of fifteen 
 years is consequently passed over between these two 
 chapters. Although Daniel was cumbered with 
 cares and burdens, as prime minister of the fore- 
 most kingdom on the face of the earth, he did not 
 let this deprive him of the privilege of studying 
 into things of higher moment, even the purposes of 
 God, as revealed to his prophets. He understood 
 by the books, that is, the writings of Jeremiah, that 
 God would accomplish seventy years in the captiv- 
 ity of his people. This prediction is found in Jer. 
 25 : 12 ; 29 : 10. The knowledge of it, and the use 
 that was made of it, shows that Jeremiah was early 
 regarded as a divinely-inspired prophet ; otherwise 
 
 (243) 
 
244 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 his writings would not have been so soon collected, 
 and so extensively copied. Though Daniel was for 
 a time contemporary with him, he had a copy of his 
 works which he carried with him in his captivity ; 
 and though he was so great a prophet himself, he 
 was not above studying carefully what God might 
 reveal to others of his servants. Commencing the 
 seventy years B. c. 606, Daniel understood that they 
 were now drawing to a termination ; and God had 
 even commenced the fulfillment by overthrowing 
 the kingdom of Babylon. 
 
 VERSE 3. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek 
 by prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and 
 ashes. 
 
 Because God has promised, we are not released 
 from the responsibility of beseeching him for the 
 fulfillment of his word. Daniel might have rea- 
 soned in this manner: God has promised to release 
 his people at the end of the seventy years ; and he 
 will accomplish it; I need not, therefore, concern 
 myself at all in the matter. Daniel did not thus 
 reason ; but as the time drew near for the accom- 
 plishment of the word of the Lord, he set himself 
 to seek the Lord with all his heart. And how ear- 
 nestly he engaged in the work, even with fasting, 
 and sackcloth, and ashes! This was the year, prob- 
 ably, in which he was cast into the lion's den ; and 
 the prayer of which we here have an account, may 
 have been the burden of that petition which, regard- 
 less of human laws to the contrary, he offered before 
 the Lord three times a day. 
 
CHAPTER IX, VEftSES 4-14, 24-") 
 
 VERSE 4. And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made 
 my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful 
 God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, 
 and to them that keep his commandments. 
 
 We here have the opening of Daniel's wonderful 
 prayer a prayer expressing such humiliation and 
 contrition of heart, tha.t he must be without feeling 
 who can read it unmoved. He commences by ac- 
 knowledging the faithfulness of God. God never 
 fails in any of his engagements with his followers. 
 It was not from any lack on God's part in defend- 
 ing and upholding them, that the Jews were then 
 in the furnace of captivity, but only on account of 
 their sins. 
 
 VERSE 5. We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, 
 and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by depart- 
 ing from thy precepts and from thy judgments. 6. Neither 
 have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which 
 spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, 
 and to all the people of the land. 7. O Lord, righteousness 
 belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this 
 day ; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusa- 
 lem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, 
 through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, be- 
 cause of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. 
 8. O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, 
 to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned 
 against thee. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and 
 forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him ; 10 ; 
 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to 
 walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the 
 prophets. 11. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, 
 even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice ; 
 therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is 
 
246 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we 
 have sinned against him. 12. And he hath confirmed his 
 words, which he spake against us, and against our judges 
 that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil ; for under 
 the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done up- 
 on Jerusalem. 13. As it is written in the law of Moses, all 
 this evil is come upon us ; yet made we not our prayer be- 
 fore the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniqui- 
 ties, and understand thy truth. 14. Therefore hath the Lord 
 watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us ; for the Lord 
 our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth ; for we 
 obeyed not his voice. 
 
 So much of Daniel's prayer is employed in mak- 
 ing a full and heart-broken confession of sin. He 
 vindicates fully the course of the Lord, acknowl- 
 edging their sins to be the cause of all their calam- 
 ities, as God had threatened them by the prophet 
 Moses. And he does not discriminate in favor of 
 himself. No self-righteousness appears in his peti- 
 tion. And although he had suffered long for oth- 
 ers' sins, enduring seventy years of captivity for 
 the wrongs of his people, he meanwhile having 
 lived a godly life, arid received signal honors and 
 blessings from the Lord, brings no accusations 
 against any one to the exclusion of others, pleads 
 no sympathy for himself as a victim of others' 
 wrongs, but ranks himself in with the rest, and 
 says, We have sinned, and unto us belongs confu- 
 sion of face. And he acknowledges they had not 
 heeded the lessons God designed to teach them by 
 their afflictions, by turning again unto him. 
 
 An expression in the 14th verse is worthy of 
 especial notice : " Therefore hath the Lord watched 
 
CHAPTER /A', VEKSES 15-19. 247 
 
 upon the evil, and brought it upon us." Because 
 sentence against an evil work is not executed 
 speedily, therefore the hearts of the sons of men 
 are fully set in them to do evil. But none may 
 think that the Lord does not see, or that he has 
 forgotten. His retributions will surely overtake 
 the transgressor, against whom they are threatened, 
 without deviation, and without fail He will watch 
 upon the evil, and in his own good time will bring 
 it to pass. 
 
 VERSE 15. And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought 
 thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty 
 hand, arid hast gotten thee renown, as at this day ; we have 
 sinned, we have done wickedly. 16. O Lord, according 'to 
 all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and 
 thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy 
 mountain : because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our 
 fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to 
 all that are about us. 17. Now therefore, O our God, hear 
 the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause 
 thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the 
 Lord's sake. 18. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear ; 
 open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city 
 which is called by thy name : for we do not present our sup- 
 plications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy 
 great mercies. 19. O Lord, hear ; O Lord, forgive ; O Lord, 
 hearken and do ; defer not, for thine own sake, my God : 
 for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. 
 
 The prophet now pleads the honor of the. Lord's 
 name as a reason why he desires that his petition 
 should be granted. He refers to the fact of their 
 deliverance from Egypt, and the great renown that 
 had accrued to the Lord's name for all his wonder- 
 
THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 ful works manifested among them. All this would 
 be lost, should he now abandon them to perish. 
 Moses uses the same argument in pleading for 
 Israel. Num. 14. Not that God is moved with 
 motives of ambition and vain glory ; but when his 
 people are jealous for the honor of his name, when 
 they evince their love for him by pleading with 
 him to work, not for their own personal benefit, 
 but for his own glory that his name may not be 
 reproached and blasphemed among the heathen 
 this is acceptable with him. He then intercedes 
 for the city of Jerusalem called by his name, and 
 his holy mountain, to which he has had such love, 
 and beseeches him for his mercies' sake, to let his 
 anger be turned away. Finally, his mind centers 
 upon the holy sanctuary, God's own dwelling-place 
 upon this earth, and he pleads that its desolations 
 may be repaired. 
 
 Daniel understood the seventy years' captivity to 
 be near their termination. From his allusion to 
 the sanctuary, it is evident that he so far misun- 
 derstood the important vision given him fifteen 
 years before, as to suppose that the 2300 days, at 
 the termination of which the sanctuary was to be 
 cleansed, expired at the same time. This misap- 
 prehension was at once corrected, when the angel 
 came to give him further instruction in answer to 
 his prayer, the narration of which is next given. 
 
 VERSE 20. And while I was speaking, and praying, and 
 confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and pre- 
 senting iny supplication before the Lord my God for the holy 
 
VHAPTER IX, VEXSES 0, 22. 249 
 
 mountain of my God ; 21 ; yea, while I was speaking in 
 prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vis- 
 ion at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me 
 about the time of the evening oblation, 
 
 \Ve here have the result of Daniel's supplication. 
 He is suddenly interrupted by a heavenly messen- 
 ger. The man Gabriel, appearing again as he had 
 before, in the form of a man, whom Daniel had 
 seen in the vision at the beginning, touched him. 
 A very important question is here to be determined. 
 It is to be decided whether the vision of chapter 8 
 has ever been explained, and can ever be under- 
 stood. The question is, To what vision does Dan- 
 iel refer by the expression, " the vision at the be- 
 ginning ? " It will be conceded by all that it is a 
 vision of which we have some previous mention, 
 and that in that vision we shall find some mention 
 of Gabriel. We must go back beyond this ninth 
 chapter ; for all that we have in this chapter previ- 
 ous to this appearance of Gabriel is simply a record 
 of Daniel's prayer. Looking back, then, through 
 previous chapters, we find mention of only three 
 visions given to Daniel. 1. The interpretation of 
 the dream of Nebuchadnezzar was given in a night 
 vision. Chap. 2:19. But there is no record of any 
 angelic agency in the matter. 2. The vision of 
 chap. 7. This was explained to Daniel by " one of 
 them that stood by; probably an angel; but we 
 have no information as to what angel ; nor is there 
 anything in that vision which needed further ex- 
 planation. 3. The vision of chapter 8. Here we 
 
250 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 find some particulars which show this to be the vis- 
 ion referred to : 1. Gabriel is brought to view for 
 the first and only previous time in the book. 2. 
 He was commanded to make Daniel understand the 
 vision. 3. Daniel, at the conclusion, says he did 
 not understand it; showing that Gabriel, at the 
 conclusion of that chapter, had not fulfilled his 
 mission. 4. There is no place in all the Bible 
 where this instruction is carried out, if it be not in 
 chapter 9. If, therefore, the vision of chapter 8 is 
 not the one referred to, we have no record that 
 Gabriel ever complied with the instructions given 
 him, or that that vision has ever been explained. 5. 
 The instruction which the angel now gives to Dan- 
 iel, as we shall see from the following verses, does 
 exactly complete what was lacking in chapter 8. 
 These considerations prove beyond a doubt the con- 
 nection between Daniel 8 and 9 ; and this conclu- 
 sion will be still further strengthened when we come 
 to look at the angel's instructions. 
 
 VERSE 22. ,And he informed me, and talked with me, and 
 said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and 
 understanding. 23. At the beginning of thy supplications 
 the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee ; 
 for thou art greatly beloved ; therefore understand the mat- 
 ter, and consider the vision. 
 
 The manner in which Gabriel introduces himself 
 on this occasion, shows that he has come to complete 
 some unfulfilled mission. It can be nothing less 
 than to carry out the instruction to make this man 
 "understand the vision," as recorded in chapter 8. 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 22, US. 251 
 
 " I am now come forth to give thee skill and under- 
 standing." As the charge still rested upon him to 
 make Daniel, understand ; and as he explained to 
 Daniel hi chapter 8, all that he could then bear, and 
 yet he did not understand the vision, he now comes 
 to resume his work and complete his mission. As 
 soon as Daniel commenced his fervent supplication, 
 the commandment came forth ; that is, Gabriel re- 
 ceived instruction to visit Daniel and impart to him 
 the requisite information. From the time it takes 
 to read Daniel's prayer down to the point at which 
 Gabriel made his appearance upon the scene, the 
 reader can judge of the speed with which this mes- 
 senger was dispatched from the court of Heaven to 
 this servant of God. No wonder, Daniel says, that 
 he was caused to fly swiftly, or that Ezekiel com- 
 pares the movements of these celestial beings to a 
 flash of lightning. Eze. 1:14. "Understand the 
 matter," he says to him. What matter? That, 
 evidently, which he did not before understand, as 
 stated in the last verse of chapter 8. " Consider the 
 vision." What vision ? Not the interpretation of 
 Nebuchadnezzar's image, nor the vision of chapter 7 ; 
 for there was no difficulty with either of these ; but 
 the vision of chapter 8, in reference to which his 
 mind was filled with doubt and astonishment. "I 
 am come to show thee," also, said the angel. Show 
 thee in reference to what ? Certainly in reference 
 to something wherein he was entertaining wrong 
 ideas, and something, at the same time, pertaining to 
 his prayer ; as it was this which had called forth 
 Gabriel on his mission at this time. 
 
252 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 But Daniel had no difficulty in understanding 
 what the angel told him about the ram, he-goat, and 
 little horn, the kingdoms of Medo -Persia, Greece, 
 and Rome. Nor was he mistaken in regard to the 
 ending of the seventy years' captivity. But the 
 burden of his petition was respecting the repairing of 
 the desolations of the sanctuary, which lay in ruins ; 
 and he had undoubtedly drawn the conclusion that 
 when the end of the seventy years' captivity came, 
 the time would come for the fulfillment of what the 
 angel had said respecting the cleansing of the sanct- 
 uary at the end of the 2300 days. Now he must be 
 set right. And this explains why at this particular 
 time instruction should be sent him after a delay of 
 fifteen years. Now the seventy years' captivity 
 were drawing to their close, and Daniel was apply- 
 ing the instruction he had before received from the 
 angel, to a wrong issue. He was falling into a 
 misunderstanding, and was acting upon it ; hence 
 he must not be suffered longer to remain ignorant of 
 the true import of the former vision. " I am come 
 to show thee," "understand the matter," "consider 
 the vision." Such were the words used by the very 
 person Daniel had seen in the former vision, and to 
 whom he had heard the command given, " Make this 
 man to understand the vision," and who he knew 
 had never carried out that instruction. But now he 
 appears and says, "I am now come forth to give 
 thee skill and understanding." How could Daniel's 
 mind be more emphatically carried back to the vis- 
 ion of chapter 8, and how could the connection be- 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 22, 2S. 253 
 
 tween that visit of the angel and this, be more dis- 
 tinctly shown, than by such words from such a 
 person ? The considerations already presented are 
 sufficient to show conclusively the connection be- 
 tween Dan. 8 and 9 ; but this will still further ap- 
 pear, in subsequent verses. 
 
 One expression seems worthy of notice before we 
 leave verse 23. It is the declaration of the angel to 
 Daniel, " for thou art greatly beloved." The angel 
 brought this declaration direct from the courts of 
 Heaven. It expressed the state of feeling that ex- 
 isted there in regard to Daniel. Think of celestial 
 beings, the highest in the universe, the Father, the 
 Son, the holy angels, having such regard and es- 
 teem for a mortal man here upon earth, as to au- 
 thorize an angel to bear the message to him that he 
 was greatly beloved ! This is one of the highest 
 pinnacles of glory to which mortals can attain. 
 Abraham reached another, when it could be said of 
 him that he was the " friend of God." Enoch, an- 
 other, when it could be said of him that he "walked 
 with God." Can we arrive at any such attain- 
 ments ? God is no respecter of person ; but he is a 
 respecter of character. If in virtue and godliness 
 we could equal these eminent men, we could move 
 the divine love to equal depths. We, too, could be 
 greatly beloved, could be friends of God, and could 
 walk with him. And we must be in our generation 
 what they were in theirs. There is a figure used in 
 reference to the last church which denotes the closest 
 union with God. " If any man hear my voice, and 
 
254 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 open the door, I will come in to, him, and will sup 
 with him, and he with me." Rev. 3 : 20. To sup 
 with the Lord denotes an intimacy equal to being 
 greatly beloved by him, walking with him, or being 
 his friend. How desirable a position ! Alas for the 
 evils of our nature which cut us off from this com- 
 munion ! Oh ! for grace to overcome these, that we 
 may enjoy this spiritual union here and finally enter 
 the glories of his presence at the marriage supper of 
 the Lamb. 
 
 VER-SE 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy peo- 
 ple and upon thy holy city, .to finish the transgression, and 
 to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniq- 
 uity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal 
 up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. 
 
 Such are the first words the angel utters to Dan- 
 iel, toward imparting to him that instruction which 
 he came to give. Why does he thus abruptly in- 
 troduce a period of time ? We must again refer to 
 the vision of chapter 8. We have seen that Daniel 
 at the close of that chapter says that he did not un- 
 derstand the vision. Some portions of that vision 
 were at the time very clearly explained. It could 
 not have been these portions which he did not un- 
 derstand. We therefore inquire what it was which 
 Daniel did not understand, or, in other words, what 
 part of the vision was there left unexplained. In 
 that vision four prominent things are brought to 
 view. 1. The Ram. 2. The He-goat. 8. The 
 Little Horn. 4. The period of the 2300 days. 
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CHAP TEH IX, VERSE 24. 255 
 
 horn, were explained. Nothing, however, was said 
 respecting the time. This must therefore have 
 been the point which he did not understand. And 
 as without this the other portions of the vision were 
 of no avail, he could well say, while the application 
 of this period was left in obscurity, that he did not 
 understand the vision. 
 
 If this view of the subject is correct, we should 
 naturally expect, when the angel completed his ex- 
 planation of the vision, that he would commence 
 with the very point which had been omitted, 
 namely, the time. And this we find to be true in 
 fact. After citing Daniel's attention back to the 
 former vision in the most direct and emphatic 
 manner, and assuring him that he had now come 
 forth to give him understanding in the matter, he 
 commences upon the very point there omitted, and 
 says, " Seventy weeks are determined upon thy peo- 
 ple and upon thy holy city." 
 
 But how does this language show any connection 
 with the 2300 days, or throw any light upon that 
 period? We answer, The language cannot be in- 
 telligibly referred to any thing else ; for the word 
 here rendered determined signifies "cut off;" and 
 there is no period from which the seventy weeks 
 could be cut off, but the 2300 days of the previous 
 vision. How direct and natural, then, is the con- 
 nection. Daniel's attention is fixed upon the 2300 
 days, which he did not understand, by the angel's 
 directing him to the former vision; and he says, 
 " Seventy weeks are cut off." Cut oft' from what ? 
 The 2300 days most assuredly. 
 
256 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Proof may be called for that the word rendered 
 determined signifies to cut off'. An abundance can 
 be given. The Hebrew word rendered determined, 
 is, nechtak. This word Gesenius in his Hebrew 
 Lexicon, defines as follows : " Properly, to cut off; 
 tropically, to divide ; and so to determine, to decree." 
 In the Chaldeo -Rabbinic Dictionary of Stockius, the 
 word nechtak is thus defined : " Scidit, abscidit, con- 
 scidit, inscidit, exscidit to cut, to cut away, to cut 
 in pieces, to cut or engrave, to cut off!' Mercer us, 
 in his " Thesaurus," furnishes a specimen of Rab- 
 binical usage in the phrase, chatikah shel basar " a 
 piece of flesh," or " a cut of flesh." He translates 
 the word, as it occurs in Dan. 9:24, by"praecisa 
 est," was cut off. In the literal version of Arias 
 Montanus, it is translated "decisa est," was cut 
 off; in the marginal reading, which is grammatically 
 correct, it is rendered by the plural, " decisae sunt," 
 were cut off. In the Latin version of Junius and 
 Tremellius, nechtak (the passive of chaihak} is ren- 
 dered " decisae sunt," were cut off. Again in Theo- 
 dotion's Greek version of Daniel (which is the ver- 
 sion used in the Vatican copy of the Septuagint, 
 as being the most faithful), it is rendered by 
 cwET^rjaav (sunetmethesari), "were cut off;" and 
 in the Venetian copy by re-//^/. (tetmentai), " have 
 been cut." The idea of cutting off, is pursued in 
 the Vulgate, where the phrase is " abbreviates sunt," 
 have been shortened. 
 
 "Thus Chaldaic and Rabbinical authority, and 
 that of the earliest versions, the Septuagint and 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSE 24. 
 
 257 
 
 Vulgate, give the single signification of cutting off, 
 to this verb." 
 
 " Hengstenberg, who enters into a critical exami- 
 nation of the original text, says : But the very use 
 of the word, which does not elsewhere occur, while 
 others, much more frequently used, were at hand, 
 if Daniel had wished to express the idea of deter- 
 mination, and of which he has elsewhere, and even 
 in this portion availed himself, seems to argue that 
 the word stands from regard to its original mean- 
 ing, and represents the seventy weeks in contrast 
 with a determination of time (en platei) as a pe- 
 riod cut off from subsequent duration, and accu- 
 rately limited." Christology of the Old Testament, 
 vol. ii, p. 301. Washington, 1839. 
 
 Why then, it may be asked, did our translators 
 render the word, determined, when it so obviously 
 means cut off? The answer is, They doubtless 
 overlooked the connection between the eighth and 
 ninth chapters, and considering it improper to ren- 
 der it cut off, when nothing was given from which 
 the seventy weeks could be cut off, they gave the 
 word its tropical instead of its literal meaning. 
 But, as we have seen, both the construction and 
 context require the literal meaning, and render any 
 other inadmissible. 
 
 Seventy weeks, then, or 490 days of the 2300, 
 were cut off upon, or allotted to, Jerusalem and the 
 Jews ; and the events which were to be consum- 
 mated within that period are briefly stated. The 
 transgression was to be finished. That is, the Jew- 
 
 17 
 
258 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 ish people were to fill up the cup of their iniquity ; 
 which they did in the rejection and crucifixion 
 of Christ. An end of sins, or of sin offerings was 
 to be made. This took place when the great offer- 
 ing was made on Calvary. Reconciliation for in- 
 iquity was to be provided. This was made by the 
 sacrificial death of the Son of God. Everlasting 
 righteousness was to be brought in ; the righteous- 
 ness which our Lord manifested in his sinless life. 
 The vision and the prophecy were to be sealed up, 
 or made sure. By the events given to transpire in 
 the seventy weeks, the prophecy is tested. By this 
 the application of the whole vision is determined. 
 If the events of this period are accurately fulfilled, 
 the prophecy is of God, and will all be accom- 
 plished; and if these seventy weeks are fulfilled 
 as weeks of years, then the 2300 days, of which 
 these are a part, are so many years. Thus the 
 events of the seventy weeks furnish a key to the 
 whole vision. And the most holy was to be 
 anointed: the most holy of the heavenly sanct- 
 uary. In the examination of the sanctuary, on 
 chapter 8 : 14, we saw that a time came when the 
 earthly sanctuary gave place to the heavenly, ana 
 the priestly ministration was transferred to that. 
 Before the ministration in the sanctuary com- 
 menced, the sanctuary and all the holy vessels 
 were to be anointed. Ex. 40:9, 10. The last 
 event, therefore, of the seventy weeks, here brought 
 to view, is the anointing of the heavenly taberna- 
 cle, or the opening of the ministration there. Thus 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERKE 24. 259 
 
 this first division of the 2300 days brings us to the 
 commencement of the service in the first apart- 
 ment of the heavenly sanctuary, as the whole 
 period brings us to the commencement of the 
 service of the second. 
 
 We now consider the argument conclusive that 
 the ninth chapter of Daniel is connected with the 
 eighth, and that the seventy weeks are a part of 
 the 2300 days ; and with a few extracts from the 
 writings of others we will leave this point. 
 
 The Advent Shield in 1844 said: 
 
 " We call attention to one fact which shows that there is 
 a necessary ' connection ' between the seventy weeks of the 
 ninth chapter, and something else which precedes or fol- 
 lows it, called ' the vision. ' It is found in the 24th verse : 
 ' Seventy weeks are determined, are cut off, upon thy peo- 
 ple ... to seal up the vision,' etc. Now there are but two 
 significations to the phrase 'seal up.' They are, first, 'to 
 make secret,' and second, 'to make sure.' We care not 
 now in which of these significations the phrase is supposed 
 to be used. That is not the point now before us. Let the 
 signification be what it may, it shows that the prediction of 
 the seventy weeks necessarily relates to something else be- 
 yond itself, ' called the vision,' in reference to which it per- 
 forms this work, ' to seal up. ' To talk of its sealing up it- 
 self is as much of an absurdity as to suppose that Josephus 
 was so much afraid of the Romans that he refrained from 
 telling the world that he thought the fourth kingdom of 
 Daniel was ' the kingdom of the Greeks. ' It is no more 
 proper to say that the ninth chapter of Daniel * is complete 
 in itself,' than it would be to say that a map which was de- 
 signed to show the relation of Massachusetts to the United 
 States, referred to nothing but Massachusetts. It is no 
 more complete in itself than a bond given in security for a 
 
2(30 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 note, or some other document to which it refers, is complete 
 in itself ; and we doubt if there is a school-boy of. fourteen 
 years in the land, of ordinary capacity, who would not on 
 reading the ninth chapter, with an understanding of the 
 clause before us, decide that it referred to something dis- 
 tinct from itself, called the vision. What vision it is, there 
 is no difficulty in determining. It naturally and obviously 
 refers to the vision which was not fully explained to Daniel, 
 and to which Gabriel calls his attention in the preceding 
 verse, the vision of the 8th chapter. Daniel tells us that 
 Gabriel was commanded to make him understand that vision 
 (8 : 16). This was not fully done at that interview connected 
 with the vision ; he is therefore sent to give Daniel the 
 needed 'skill and understanding/ to explain its 'meaning' 
 by communicating to him the prediction of the seventy 
 weeks. " 
 
 " We claim that the ninth of Daniel is an appendix to the 
 eighth, and that the seventy weeks and the 2300 days or 
 years commence together. Our opponents deny this." Signs 
 of the Times, 1843. 
 
 "The grand principle involved in the interpretation of 
 the 2300 days of Dan. 8 : 14, is that the seventy weuks of 
 Dan. 9 : 24, are the first 490 days of the 2300 of the eighth 
 chapter." Advent Shield, p. 49. 
 
 " If the connection between the seventy weeks of Dan. 8, 
 does not exist, the whole system is shaken to its foundation ; 
 if it does exist, as we suppose, the system must stand." Har- 
 mony of the Prophetic Chronology, p. 38. 
 
 Says the learned Dr. Hales, in commenting upon 
 the seventy weeks, " This chronological prophecy 
 was evidently designed to explain the foregoing 
 vision, especially in its chronological part of the 
 2300 days." ChronoL, vol. ii, p. 517. 
 
 VERSE 25. Know therefore and understand, that from the 
 going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Je- 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 25-21. 261 
 
 rusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, 
 and threescore and two weeks : the street shall be built 
 again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26. And after 
 threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not 
 for himself ; and the people of the prince that shall come, 
 shall destroy the city and the sanctuary ; and the end thereof 
 shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desola- 
 tions are determined. 27. And he shall confirm the cove- 
 nant with many for one week ; and in the midst of the week 
 he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for the 
 overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, 
 even until the consummation, and that determined shall be 
 poured upon the desolate. 
 
 The angel now gives to Daniel the event which is 
 to mark the commencement of the seventy weeks. 
 They were to date from the going forth of a com- 
 mandment to restore and build Jerusalem. And not 
 only is the event given which was to determine the 
 time of the commencement of this period, but those 
 events also which were to transpire at its close. 
 Thus a double test is provided by which to try the 
 application of this prophecy. But more than this, 
 the period of seventy -weeks is divided into three 
 grand divisions, and one of these is again divided, 
 and the intermediate events are given which were to 
 mark the termination of each one of these divisions. 
 If, now, we can find a date which will harmonize 
 with all these events, we have, be} T ond a doubt, the 
 true application ; for none but that which is correct 
 could meet and fulfill so many conditions. Let the 
 reader take in at one view the points of harmony to 
 be made, that he may be the better prepared to 
 guard against a false application. First, we are to 
 
262 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 find at the commencement of the period, a command- 
 ment going forth to restore and build Jerusalem. 
 To this work of restoration seven weeks are allotted. 
 As we reach the end of this first division, seven weeks 
 from the commencement, we are to find, secondly, 
 Jerusalem, in its material aspect, restored, the work 
 of building the street and the wall fully accom- 
 plished. From this point, sixty-two weeks are 
 measured off; and as we reach the termination of 
 this division, sixty-nine weeks from the beginning, 
 we are to see, thirdly, the manifestation, before the 
 world, of the Messiah the Prince. One week more 
 is given us, completing the seventy. And, fourthly, 
 in the midst of this week, the Messiah is to be cut 
 off and cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease ; and, 
 fifthly, when the last week of that period which was 
 allotted to the Jews as the time during which they 
 were to be the special people of God expires, we nat- 
 urally look for the going forth of the blessing and 
 work of God to other people. 
 
 We now inquire for the date which will harmo- 
 nize with all these particulars. The command was 
 to include more than mere building. There was to 
 be restoration ; by which we must understand all 
 the forms and regulations of civil, political, and j u- 
 dicial society. When did such a command go forth ? 
 At the time these words were spoken to Daniel, Je- 
 rusalem lay in complete and utter desolation, and 
 had thus been lying for seventy years. The restora- 
 tion, pointed to in the future, must be its restoration 
 from this desolation. We then inquire, When and 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 25-27. 263 
 
 how was Jerusalem restored after the seventy years' 
 captivity ? 
 
 There are but four events which can be taken as 
 answering to the commandment to restore and build 
 Jerusalem. These are, 1. The decree of Cyrus for 
 the re-building of the house of God, B. c. 536. Ez. 
 1 : 1-4. 2. The decree of Darius for the prosecution 
 of that work which had been hindered, B. C. 519. 
 Ez. 6 : 1-12. 3. The decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra, 
 B. c. 457. Ezra 7. 4. The commission to Nehemiah 
 from the same king in his twentieth year, B. C. 444. 
 Neh. 2. 
 
 Dating from the first two of these decrees, the 
 seventy weeks, being weeks of years, 490 years in 
 all, would fall many years short of reaching even to 
 the Christian era ; besides, these decrees had refer- 
 ence principally to the restoration of the temple and 
 the temple- worship of the Jews, and not to the res- 
 toration of their civil state and polity, all of which 
 must be included in the expression, " to restore and 
 to build Jerusalem." 
 
 These made a commencement of the work. They 
 were preliminary to what was afterward accom- 
 plished. But of themselves they are altogether in- 
 sufficient, both in their dates and in their nature, to 
 meet the requirements of the prophecy ; and thus 
 failing in every respect, they cannot be brought into 
 the controversy as marking the point from which 
 the seventy weeks are to date. The only question 
 now lies between the decrees which were granted to 
 Ezra and to Nehemiah. 
 
264 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 The facts between which we are to decide here, 
 are briefly these : In 457 B. c., a decree was granted 
 to Ezra by the Persian emperor, Artaxerxes Longim- 
 anus, to go up to Jerusalem with as many of his 
 people as were minded to go with him. The com- 
 mission granted him an unlimited amount of treasure, 
 to beautify the house of God, procure ' offerings for 
 its service, and to do whatever else might seem good 
 unto him. It empowered him to ordain laws, set 
 magistrates and judges, and execute punishment 
 even unto death ; in other words, to restore the Jew- 
 ish state, civil and ecclesiastical, according to the law 
 of God and the ancient customs of that people. In- 
 spiration has seen fit to preserve this decree ; and a 
 full and accurate copy of it is given in the seventh 
 chapter of the book of Ezra. In the original, this 
 decree is given, not in Hebrew, like the rest of the 
 book of Ezra, but in the Chaldaic (or Eastern Ara 
 maic), the language then used at Babylon ; and thus 
 we are furnished with the original document by 
 virtue of which Ezra was authorized to restore and 
 build Jerusalem. 
 
 Thirteen years after this, in the twentieth year of 
 the same king, B. C. 444, Nehemiah sought and ob- 
 tained permission to go up to Jerusalem. Neh. 2. 
 Permission was granted him, but we have no evi- 
 dence that it was anything more than verbal. It 
 pertained to him individually, nothing being said 
 about others' going up with him. The king asked 
 him how long a journey he wished to make, and 
 when he would return. He received letters to the 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 25-27. 9(55 
 
 governors beyond the river, to help him on his way 
 to Judah, and an order to the king's forest for tim- 
 ber for beams, etc. When he arrived at Jerusalem, 
 he found 1'ulers and priests, nobles and people, al- 
 ready engaged in the work of building Jerusalem. 
 Neh. 2:16. These were, of course, acting under the 
 decree given to Ezra thirteen years before. And 
 finally, Nehemiah, having arrived at Jerusalem, 
 finished the work he came to accomplish, in fifty- 
 two days. Neh. 6 : 15. 
 
 Now which of these commissions, Ezra's or Ne- 
 hemiah's, constitutes the decree for the restoration 
 of Jerusalem, from which the seventy weeks are to 
 be dated ? It hardly seems that there can be any 
 question on this point. 
 
 1. The grant to Nehemiah cannot be called a de- 
 cree. It was necessary that a Persian decree 
 should be put in writing, and signed by the king. 
 Dan. 6 : 8. Such was the document given to Ezra ; 
 but Nehemiah had nothing of the kind, his com- 
 mission being only verbal. If it be said that the 
 letters given him constituted the decree, then the 
 decree was issued, not to Nehemiah, but to the 
 governors beyond the river; besides, these would 
 constitute a series of decrees, and not one decree, as 
 the prophecy contemplates. 
 
 2. The occasion of Nehemiah's petition to the 
 king for permission to go up to Jerusalem was the 
 report which certain ones, returning, had brought 
 from thence, that those in the province were in great 
 afSiction and reproach, that the wall of Jerusalem 
 
266 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 was also broken down and the gates thereof burned 
 with fire. Neh. 1. Whose work were these walls 
 and gates that were broken down and burned with 
 fire ? Evidently the work of Ezra and' his asso- 
 ciates ; for it cannot for a moment be supposed that 
 the utter destruction of the city by Nebuchadnez- 
 z^ar, 144 years previous to that time, would have 
 been reported to Nehemiah as a matter of news, nor 
 that he would have considered it, as he evidently 
 did, a fresh misfortune calling for a fresh expression 
 of grief. A decree, therefore, authorizing the build- 
 ing of these, had gone forth previous to the grant 
 to Nehemiah. 
 
 3. If any should contend that Nehemiah 's com- 
 mission must be a decree, because the object of his 
 request was that he might build the city, it is suffi- 
 cient to reply as shown above, that gates and walls 
 had been built previous to his going up ; besides^ 
 the work of building which he went to perform was 
 accomplished in fifty-two days ; whereas, the proph- 
 ecy allows for the building of the city, seven weeks, 
 or forty-nine years. 
 
 4. There was nothing granted to Nehemiah, 
 which was not embraced in the decree to Ezra; 
 while the latter had all the forms and conditions 
 of a decree, and was vastly more ample in its pro- 
 visions. 
 
 5. It is evident from the prayer of Ezra, as re- 
 corded in chap. 9 : 9, of his book, that he considered 
 himself fully empowered to proceed with the 
 building of the city and the wall ; and it is evident 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 25-27. 267 
 
 that he understood, further, that the conditional 
 prophecies concerning his people were then fulfilled, 
 from the closing words of that prayer in which he 
 says, " Should we again break thy commandments 
 and join in affinity with the people of these abom- 
 inations, wouldst thou not be angry with us till 
 fehou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no 
 remnant nor escaping ? " 
 
 6. Reckoning from the commission to Nehemiah, 
 B. c. 444, the dates throughout are entirely disar- 
 ranged ; for from that point the troublous times 
 which were to attend the building of the street and 
 wall, did not last seven weeks, or forty-nine years. 
 Reckoning from that date, the sixty-nine weeks, or 
 483 years, which were to extend to the Messiah the 
 Prince, bring us to A. D. 40 ; but Jesus was bap- 
 tized of John in Jordan and the voice of his Father 
 was heard from Heaven declaring him his Son, in 
 A. D. 27, thirteen years before. According to this 
 calculation, the midst of the last, or seventieth, 
 week, which is marked by the crucifixion, is placed 
 in A. D. 44, but the crucifixion took place in A. D. 31, 
 thirteen years previous. And lastly, the 70 weeks, 
 or 490 years, dated from the twentieth of Artax- 
 erxes, extend to A. D. 47, with absolutely nothing to 
 mark their termination. Hence if that be the year, 
 and the grant to Nehemiah the event, from which 
 to reckon, the prophecy has proved a failure. AP 
 it is, it only proves that theory a failure which dates 
 the seventy weeks from Nehemiah's commission in 
 the twentieth of Artaxerxes. 
 
268 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 7. Will these dates harmonize if we reckon from 
 the decree to Ezra ? Let us see. In this case, 457 
 B. c. is our starting-point. Forty-nine years were 
 allotted to the building of the city and the wall. 
 On this point, Prideaux, Connec., vol. i, p. 322, 
 says : " In the fifteenth year of Darius Notlius, 
 ended the first seven weeks of Daniel's prophecy. 
 For then the restoration of the church and state of 
 the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea was fully finished, 
 in that last act of reformation which is recorded in 
 the thirteenth chapter of Nehemiah, from the 
 twenty-third verse to the end of the chapter, just 
 forty-nine years after it had been commenced by 
 Ezra, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longirna- 
 nus." 
 
 So far, we find harmony. Let us apply the meas- 
 uring-rod of the prophecy still further. Sixty-nine 
 weeks, or 483 years, were to extend to Messiah the 
 Prince. Dating from B. c. 457, they end in A. D. 
 27. And what event then occurred ? Luke thus in- 
 forms u* : " Now wh^n all the people were baptized, 
 it came to pass that Jesus also, being baptized, and 
 praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy 
 Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon 
 him, and a voice came from Heaven, which said, 
 Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well 
 pleased." Luke 3 : 21, 22, margin, A. D. 27. After 
 this, Jesus caine " into Galilee, preaching the gospel 
 of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is 
 fulfilled." The time here mentioned must have 
 been some specific, definite, and predicted period ; 
 
CHAPTER IX, VJSS *6-S7. 260 
 
 but no prophetic period can be found then termi- 
 nating, except the sixty-nine weeks of the prophecy 
 of Daniel, which were to extend to Messiah the 
 Prince. The Messiah had now come ; and with his 
 own lips he announced the termination of that pe- 
 riod which was to be marked by his manifestation.* 
 Here again is indisputable harmony. But fur- 
 ther: the Messiah was to confirm the covenant 
 with many for one week. This would be the last 
 week of the seventy, or the last seven years of the 
 490. In the midst of the week, the prophecy in- 
 forms us, he should cause the sacrifice and oblation 
 to cease. These Jewish ordinances, pointing to the 
 death of Christ, could cease only at the cross ; and 
 there they did virtually come to an end, though the 
 outward observance was kept up till the destruc- 
 
 * Luke declares that Jesus " began to be about thirty }-ears of 
 age " at the time of his baptism; Luke 2: 23; and almost immedi- 
 ately after this he entered upon his ministry. How, then, could 
 his ministry commence in A. D. 27, and he still be of the age 
 named by Luke? The answer to this question is found in the 
 fact that Christ was born between three and four years before the 
 beginning of the Christian Era, that is, before the year marked 
 A. D. 1. The mistake of dating the Christian Era something over 
 three years this side of the birth of Christ, instead of dating it 
 from the year of his birth, as it was designed to be, arose on this 
 wise: One of the most important of ancient eras was that reck- 
 oned from the building of the city of Rome ab urbe coiidita, ex- 
 pressed by the abbreviation A. u. c., or more briefly, u. c. In the 
 year which is now numbered A. D. 532, Dionysius Exiguus, a 
 Scythian by birth and a Roman Abbot, who flourished in the reign 
 of Ju&tinjau, invented the Christian Era, According to the best 
 evidence at his command, he placed the birth of Christ in the 
 
270 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 tion of Jerusalem, A. D. 70. After threescore and 
 two weeks, according to the record, the Messiah 
 was to be cut off. It is the same as if it had read, 
 And after threescore and two weeks, in the midst 
 of the seventieth week, shall Messiah be cut off and 
 cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. Now as 
 the word midst here means middle, according to 
 an abundance of authority which we might pro- 
 duce, if necessary, the crucifixion is definitely lo- 
 cated in the middle of the seventieth week. 
 
 It now becomes an important point to deter- 
 mine in what year the crucifixion took place. The 
 following evidence is sufficient to be decisive on 
 this question : 
 
 The Saviour attended but four passovers accord- 
 ing to the record of John, mentioned in the follow- 
 ing passages in his gospel. John 2:13; 5:1; 6:4; 
 
 year u. 0. 753. But Christ was born before the death of Herod; 
 and it was afterward ascertained on the clearest evidence that the 
 death of Herod occurred in April u. c. 750. Allowing a few 
 months for the events recorded in Christ's life before the time of 
 Herod's death, his birth is carried back te the latter part of u. c. 
 749, a little over three years before A. D. 1. Christ was therefore 
 thirty years of age in A. D. 27. "The Vulgar [common] Era be- 
 gan to prevail fn the West about the time of Charles Martel, and 
 pope Gregory II. A. D. 730 ; but was not sanctioned by any public 
 Acts or Rescripts, till the first German Synod, in the time of 
 Carolomannus, Duke of the Franks, which, in the preface, was 
 said to be assembled ' Anno ah incarnatione Dom. 742, 11 Calendas 
 Maii.' But it was not established till the time of pope Eugenius 
 IV. A. D. 1431, who ordered this era to be used in the public Reg- 
 isters: according to Mariana and others." Holes' 1 Chronology, vol. 
 i, pp. 83, 84. See also "Life of Our Lord," by S. J. Andrews. 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 25-S7. 271 
 
 13:1. At the last-mentioned passover he was cru- 
 cified. From facts already established, let us then 
 see where this would locate the crueifixion. As he 
 began his ministry in the autumn of A. D. 27, his 
 first passover would be the following spring, A. D. 
 28. His second would be A. D. 29 ; his third, A. D. 
 30 ; and his fourth and last, A. D. 31. This gives 
 us three years and a half for his public ministry, 
 and corresponds exactly to the prophecy that he 
 should be cut off in the midst, or middle, of the 
 seventieth week. As tha-t week of years com- 
 menced in the autumn of A. D. 27, its middle would 
 be three and one half years later, in the spring of 
 31, where the crucifixion occurred. Dr. Hales 
 quotes Eusebius, A. D. 300, as saying: "It is re- 
 corded in history that the whole time of our Sav- 
 iour's teaching and working miracles was three 
 years and a half, which is the half of a week [of 
 years]. This, John the evangelist will represent to 
 those who critically attend to his gospel." 
 
 Of the unnatural darkness which occurred at the 
 crucifixion, Hales, vol. i, pp. 69, 70 thus speaks: 
 " Hence it appears, that the darkness which ' over- 
 spread the whole land of Judea ' at the time of our 
 Lord's crucifixion was preternatural, ' from the sixth 
 until the ninth hour,' or from noon till three in the 
 afternoon, in its duration, and also in its time, 
 about full moon, when the moon could not possi- 
 bly eclipse the sun. The time it happened, and the 
 fact itself, are recorded in a curious and valuable 
 passage of a respectable Roman Consul, Aurelius 
 
272 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Cassiodorius Senator, about A. D. 514: 'In the con- 
 sulate of Tiberius Caesar Aug. V. and ^Elius Sejanus 
 (u. G. 784, A. D. 31), our Lord Jesus Christ suf- 
 fered, on the 8th of the calends of April (25th of 
 March) : when there happened such an eclipse of 
 the sun as was never before nor since.' 
 
 "In this year, and in this day, agree also the 
 Council of Caesarea, A. D. 196 or 198, the Alexan- 
 drian Chronicle, Maxim us Monachus, Nicephorus 
 Constantinus, Cedrenus ; and in this year, but on 
 different days, concur Eusebius and Epiphanius, 
 followed by Kepler, Bucher, Patinus, and Petavius, 
 some reckoning it the 10th of the calends of April, 
 others the 13th." 
 
 Here, then, are thirteen credible authorities, lo- 
 cating the crucifixion of Christ in the spring of A. 
 D. 31. We may therefore set this down as a fixed 
 fact, as the most cautious or the most skeptical 
 could require nothing more. This being in the 
 middle of the last week, we have simply to reckon 
 backward three and a half years to find where the 
 69 weeks ended, and forward from that point, three 
 and a half years, to find the termination of the 
 whole period. Thus going back from the crucifix- 
 ion, A. D. 31, spring, three and a half years, we find 
 ourselves in the autumn of A. D. 27, where, as we 
 have seen, the 69 weeks ended, and Christ com- 
 menced his public ministry. And going from the 
 crucifixion forward three and a half years, we are 
 brought to the autumn of A. D. 34, as the grand 
 terminating point of the whole period of the sev- 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 25-27. 273 
 
 enty weeks. This date is marked by the matyr- 
 dom of Stephen^ the formal rejection of the gospel 
 of Christ by the Jewish Sanhedrim in the persecu- 
 tion of his disciples, and the turning of the apostles 
 to the Gentiles. Acts 9 : 1-18. And these are just 
 the events which we should expect to take place 
 when that period which was cut off for the Jews, 
 and allotted to them as a peculiar people, should 
 fully expire. 
 
 A word respecting the date of the seventh of 
 Artaxerxes, and the array of evidence on this point 
 is complete. Was the seventh of Artaxerxes B. c. 
 457 ? For all those who can appreciate the force 
 of facts, the following testimony will be sufficient 
 here : 
 
 "The Bible gives the data for a complete system of 
 chronology, extending from the creation to the birth of 
 Cyrus a clearly ascertained date. From this period down- 
 ward we have the undisputed canon of Ptolemy, and the 
 undoubted era of Nabonassar, extending below our vulgar 
 era. At the point where inspired chronology leaves us, this 
 canon of undoubted accuracy commences. And thus the 
 whole arch is spanned. It is by the canon of Ptolemy that 
 the great prophetical period of seventy weeks is fixed. This 
 canon places the seventh year of Artaxerxes in the year B. c. 
 457 ; and the accuracy of this canon is demonstrated by the 
 concurrent agreement of more than twenty eclipses. This 
 date we cannot change from B. c. 457, without first demon- 
 strating the inaccuracy of Ptolemy's canon. To do this it 
 would be necessary to show that the large number of eclip- 
 ses by which its accuracy has been repeatedly demonstrated 
 have not been correctly computed ; and such a result would 
 unsettle every chronological date, and leave* the settlement 
 of epochs and the adjustment of eras entirelv at the mercy of 
 
 18 
 
274 
 
 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 every dreamer, so that chronology would be of no more value 
 than mere guess-work. As the seventy weeks must termi- 
 nate in A. D. 34, unless the seventh of Artaxerxes is wrongly 
 fixed, and as that cannot be changed without some evidence 
 to that effect, we inquire, What evidence marked that termi- 
 nation ? The time when the apostles turned to the Gentiles 
 harmonizes with that date better than any other which has 
 been named. And the crucifixion in A. D. 31, in the midst 
 of the last week, is sustained by a mass of testimony which 
 cannot be easily invalidated." Ad. Herald. 
 
 From the facts above set forth, we see that, reck- 
 oning the seventy weeks from the decree given to 
 Ezra in the seventh of Artaxerxes, B. c. 457, there is 
 the most perfect harmony throughout. The im- 
 portant and definite events of the manifestation oi 
 the Messiah at his baptism, the commencement of 
 his public ministry, the crucifixion and the turning 
 away from the Jews to the Gentiles, with the proc- 
 lamation of the new covenant, all come in, in their 
 exact place, and like a bright galaxy of blazing 
 orbs of light, cluster round to set their seal to the 
 prophecy and make it sure. 
 
 It is thus evident that the decree to Ezra in the 
 seventh of Artaxerxes, B. c. 457, is the point from 
 which to date the seventy weeks. That was the 
 going forth of the decree in the sense of the proph- 
 ecy. The two previous decrees were preparatory 
 and preliminary to this ; and indeed they are re- 
 garded by Ezra as parts of it, the three being taken 
 as one great whole. For in Ezra 6 :14, we read, 
 " And they bjuilded and finished it, according to the 
 commandment of the God of Israel, and according to 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 25-27. 275 
 
 the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Arta- 
 xerxes king of Persia." It will be noticed that the 
 decrees of these three kings are spoken of as one : 
 " The commandment," margin, decree, singular num- 
 ber, " of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes ; " show- 
 ing that they are ah 1 reckoned as a unit, the different 
 decrees being but the successive steps by which the 
 work was accomplished. And this decree could not 
 be said to have "gone forth," as intended by the 
 prophecy, tih 1 the last permission which the prophecy 
 required was embodied in the decree and clothed 
 with the authority of the empire. This point was 
 reached in the grant given to Ezra, but not before. 
 Here the decree assumed the proportions, and cov- 
 ered the ground, demanded by the prophecy, and 
 from this point its " going forth " must be dated. 
 
 With the seventy weeks we are now done ; but 
 there remains a longer period and other important 
 events to be considered. The seventy weeks are but 
 the first 490 years of the 2300. Take 490 from 
 2300, and there remain 1810. The 490, as we have 
 seen, ended in the autumn of A. D. 34. If to this 
 date we now add the remaining 1810 years, we shall 
 have the termination of the whole period. Thus, to 
 A. D. 34, autumn, add 1810, and we have A. D., 
 autumn, eighteen hundred and forty-four. Thus 
 speedily and surely do we find the termination of 
 the 2300 days, when once the seventy weeks have 
 been located. 
 
 One other point should here be noticed. We have 
 seen that the seventy weeks are the first 490 days of 
 
276 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 the 2300 ; that these days are prophetic, signifying 
 literal years, according to the Bible rule, a day for a 
 year, Num. 14 : 34 ; Eze. 4:6, as is proved by the 
 fulfillment of the seventy weeks, and as all eminent 
 expositors agree ; that they commenced in 457 B. c., 
 and ended in A. D. 1844, provided the number is 
 right, and twenty-three hundred is the correct read- 
 ing. With this point established, there would seem 
 to be no room for further controversy. On this 
 point Dr. Hales remarks : 
 
 " There is no number in the Bible whose genuineness is 
 better ascertained than that of the 2300 days. It is found 
 in all the printed Hebrew editions, in all the MSS. of Ken- 
 nicott and De .Rossi's collations, and in all the ancient 
 Versions, except the Vatican copy of the Septuagint, which 
 reads 2400, followed by Symmachus; and some copies noticed 
 by Jerom, 2200, both evidently literal errors in excess and 
 defect, which compensate each other and confirm the mean, 
 2300." Chronology, vol. ii, p. 512. 
 
 The query may here arise, how the days can be 
 extended to the autumn of 1844, if they commence 
 457 B. c., as it requires only 1843 years in addition 
 to the 457, to make the whole number of 2300. 
 Attention to one fact will clear this point of all dif- 
 ficulty ; and that is, that it takes 457 full years be- 
 fore Christ, and 1843 full years after, to make 2300; 
 so that if the period commenced with the very first 
 day of 457, it would not terminate till the very last 
 day of 1843. Now it will be evident to all that 
 whatever part of the year 457 had passed away be- 
 fore the 2300 days commenced, just so much of the 
 year 1844 must pass away before they would end. 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 25-21. 277 
 
 We therefore inquire, At what point in the year 457 
 are we to commence to reckon ? From the fact that 
 the first 49 years were allotted to the building of 
 the street and wall, we learn that the period is to be 
 dated, not from the starting of Ezra for Babylon, but 
 from the actual commencement of the work at Jeru- 
 salem ; which it is not probable could be earlier than 
 the seventh month (autumn) of 457, as he did not 
 arrive at Jerusalem till the fifth month of that year. 
 Ezra 7 : 9. The whole period would therefore ex- 
 tend to the seventh month, autumn Jewish time, of 
 1844. 
 
 Those who oppose this view of the prophetic 
 periods, have been wont in years past to meet us 
 like this : " The 2300 days have not ended, because 
 the time has passed, and the Lord has not come. 
 Why the time passed in 1844, without the consum- 
 mation of our hopes, we acknowledge to be a mys- 
 tery ; but the passing of the time is proof that the 
 2300 days have not ended." 
 
 Time, however, is no respecter of persons nor of 
 theories ; and with the formidable scythe which he 
 is represented as carrying, he sometimes demolishes 
 in the most summary manner the grotesque and 
 gossamer theories of men, however dear they may 
 be to their authors and defenders. It is so here. 
 Heedless of the wild contortions of those who 
 would fain compel him to stop and fulfill their dar- 
 ling predictions, he has kept on the swift but even 
 tenor of his way until what ? every limit is passed 
 to which the 2300 days can be extended ; and thus 
 
278 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 he has demonstrated that those days have passed. 
 Let not this point be overlooked. Setting aside for 
 a moment the arguments by which they are shown 
 to have ended in 1844, and letting them date from 
 any point where there is the least shadow of ground 
 for placing them, or from which the wildest dreamer 
 could date them, it is still true that the utmost limit 
 to which they would extend has gone by. They can- 
 not possibly be dated at any point which would 
 bring their termination so late as the present time. 
 We therefore say again, with not a misgiving as to 
 the truth of the assertion, nor a fear of its success- 
 ful contradiction, Those days have ended ! 
 
 The momentous declaration made by the angel to 
 Daniel, "Unto two thousand and three hundred 
 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," is now 
 explained. In our search for the meaning of the 
 sanctuary and its cleansing, and the application of 
 the time, we have found not only that this subject 
 can be easily understood ; but lo ! the event is now 
 almost accomplished. And here we pause to reflect 
 a brief moment upon the solemn position into which 
 we are brought. 
 
 We have seen that the sanctuary of this dispen- 
 sation is the tabernacle of God in Heaven, the 
 house not made with hands, where our Lord minis- 
 ters in behalf of penitent sinners, the place where 
 between the great God and his Son Jesus Christ, 
 the " counsel of peace " prevails in the work of sal- 
 vation for perishing men. Zech. 6 : 13 ; Ps. 85 : 10. 
 We have seen that the cleansing of the sanctuary 
 
CHAPTEli IX, VERSES 25-27. 279 
 
 consists in the removing of the sins from the same, 
 and is the closing act of the ministration performed 
 therein; that the work of salvation now centers in 
 the heavenly sanctuary ; and when this sanctuary 
 is cleansed, the work is done, and the plan is fin- 
 ished ! Then the great scheme devised at the fall 
 for the salvation of as many of the lost race as 
 would avail themselves of its provisions, and car- 
 ried forward for 6000 years, is brought to its final 
 termination. Mercy no longer pleads, and the great 
 voice is heard from the throne in the temple of 
 Heaven, saying, It is done. Rev. 16 : 17. And 
 what then ? All the righteous are safe for ever- 
 lasting life ; all the wicked are doomed to everlast- 
 ing death. No decision can be changed, no reward 
 can be lost, and no destiny of despair can be averted, 
 beyond that point. 
 
 And we have seen (and this is what brings the 
 solemnities of the Judgment to our own door) that 
 that long prophetic period which was to mark the 
 commencement of this final work in the heavenly 
 sanctuary, has met its termination in our own gen- 
 eration. In 1844 the days ended. For thirty- 
 seven years the final work for man's salvation has 
 been going forward. This work involves an ex- 
 amination of every man's character ; for it consists 
 in the remission of the sins of those who shall be 
 found worthy to have them remitted, and deter- 
 mines who among the dead shall be raised, and 
 who among the living shall be changed, at the com- 
 ing of the Lord, and who, of both dead and living, 
 
280 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 shall be left to have their part in the fearful scenes 
 of the second death. And all can see that such a de- 
 cision as this must be rendered before the Lord ap- 
 pears. Every man's case is to be determined by 
 the deeds done in the body, and each one is to be 
 rewarded according to his works. In the books of 
 remembrance, kept by the heavenly scribes above, 
 every man's deeds wfll be found recorded ; in the 
 closing sanctuary work, these records are examined, 
 and decision is rendered in accordance therewith. It 
 would be most natural to suppose that the work 
 would commence with the first members of the hu- 
 man race ; that their cases would be first examined, 
 and decision rendered, and so on with all the dead, 
 generation by generation, in chronological succes- 
 sion along the stream of time, till we reach the last 
 generation, the generation of the living, with whose 
 cases the work would close. How long it will take 
 to examine the cases of all the dead, how soon the 
 work will reach the cases of the living, we do not 
 know. As above remarked, for thirty-seven years 
 this work has already been going forward. The 
 light of the types, and the very nature of the case, 
 forbid that it should be of long continuance. John, 
 in his sublime views of heavenly scenes, saw mill- 
 ions of attendants and assistants, engaged with 
 our Lord in his priestly work. Rev. 5. And so 
 the ministration goes forward. It ceases not, it de- 
 lays not ; and it must soon be forever finished. 
 
 And here we stand ; the last, the greatest, and the 
 most solemn crisis in the history of our race imme- 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 5-27. 281 
 
 diately impending ; the great plan of salvation 
 about finished ; the last precious years of probation 
 almost ended; the Lord about to come to save 
 those who are ready and waiting, and to cut asun- 
 der the careless and unbelieving ; and the world 
 alas! what shall we say of them! deceived with 
 error, crazed with cares and business, delirious with 
 pleasure, and paralyzed with vice, they have not 
 a moment to spare in listening to solemn truth, nor 
 a thought to bestow upon their eternal interests. 
 Let the people of God, with eternity right in view, 
 be careful to escape the corruption that is in the 
 world through lust, and prepare to pass the search- 
 ing test, when their cases shall come up for exami- 
 nation in the great tribunal above. 
 
 To the careful attention of every student of 
 prophecy, we commend the subject of the sanctu- 
 ary. In it is seen the ark of God's testament, con- 
 taining his holy law, and suggesting a reform in our 
 obedience to that great standard of morality. The 
 opening of this heavenly temple, or the commence- 
 ment of the service in its second apartment, marks 
 the commencement of the sounding of the seventh 
 angel. Rev. 11:15, 19. The work performed 
 therein is the foundation of the third message of 
 Rev. 14, the last message of mercy to a perishing 
 world. This subject explains the great disappoint- 
 ment of 1844, by showing that we mistook the 
 event to occur at the end of the days. It renders 
 harmonious and clear, past prophetic fulfillments, 
 which are otherwise involved in impenetrable ob- 
 
282 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 scuritj. It gives a definite idea of the position and 
 work of our great High Priest, and brings out the 
 plan of salvation in its distinctive and beautiful 
 features. It reins us up, as no other subject does, 
 to the realities of the Judgment, and shows the 
 preparation we need, to be able to stand in the com- 
 ing day. It shows us that we are in the waiting 
 time, and puts us upon our watch ; for we know 
 not how soon the work will be finished, and our 
 Lord appear. Watch, lest, coming suddenly, he find 
 you sleeping. 
 
 After stating the great events connected with 
 our Lord's mission here upon earth, the prophet in 
 the last part of verse 27 speaks of the soon -follow- 
 ing destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman power ; 
 and finally of the destruction of that power itself, 
 called in the margin, " the desolator." 
 
 
DANIEL'S LAST VISION. 
 
 VERSE 1. In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a 
 thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Bel- 
 teshazzar ; and the thing was true, but the time appointed 
 was long ; and he understood the thing, and had understand- 
 ing of the vision. 
 
 This verse introduces us to the last of the re- 
 corded visions of the prophet Daniel, the instruc- 
 tion imparted to him at this time being continued 
 through chapters 11 and 12, to the close of the 
 book. The third year of Cyrus was B. c. 534. 
 Twenty-one years had consequently elapsed since 
 Daniel's vision of the four beasts in the first year 
 of Belshazzar, B. c. 555 ; nineteen years, since the 
 vision of the ram, he-goat, little horn, and twenty- 
 three hundred days, of chapter 8, in the third year 
 of Belshazzar, B. c. 553; and four years, since the 
 instruction given to Daniel respecting the seventy 
 weeks, in the first year of Darius, B. c. 538, as re- 
 corded in chapter 9. On the overthrow of the king- 
 dom of Babylon by the Medes and Persians, B. c. 
 538, Darius, through the courtesy of his nephew, 
 Cyrus, was permitted to occupy the throne. This 
 he did till the time of his death, about two years 
 after. About this time, Cambyses, king of Persia, 
 
 (283) 
 
284 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 the father of Cyrus, having also died, Cyrus became 
 sole monarch of the second universal empire of 
 prophecy, B. c. 536. This being reckoned as his 
 first year, his third year, in which this vision was 
 given to Daniel, would be dated B. c. 534. The 
 death of Daniel is supposed to have occurred soon 
 after this, he being at this time, according to Prid- 
 eaux, not less than ninety-one years of age. 
 
 VERSE 2. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full 
 weeks. 3. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor 
 wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till 
 three whole weeks were fulfilled. 
 
 The marginal reading for " three full weeks," is 
 " weeks of days ; " which term Dr. Stonard thinks 
 is here used to distinguish the time spoken of from 
 the weeks of years, brought to view in the preceding 
 chapter. 
 
 For what purpose did this aged servant of God 
 thus humble himself and afflict his soul ? Evi- 
 dently for the purpose of understanding more fully 
 the divine purpose concerning events that were to 
 befall the church of God in corning time ; for the 
 divine messenger sent to instruct him says, " From 
 the first day that thou didst set thine heart to un- 
 derstand" etc. Verse 12. There was then still 
 something which Daniel did not understand, but in 
 reference to which he earnestly desired light. 
 What was it? It was undoubtedly some part of 
 his last preceding visions; namely, the vision of 
 chapter 9, and through that of the vision of chap- 
 ter 8, of which chapter 9 was but a further explana- 
 
CHAPTER X, VERSES 4-9. 285 
 
 tion. And as the result of his supplication, he now 
 receives more minute information respecting the 
 events included in the great outlines of his former 
 visions. 
 
 This mourning of the prophet is supposed to have 
 been accompanied with fasting ; not an absolute ab- 
 stinence from food, but a use of only the plainest 
 and most simple articles of diet. He ate no pleas- 
 ant bread, no delicacies nor dainties; he used no 
 flesh nor wine ; and he did not anoint his head ; 
 which was with the Jews an outward sign of fast- 
 ing. How long he would have continued this fast 
 had he not received the answer to his prayer, we 
 know not ; but his course in continuing it for three 
 full weeks shows that, being assured his request 
 was lawful, he was not a person to cease his suppli- 
 cation till his petition was granted. 
 
 VERSE 4. And in the four and twentieth day of the first 
 month, as I was by the side ef the great river, which is 
 Hiddekel ; 5 ; then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and 
 behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were 
 girded with line gold of Uphaz. 6. His body also was like 
 the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and 
 his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in 
 color to polished brass, and the voice of liis words like the 
 voice of a multitude. 7. And I Daniel alone saw the vision ; 
 for the men that were with me saw not the vision ; but a 
 great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide them- 
 selves. 8. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great 
 vision, and there remained no strength in me ; for my 
 comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained 
 no strength. 9. Yet heard I the voice of his words; and 
 when T heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep 
 sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. 
 
236 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 By t'he river Hiddekel, the Syriac understands 
 the Euphrates ; the Vulgate, Greek, and Arabic, the 
 Tigris; hence Wintle concludes that the prophet 
 had this vision at the place where these rivers 
 unite, as they do, not far from the Persian Gulf. 
 
 A most majestic personage visited Daniel on this 
 occasion. The description of him is almost parallel 
 to that given of Christ in the Revelation, chapter 
 1 : 14-1 6; and the effect of his presence was about 
 such as was experienced by Paul and his compan- 
 ions when the Lord met them on their way to Da- 
 mascus. Acts 9 : 1-7. But this was not the Lord ; 
 for the Lord is introduced as Michael in verse 13. 
 It must therefore have been an angel, but one of no 
 ordinary character. We therefore inquire, What 
 angel will bear the description here given ? There 
 are some points of identity between this and other 
 passages which plainly show that this was the an- 
 gel Gabriel. In chapter 8:16, Gabriel is introduced 
 by name. His interview with Daniel at that time 
 produced exactly the same effect upon the prophet 
 as that described in the passage before us. At that 
 time, Gabriel was commanded to make Daniel un- 
 derstand the vision; and he himself promised to 
 make him know what should be in the last end of 
 the indignation. Having given Daniel all the in- 
 struction he was able to bear on that occasion, he 
 subsequently resumed his work, and explained an- 
 other great point in the vision, as recorded in chap- 
 ter 9 : 20-27. Yet we learn from chapter 10, that 
 there were some points still unexplained to the 
 
CHAPTER X, VERSES 10-12. 287 
 
 prophet ; and he set his heart again, with fasting 
 and supplication, to understand the matter. 
 
 A personage now appears whose presence has the 
 same effect upon Daniel as that produced by the 
 presence of Gabriel at the first ; and he tells Daniel, 
 verse 14 : " Now I am come to make thee under- 
 stand what shall befall thy people in the latter 
 days ; " the very information Gabriel had promised 
 to give, in chapter 8 : 19. But one conclusion can 
 be drawn from these facts. Daniel was seeking 
 further light on the very vision which Gabriel had 
 been commanded to make him understand. Once, 
 already, he had made a special visit to Daniel, to 
 give him additional information when he sought it 
 with prayer and fasting. Now, when he is prepared 
 for further instruction, and again seeks it in the 
 same manner, in reference to the same subject, can 
 it for a moment be supposed that Gabriel disre- 
 garded his instruction, lost sight of his mission, and 
 suffered another angel to undertake the completion 
 of his unfinished work ? And the language of 
 verse 14 clearly identifies the speaker with the one 
 who, in the vision of chapter 8, promised to do that 
 work. 
 
 VERSE 10. And, behold, a hand touched me, which set me 
 upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. 11. And 
 he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, under- 
 stand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright ; 
 for unto thee 'am I now sent. And when he had spoken 
 this word unto me, I stood trembling. 12. Then said he 
 unto me, Fear not, Daniel ; for from the first day that thou 
 didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself 
 
288 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for 
 thy words. 
 
 Daniel having fallen into a swoon at the ma- 
 jestic appearance of Gabriel (for so the expression, 
 " deep sleep," of verse nine is generally understood), 
 the angel approaches and lays his hand upon him 
 to give him assurance and confidence to stand in 
 his presence. He tells Daniel that he is a man 
 greatly beloved. Wonderful declaration! a mem- 
 ber of the human family, one of the same race with 
 us, loved, not merely in the general sense in which 
 God loved the whole world when he gave his Son 
 to die for them, but loved as an individual, and 
 that greatly ! Well might the prophet receive con- 
 fidence from such a declaration as that, to stand 
 even in the presence of Gabriel. He tells him, 
 moreover, that he is come for the purpose of an in- 
 terview with him, and he wishes him to bring his 
 mind into a proper state to understand his words. 
 Being thus addressed, the holy and beloved prophet, 
 assured, but yet trembling, stood before the heavenly 
 angel. 
 
 " Fear not, Daniel," continues Gabriel. He had 
 no occasion to fear before one, even though a divine 
 being, who had been sent to him because he was 
 greatly beloved, and in answer to his earnest 
 prayer. Nor ought the people of God, of any age, 
 to entertain a servile fear of any of those agents 
 who are sent forth to minister to their salvation. 
 There is, however, a disposition manifested among 
 far too many to allow their minds to conceive of 
 
CHAPTER X, VERSE 13. 289 
 
 Jesus and his angels as only stern ministers of jus- 
 tice, inflicters of vengeance and retribution, rather 
 than as beings who are earnestly working for our 
 salvation on account of the pity and love with 
 which they regard us. The presence of an angel, 
 should he appear bodily before them, would strike 
 them with terror ; and the thought that Christ is 
 soon to appear, and they are to be taken into his 
 presence, distresses and alarms them. We recom- 
 mend to such, juster views of the relation which 
 the Christian sustains to Christ, the head of the 
 church, and a little more of that perfect love which 
 casts out all fear. 
 
 On verse 12, Bagster has the following pointed 
 note : " Daniel, as Bp. Newton observes, was now 
 very far advanced in years ; for the third year of 
 Cyrus was the seventy-third of his captivity ; and 
 being a youth when carried captive, he cannot be 
 supposed to have been less than ninety. Old as he 
 was, 'he set his heart to understand' the former 
 revelations which had been made to him, and par- 
 ticularly the vision of the ram and he-goat, as may 
 be collected from the sequel ; and for this purpose 
 he prayed and fasted three weeks. His fasting and 
 prayers had the desired effect; for an angel was 
 sent to unfold to him those mysteries ; and whoever 
 would excel in divine knowledge, must imitate 
 Daniel, and habituate himself to study, temperance, 
 and devotion." 
 
 VERSE 13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia with- 
 stood me one and twenty days ; but, lo, Michael, one of the 
 
 19 
 
290 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 chief princes, came to help me ; and I remained there with 
 the kings of Persia. 
 
 How often the prayers of God's people are heard, 
 while as yet there is no apparent answer. It was 
 even so in this case with Daniel. The angel tells 
 him that from the first day he set his heart to un- 
 derstand, his words were heard. Yet Daniel con- 
 tinued to afflict his soul with fasting, and to wres- 
 tle with God for three full weeks, all unaware that 
 any respect was yet paid to his petition. But why 
 was the delay ? The king of Persia withstood the 
 angel. The answer to Daniel's prayer involved 
 some action on the part of that king. This action 
 he must be influenced to perform. It doubtless 
 pertained to the work which he was to do, and had 
 already begun to do, in behalf of the temple at Je- 
 rusalem, and the Jews, his decree for the building 
 of that temple being the first of the series which 
 finally constituted that great commandment to re- 
 store and build Jerusalem, from which the prophecy 
 dates. And the angel is dispatched to influence 
 him to go forward in -accordance with the divine 
 will. 
 
 Ah ! how little do we realize what is going on in 
 the unseen world in relation to human affairs. 
 Here, as it were, the curtain is for a moment lifted, 
 and we get a glimpse of the movements within. 
 Daniel prays. The Creator of the universe hears. 
 The command is issued to Gabriel to go to his re- 
 lief. But the king of Persia must act before Dan- 
 iel's prayer is answered ; and the angel hastens to 
 
CHAPTER X, VERSE 13. 99 1 
 
 the Persian king. Satan, no doubt, musters his 
 forces to oppose. They meet in the royal palace 
 of Persia. All the motives of selfish interest and 
 worldly policy which Satan can play upon, he 
 doubtless uses to the best advantage ; while Gabriel 
 brings to bear his influence in the other direction. 
 The king struggles between conflicting emotions. 
 He hesitates; he delays. Day after day passes 
 away ; yet Daniel prays on ; the king still refuses to 
 yield to the influence of the angel; three weeks 
 expire ; and lo ! a mightier than Gabriel takes his 
 place in the palace of the king, and Gabriel appears 
 to Daniel to acquaint him with the progress of 
 events. From the first, said he, your prayer was 
 heard; but these three weeks, during which you 
 have been praying and fasting, the king of Per- 
 sia resisted my influence, and prevented my com- 
 ing. 
 
 Such was the effect of prayer. And God has 
 erected no barriers between himself and his peo- 
 ple since Daniel's time. It is still their privilege 
 to offer up prayer as fervent and effectual as his, 
 and, like Jacob, to have power with God and to pre- 
 vail. 
 
 Who was Michael who here came to Gabriel's as- 
 sistance ? The term signifies, " He who is like 
 God ; " and the Scriptures clearly show that Christ 
 is the one who bears this name. Jude (verse 9) 
 tells us that Michael is the archangel. Archangel 
 signifies head or chief angel; and Gabriel, in our 
 text, calls him one, or, as the margin reads, the first, 
 
292 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 of the chief princes. There can be but one archan- 
 gel ; and hence it is manifestly improper to use the 
 word in the plural. The Scriptures never so use it. 
 Paul, in 1 Thess. 4 : 16, states that when the Lord 
 appears the second time to raise the dead, the voice 
 of the archangel is heard. Whose voice is heard 
 when the dead are raised ? The voice of the Son 
 of God. John 5 : 28. Putting these scriptures to- 
 gether, they prove, 1. That the dead are called 
 from their graves by the voice of the Son of God. 
 2. That the voice that is then heard is the voice of 
 the archangel The archangel, therefore, is the Son 
 of God. 3. The archangel is called Michael. 
 Therefore, Michael is the Son of God. In the last 
 verse of Daniel 10, he is called " your prince," and 
 in the first of chapter 12, "the great prince which 
 standeth for the children of thy people ; " expres- 
 sions which can appropriately be applied to Christ, 
 but not to any other. 
 
 VERSE 14. Now I am come to make thee understand what 
 shall befall thy people in the latter days ; for yet the vision 
 is for many days. 
 
 The expression, " yet the vision is for many days," 
 reaching far into the future, and embracing what 
 should befall the people of God even in the latter 
 days, shows conclusively that the days given in that 
 vision, namely, the 2300, cannot mean literal days, 
 but must be days of years. 
 
 VERSE 15. And when he had spoken such words unto me, 
 I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. 16. 
 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men 
 
CHAPTER X, VERSES 15-21. 293 
 
 touched my lips ; then I opened my mouth, and spake, and 
 said unto him that stood before me, O my Lord, by the vis- 
 ion my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no 
 strength. 17. For how can the servant of this my lord talk 
 with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained 
 no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. 
 
 One of the most marked characteristics mani- 
 fested by Daniel, was the tender solicitude he felt 
 for his people. Having come now to clearly com- 
 prehend that the vision portended long ages of op- 
 pression and suffering for the church, he was so 
 affected by the view, that his strength departed .. 
 from him, his breath ceased, and the power of 
 speech was gone. The vision of verse 16 doubtless 
 refers to the former vision of chapter 8. 
 
 VERSE 18. Then there came again and touched me one 
 like the Appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, 19, 
 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not : peace be unto 
 thee ; be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken 
 unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak ; 
 for thou hast strengthened me. 20. Then said he, Knowest 
 thou wherefore I come unto thee ? and now will I return to 
 fight with the prince of Persia ; and when I am gone forth, 
 lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. 21. But I will show 
 thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth; and there 
 is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael 
 your prince. 
 
 The prophet is at length strengthened to hear, in 
 full, the communication which the angel has to 
 make. And Gabriel says, " Knowest thou where- 
 fore I come unto thee ? " That is, do you now 
 know to what end I have come ? Do you under- 
 stand my purpose, so that you will no more fear ? 
 
294 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 He then announced his intention to return, as soon 
 as his communication was complete, to fight with 
 the king of Persia. The word, with, is in the Sep- 
 tuagint, meta, and signifies, not against, but in 
 common with, along side of ; that is, the angel of 
 God would stand on the side of the Persian king- 
 dom so long as it was in the providence of God that 
 that kingdom should continue. But when I am 
 gone forth, continues Gabriel, lo, the prince of Gre- 
 cia shall come. That is, when he withdraws his 
 support from that kingdom, and the providence of 
 God operates in behalf of another kingdom, the 
 prince of Grecia shall come, and the Persian mon- 
 archy be overthrown. 
 
 Gabriel then announced that none, God of course 
 excepted, had an understanding with him in the 
 matters he was about to communicate, except 
 Michael, the prince. And after he had made them 
 known to Daniel, then there were four beings in 
 the universe with whom rested a knowledge of 
 these important truths: Daniel, Gabriel, Christ, 
 and God. Four links in this ascending chain of 
 witnesses : the first, a member of the human family ; 
 the last, the highest Being in the universe ! 
 
Chapter XI. 
 
 A LITERAL PROPHECY. 
 
 VERSE 1. Also I hi the first year of Darius the Mede, 
 even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. 2. And 
 now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand 
 up yet three kings in Persia ; and the fourth shall be far 
 richer than they all ; and by his strength through his riches 
 he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. 
 
 We now enter upon a prophecy of future events, 
 clothed not in figures and symbols, as in the visions 
 of chapters 2, 7, and 8, hut given mostly in plain 
 language. Many of the signal events of the world's 
 history, from the days of Daniel to the end of the 
 world, are here brought to view. This prophecy^ 
 says Bishop Newton, may not improperly be said to 
 be a comment and explanation of the vision of 
 chapter 8. 
 
 The angel, after stating that he stood, in the first 
 year of Darius, to confirm and strengthen him, 
 turns his attention to the future. Three kings 
 shall yet stand up in Persia. To stand up, means 
 to reign ; three kings were to reign in Persia ; re- 
 ferring doubtless to the immediate successors of 
 Cyrus. These were, 1. Cambyses, son of Cyrus. 
 2. Smerdis, an impostor. 3. Darius Hystaspes. 
 
 The fourth shall be far richer than they all. 
 
 (295) 
 
296 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 The fourth king from Cyrus was Xerxes, more 
 famous for his riches than his generalship, and con- 
 spicuous in history for the magnificent campaign 
 he organized against Grecia, and his utter failure in 
 that enterprise. He was to stir up all against the 
 realm of Grecia. Never before had there been such 
 a levy of men for warlike purposes; never has 
 there been since. His army, according to Herodo- 
 tus, who lived in that age, consisted of five millions, 
 two hundred and eighty-three thousand, two hun- 
 dred and twenty men (5,283,220). And not con- 
 tent with stirring up the East alone, he enlisted 
 the Carthagenians of the West in his service, who 
 took the field with an additional army of three 
 hundred thousand men. 
 
 VERSE 3. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall 
 rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 4. 
 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, 
 and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven ; and 
 not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he 
 ruled ; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others 
 beside those. 
 
 The facts stated in these verses plainly point to 
 Alexander, and the division of his empire. See on 
 chapter 8 : 8. Xerxes was the last Persian king 
 who invaded Grecia ; the prophecy therefore passes 
 over the nine successors of Xerxes in the Per- 
 sian Empire, and next introduces Alexander tho 
 Great. Having overthrown the Persian Empire, 
 Alexander " became absolute monarch of that em- 
 pire, to the fullest extent it was ever possessed by 
 
CHAPTER AV, VEHSE 5. 297 
 
 any of the Persian kings." Prideaux i, 378. His 
 dominion was great, including "the greater portion 
 of the then known habitable world;" and he did ac- 
 cording to his will. His will fortunately led him, 
 B. c. 323, into a drunken debauch, in which he 
 fortunately died; and his vain-glorious and ambi- 
 tious projects went into sudden, total, and everlast- 
 ing eclipse. The kingdom was divided, but not for 
 his posterity ; it was plucked up for others besides 
 those. Within fifteen years after his death, all his 
 posterity had fallen victims to jealousy and ambi- 
 tion. Not one of the race of Alexander was left to 
 breathe upon the earth. So short is the transit from 
 the highest pinnacle of earthly glory to oblivion 
 and death. The kingdom was rent into four divis- 
 ions and taken possession of by Alexander's four 
 ablest, or perhaps most ambitious and unprincipled, 
 generals, Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Se- 
 leucus. 
 
 VERSE 5. And the king of the south shall be strong, and 
 one of his princes ; and he shall be strong above him, and 
 have dominion ; his dominion shall be a great dominion. 
 
 The king of the north and the king of the south 
 are many times referred to in the remaining por- 
 tion of this chapter. It becomes therefore essen- 
 tial to an understanding of the prophecy to clearly 
 identify these powers. When Alexander's empire 
 was divided, it was divided toward the four winds 
 of heaven, east, west, north, and south; these divis- 
 ions of course to be reckoned from the standpoint 
 of Palestine, the native land of the prophet. That 
 
298 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 division of the empire lying west of Palestine, 
 would thus constitute the kingdom of the west; 
 that lying east, the kingdom of the east ; that ly- 
 ing north, the kingdom of the north ; and that ly- 
 ing south, the kingdom of the south. The divisions 
 of Alexander's kingdom, with respect to Palestine, 
 were situated as follows : Cassander had Greece and 
 the adjacent countries, which lay to the west; 
 Lysimachus had Thrace, which then included Asia 
 Minor, and the countries lying on the Hellespont 
 and Bosporus, which lay to the north of Palestine ; 
 Ptolemy had Egypt and the neighboring countries, 
 which lay to the south; and Seleucus had Syria 
 and Babylon, which lay principally to the east. 
 
 During the wars and revolutions which for long 
 ages succeeded, these geographical boundaries were 
 frequently changed or obliterated ; old ones were 
 wiped out, and new ones instituted. But whatever 
 changes might occur, these first divisions of the em- 
 pire m ust determine the names, or we have no stand- 
 ard by which to test the application of the proph- 
 ecy. That is, whatever power at any time should 
 occupy the territory which at first constituted the 
 kingdom of the north, that power, so long as it oc- 
 cupied that territory, would be the king of the 
 north ; and whatever power should occupy that 
 which at first constituted the kingdom of the 
 south, that power would so long be the king of the 
 south. We speak of only these two, because they 
 are the only ones afterward spoken of in the proph- 
 ecy, and because, in fact, almost the whole of Alex- 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 6. 299 
 
 ander's empire finally resolved itself into these two 
 divisions. 
 
 Cassander was very soon conquered by Ly- 
 simachus, and his kingdom, Greece and Macedon, 
 annexed to Thrace. And Lysimachus was in turn 
 conquered by Seleucus, and Macedon and Thrace 
 annexed to Syria. 
 
 These facts prepare the way for an application of 
 the text before us. The king of the south, Egypt, 
 shall be strong. Ptolemy annexed Cyprus, Phoeni- 
 cia, Caria, Gyrene, and many islands and cities to 
 Egypt. Thus was his kingdom made strong. But 
 another of Alexander's princes is introduced in the 
 expression, "one of his princes." The Septuagint 
 translates the verse thus : " And the king of the 
 south shall be strong, and one of his [Alexander's] 
 princes shall be strong above him." This must re- 
 fer to Seleucus, who, as already stated, having con- 
 nected Macedon and Thrace to Syria, thus became 
 possessor of three parts out of four of Alexander's 
 dominion, and established a more powerful king- 
 dom than that of Egypt. 
 
 VERSE 6. And in the end of years they shall join them- 
 selves together ; for the king's daughter of the south shal] 
 come to the king of the north to make an agreement ; but 
 she shall not retain the power of the arm ; neither shall he 
 stand, nor his arm ; but she shall be given up, and they 
 that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that 
 strengthened her in these times. 
 
 There were frequent wars between the kings of 
 Egypt and Syria. Especially was this the case 
 with Ptolemy Philadelphus, the second king of 
 
 
300 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Egypt, and Antiochus Thetis, third king of Syria. 
 They at length agreed to make peace upon condi- 
 tion that Antiochus Theus should put away his 
 former wife, Laodice, and her two sons, and should 
 marry Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy Phila- 
 delphus. Ptolemy accordingly brought his daugh- 
 ter to Antiochus, bestowing with her an immense 
 treasury as a dowry. 
 
 " But she shall not retain the power of the arm ; " 
 that is, her interest and power with Antiochus. 
 And so it proved ; for some time shortly after, in a 
 lit of love, Antiochus brought back his former wife, 
 Laodice, and her children, to court again. Then 
 says the prophecy, " Neither shall he [Antiochus] 
 stand, nor his arm," or seed. Laodice, being re- 
 stored to favor and power, feared lest, in the fickle- 
 ness of his temper, Antiochus should again disgrace 
 her, and recall Berenice ; and conceiving that noth- 
 ing short of his death would be an effectual safe- 
 guard against such a contingency, she caused him 
 to be poisoned shortly after. Neither did his seed 
 by Berenice succeed him in the kingdom; for La- 
 odice so managed affairs as to secure the throne for 
 her eldest son, Seleucus Callinicus. 
 
 "But she [Berenice] shall be given up." Laodice, 
 not content with poisoning her husband, Antiochus, 
 caused Berenice to be murdered. " And they that 
 brought her." Her Egyptian women and atten- 
 dants, in endeavoring to defend her, were many of 
 them slain with her. "And he that begat her," 
 margin, " whom she brought forth ; " that is, her 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSES 7-9. 301 
 
 son, who was murdered at the same time by order 
 of Laodice. " And he that strengthened her in 
 these times ; " her husband, Antiochus, as Jerome 
 supposes, or those who took her part and defended 
 her. 
 
 But such wickedness could not long remain un- 
 punished, as the prophecy further predicts, and his- 
 tory further proves. 
 
 VERSE 7. But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand 
 up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall 
 enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal 
 against them, and shall prevail ; 8. And shall also carry cap- 
 tives into Egypt their gods, with theh* princes, and with 
 their precious vessels of silver and of gold ; and he shall con- 
 tinue more years than the king of the north. 9. So the king 
 of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return 
 into his own land. 
 
 This branch out of the same root with Berenice, 
 was her brother, Ptolemy Euergetes. He had no 
 sooner succeeded his father, Ptolemy Philadelphus, 
 in the kingdom of Egypt, than, burning to avenge 
 the death of his sister, Berenice, he raised an im- 
 mense army and invaded the territory of the king 
 of the north, that is, of Seleucus Callinicus, who, 
 with his mother, Laodice, reigned in Syria. And 
 he prevailed against them, even to the conquering 
 of Syria, Cilicia, the upper parts beyond the Eu- 
 phrates, and almost all Asia. But hearing that a 
 sedition was raised in Egypt, requiring his return 
 home, he plundered the kingdom of Seleucus, took 
 forty thousand talents of silver and precious vessels, 
 
302 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 and two thousand five hundred inmges of the gods. 
 Among these were the images which Cambyses had 
 formerly taken from Egypt and carried into Persia. 
 The Egyptians being wholly given to idolatry, be- 
 stowed upon Ptolemy the title of Euergetes, or the 
 Benefactor, as a compliment for his having thus, 
 after many years, restored their captive gods. 
 
 This, according to Bishop Newton, is Jerome's ac- 
 count, extracted from ancient historians ; but there 
 are authors still extant, he says, who confirm sev- 
 eral of the same particulars. Appian informs us 
 that Laodice, having killed Antiochus, and after 
 him both Berenice and her child, Ptolemy, the son 
 of Philadelphus, to revenge those murderers, in- 
 vaded Syria, slew Laodice, and proceeded as far as 
 Babylon. From Polybius we learn that Ptolemy, 
 surnamed Euergetes, being greatly incensed at 
 the cruel treatment of "his sister, Berenice, marched 
 with an army into Syria and took the city of Se- 
 leucia, which was kept for some years afterward by 
 the garrisons of the kings of Egypt. Thus did he 
 enter into the fortress of the king of the north. 
 Polyoenus affirms that Ptolemy made himself mas- 
 ter of all the country from Mount Taurus as far as 
 to India, without war or battle ; but he ascribes it 
 by mistake to the father instead of the son. Justin 
 asserts that if Ptolemy had not been recalled, by a 
 domestic sedition, into Egypt, he would have pos- 
 sessed the whole kingdom of Seleucus. The king 
 of the south thus came into the dominion of the 
 king of the north, and returned to his own land, as 
 
CHATTER XI, VERSE 10. 303 
 
 the prophet had foretold. And he also continued 
 more years than the king of the north ; for Seleu- 
 cus Callinicus died in exile, of a fall from his horse ; 
 and Ptolemy Euergetes survived him for four or 
 five years. 
 
 VERSE 10. But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall as- 
 semble a multitude of great forces ; and one shall certainly 
 come, and overflow, and pass through ; then shall he return, 
 and be stirred up, even to his fortress. 
 
 The first part of this verse speaks of sons, in the 
 -plural; the last part, of one, in the singular. The 
 sons of Seleucus Callinicus, were Seleucus Ceraunus 
 and Antiochus Magnus. These both entered with 
 zeal upon the work of vindicating and avenging the 
 cause of their father and their country. The elder 
 of these, Seleucus, first took the throne. He assem- 
 bled a great multitude to recover his father's do- 
 minions ; but being a weak and pusillanimous 
 prince, both in body and estate, destitute of money, 
 and unable to keep his army in obedience, he was 
 poisoned by two of his generals after an inglorious 
 reign of two or three years. His more capable 
 brother, Antiochus Magnus, was thereupon pro- 
 claimed king, who, taking charge of the army, re- 
 took Seleucia, and recovered Syria, making himself 
 master of some places by treaty, and of others, by 
 force of arms. A truce followed, wherein both sides 
 treated for peace, yet prepared for war ; after which, 
 Antiochus returned and overcame in battle Nicolaus, 
 the Egyptian general, and had thoughts of invading 
 Egypt itself. Here is the " one " who should cer- 
 tainly overflow and pass through. 
 
304 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 VERSE 11. And the king of the south shall be moved with 
 choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with 
 the king of the north ; and he shall set forth a great multi- 
 tude ; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. 
 
 Ptolemy Philopater succeeded his father, Euergetes, 
 in the kingdom of Egypt, being advanced to the 
 crown not long after Antiochus Magnus had suc- 
 ceeded his brother in the throne of Syria. He was 
 a most luxurious and vicious prince, but was at 
 length roused at the prospect of an invasion of 
 Egypt by Antiochus. He was indeed " moved with 
 choler " for the loses he had sustained, and the dan- 
 ger which threatened him ; and he came forth out 
 of Egypt with a numerous army to check the prog- 
 ress of the Syrian king. The king of the north was 
 also to set forth a great multitude. The army of 
 Antiochus, according to Polybius, amounted on this 
 occasion to sixty-two thousand foot, six thousand 
 horse, and one hundred and two elephants. In the 
 battle, Antiochus was defeated, and his army, accord- 
 ing to the prophecy, was given into the hands of 
 the king of the south. Ten thousand foot and three 
 thousand horse were slain ; and over four thousand 
 men were taken prisoners ; while of Ptolemy's army, 
 there were slain only seven hundred horse, and about 
 twice that number of infantry. 
 
 VERSE 12. And when he hath taken away the multitude, 
 his heart shall be lifted up ; and he shall cast down man} 
 ten thousands ; but he shall not be strengthened by it. 
 
 Ptolemy lacked the prudence to make a good 
 use of his victory. Had he followed up his success, 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 23. 305 
 
 he would probably have become master of the 
 whole kingdom of Antiochus ; but content with mak- 
 ing only a few menaces and a few threats, he made 
 peace that he might be able to give himself up to 
 the uninterrupted and uncontrolled indulgence of 
 his brutal passions. Thus, having conquered his 
 enemies, he was overcome by his vices, and, forget- 
 ful of the great name which he might have estab- 
 lished, he spent his time in feasting and lewdness. 
 His heart was lifted up by his success, but he was 
 far from being strengthened by it ; for the inglori- 
 ous use he made of it, caused his own subjects to 
 rebel against him. But the lifting up of his heart 
 was more especially manifested in his transactions 
 with the Jews. Coming to Jerusalem, he there of- 
 fered sacrifices, and was very desirous of entering 
 into the most holy place of the temple, contrary to 
 the law and religion of that place ; but being, 
 though with great difficulty, restrained, he left the 
 place, burning with anger against the whole nation 
 of the Jews, and immediately commenced against 
 them a terrible and relentless persecution. In Al- 
 exandria, where Jews had resided since the days of 
 Alexander, and enjoyed the privileges of the most 
 favored citizens, forty thousand, according to Euse- 
 bius, sixty, according to Jerome, were slain in this 
 persecution. The rebellion of the Egyptians, and 
 this massacre of the Jews, certainly was not calcu- 
 lated to strengthen him in his kingdom, but was 
 sufficient rather to almost totally ruin it. 
 
 VERSE 13. For the king of the north shall return, and 
 20 
 
306 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall 
 certainly come after certain years with a great army and 
 with much riches. 
 
 The events predicted in this verse were to occur 
 " after certain years." The peace concluded be- 
 tween Ptolemy Philopater and Antiochus, lasted 
 fourteen years. Meanwhile Ptolemy died from in- 
 temperance and debauchery, and was succeeded by 
 his son, Ptolemy Epiphanes, a child then four or five 
 years old. Antiochus, during the same time, hav- 
 ing suppressed rebellion in his kingdom, and reduced 
 and settled the eastern parts in their obedience, was 
 at leisure for any enterprise, when young Epipha- 
 nes came to the throne of Egypt; and thinking 
 this too good an opportunity for enlarging his do- 
 minion to be let slip, he raised an immense army, 
 "greater than the former" (for he had collected 
 many forces and acquired great riches in his eastern 
 expedition), and set out against Egypt, expecting to 
 have an easy victory over the infant king. How 
 he succeeded, we shall presently see ; for here new 
 complications enter into the affairs of these king- 
 doms, and new actors are introduced upon the stage 
 of history. 
 
 VERSE 14. And in those times there shall many stand up 
 against the king of the south ; also the robbers of thy people 
 shall exalt themselves to establish the vision ; but they shall 
 fall. 
 
 Antiochus was not the only one who rose up 
 against the infant Ptolerny. Agathocles, his prime 
 minister, having possession of the king's person, 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 14. 307 
 
 and conducting the affairs of the kingdom in his 
 stead, was so dissolute and proud in the exercise of 
 his power, that the provinces, which before were 
 subject to Egypt, rebelled ; Egypt itself was dis- 
 turbed by seditions ; and the Alexandrians rising 
 up against Agathocles, caused him, his sister, his 
 mother, and their associates, to be put to death. 
 At the same time, Philip, king of Macedon, entered 
 into a league with Antiochus, to divide the domin- 
 ions of Ptolemy between them, each proposing to 
 take the parts which lay nearest and most conven- 
 ient to him. Here was a rising up against the king 
 of the south, sufficient to fulfill the prophecy, and 
 the very events, beyond doubt, which the prophecy 
 intended. 
 
 A new power is now introduced " the robbers of 
 thy people;" literally, says Bishop Newton, "the 
 breakers of thy people." Far away on the banks of 
 the Tiber, a kingdom had been nourishing itself with 
 ambitious projects and dark designs. Small and 
 weak at first, it grew with marvelous rapidity in 
 strength and vigor, reaching out cautiously here 
 and there to try its prowess, and test the vigor of 
 its warlike arm, till, conscious of its power, it 
 boldly reared its head among the nations of the 
 earth, and seized with invincible hand the helm of 
 their affairs. Henceforth the name of Rome stands 
 upon the historic page, destined for long ages to 
 control the affairs of the world, and exert a mighty 
 influence among the nations, even to the end of 
 time. 
 
308 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Rome spoke; and Syria and Macedonia soon 
 found a change coming over the aspect of their 
 dream. The Romans interfered in behalf of the 
 young king of Egypt, determined that he should be 
 protected from the ruin devised by Antiochus and 
 Philip. This was B. c. 200, and was one of the first 
 important interferences of the Romans in the af- 
 fairs of Syria and Egypt. Rollin furnishes the 
 following succinct account of this matter : 
 
 Antiochus, king of Syria, and Philip, king of Macedonia, 
 during the reign of Ptolemy Philopater, had discovered the 
 strongest zeal for the interest of that monarch, and were 
 ready to assist him on all occasions. Yet, no sooner was he 
 dead, leaving behind him an infant, whom the laws of hu- 
 manity and justice enjoined them not to disturb in the pos- 
 session of his father's kingdom, than they immediately joined 
 in a criminal alliance, and excited each other to shake off 
 the lawful heir, and divide his dominions between them. 
 Philip was to have Caria, Libya, Cyrenaica, and Egypt ; and 
 Antiochus, all the rest. With this view, the latter entered 
 Coale-Syria and Palestine, and, in less than two campaigns, 
 made an entire conquest of the two provinces, with all their 
 cities and dependencies. Their guilt, says Polybius, would 
 not have been quite so glaring, had they, like tyrants, en- 
 deavored to gloss over their crimes with some specious pre- 
 tense ; but, so far from doing this, thoir in justice and cruelty 
 were so barefaced, that to them was applied what is gener- 
 ally said of fishes, that the larger ones, though of the same 
 species, prey on the lesser. One would be tempted, contin- 
 ues the same author, at seeing the most sacred laws of society 
 so openly violated, to accuse Providence of being indifferent 
 and insensible to most horrid crimes ; but it fully justified 
 its conduct, by punishing those two kings according to their 
 deserts ; and made such an example of them as ought, in all 
 succeeding ages, to deter others from following their example. 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 15. 309 
 
 For, while they were meditating to dispossess a weak and 
 helpless infant of his kingdom, by piecemeal, Providence 
 raised up the Romans against them, who entirely subverted 
 the kingdoms of Philip and Antioohus, and reduced their 
 successors to almost as great calamities as those with which 
 they intended to crush the infant king. " Anc. His. b. 18, c. L 
 
 " To establish the vision." The Romans, being 
 more prominently than any other people the subject 
 of Daniel's prophecy, their first interference in the 
 affairs of these kingdoms is here referred to as being 
 the establishment or demonstration of the truth of 
 the vision which predicted the existence of such a 
 power. 
 
 "But they shall fall." Some refer this to those 
 mentioned in the first part of the verse who should 
 stand up against the king of the south ; others, to 
 the robbers of Daniel's people, the Romans. It is 
 true in either case. If those who combined against 
 Ptolemy are referred to, all that need be said is that 
 they did speedily fall ; and if it applies to the 
 Romans, the prophecy simply looked forward to the 
 period of their overthrow. 
 
 VERSE 15. So the king of the north shall come, and cast 
 up a mount, and take the most fenced cities ; and the arms 
 of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, 
 neither shall there be any strength to withstand. 
 
 The tuition of the young king of Egypt was in- 
 trusted by the Roman Senate to M. Emilius Lepi- 
 dus, who appointed Aristomenes, an old and experi- 
 enced minister of that court, his guardian. His 
 first act was to provide against the threatened in- 
 vasion of the two confederated kings, Philip and 
 
310 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Antiochus. To this end, he dispatched Scopas, a 
 famous general of ^Etolia, then in the service of the 
 Egyptians, into his native country to raise reinforce- 
 ments for the army. Having equipped an army, 
 he marched into Palestine and Coele-Syria (Anti- 
 ochus being engaged in a war with Attains in 
 lesser Asia), and reduced all Judea into subjection 
 to the authority of Egypt. 
 
 Thus affairs were brought into a posture for the 
 fulfillment of the verse before us. For Antiochus, 
 desisting from his war with Attalus at the dicta- 
 tion of the Romans, took speedy steps for the re- 
 covery of Palestine and Ccele- Syria from the hands 
 of the Egyptians. Scopas was sent to oppose him. 
 Near the sources of the Jordan, the two armies met. 
 Scopas was defeated, pursued to Sidon, and there 
 closely besieged. Three of the ablest generals of 
 Egypt, with their best forces, were sent to raise the 
 siege, but without success. At length Scopas, 
 meeting, in the gaunt and intangible specter of 
 famine, a foe with whom he was unable to cope, 
 was forced to surrender on the dishonorable terms 
 of life only ; whereupon he and his ten thousand 
 men were suffered to depart, stripped and naked. 
 Here was the taking of the most fenced cities by 
 the king of the north ; for Sidon was, both in its 
 situation and its defenses, one of the strongest cities 
 of those times. Here was the failure of the arms 
 of the south to withstand, and the failure also of 
 the people which the king of the south had chosen, 
 namely, Scopas and his ^Etolian forces. 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 16. 311 
 
 VERSE 16. But he that cometh against him shall do ac- 
 cording to his own will, and none shall stand before him ; 
 and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand 
 shall be consumed. 
 
 Although Egypt could not stand before Anti- 
 ochus, the king of the north, Antiochus could not 
 stand before the Romans, who now came against 
 him. No kingdoms were longer able to resist this 
 rising power. Syria was conquered and added to 
 the Roman Empire, when Pompey, B. c. 65, de- 
 prived Antiochus Asiaticus of his possessions, and 
 reduced Syria to a Roman province. 
 
 The same power was also to stand in the holy 
 land and consume it. Rome became connected 
 with the people of God, the Jews, by alliance, B. c. 
 161, from which date it holds a prominent place in 
 the prophetic calendar. It did not, however, ac- 
 quire jurisdiction over Judea by actual conquest till 
 B. c. 63 ; and then in the following manner : 
 
 On Pompey 's return from his expedition against 
 Mithridates, king of Pontus, two competitors, Hyr- 
 canus and Aristobulus, were struggling for the 
 crown of Judea. Their cause came before Pompey, 
 who soon perceived the injustice of the claims of 
 Aristobulus, but wished to defer decision in the 
 matter till after his long coveted expedition into 
 Arabia, promising then to return and settle their 
 affairs, as should seem just and proper. Aristobu- 
 lu's, fathoming Pompey 's real sentiments, hastened 
 back to Judea, armed his subjects, and prepared 
 for a vigorous defense, determined, at all hazards, 
 
312 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 to keep that crown which he foresaw would be ad- 
 judicated to another. Pompey closely followed the 
 fugitive. As he approached Jerusalem, Aristobu- 
 lus, beginning to repent of his course, came out to 
 meet him, and endeavored to accommodate matters 
 by promising entire submission, and large sums of 
 money. Pompey, accepting this offer, sent Ga- 
 binius at the head of a detachment of soldiers, to 
 receive the money. But when that lieutenant-gen- 
 eral arrived at Jerusalem, he found the gates shut 
 against him, and was told from the top of the walls 
 that the city would not stand to the agreement. 
 
 Pompey, not to be deceived in this way with im- 
 punity, put Aristobulus, whom he had retained with 
 him, in irons, and immediately marched against Je- 
 rusalem with his whole army. The partisans of 
 Aristobulus were for defending the place ; those of 
 Hyrcanus, for opening the gates. The latter being 
 in the majority, and prevailing, Pompey was given 
 free entrance into the city. Whereupon the adhe- 
 rents of Aristobulus retired to the mountain of the 
 temple, as fully determined to defend that place as 
 Pompey was to reduce it. At the end of three 
 months, a breach was made in the wall sufficient 
 for an assault, and the place was carried at the 
 point of the sword. In the terrible slaughter that 
 ensued, twelve thousand persons were slain. It 
 was an affecting sight, observes the historian, .to 
 see the priests, engaged at the time in divine ser- 
 vice, pursue with calm hand and steady purpose, 
 their accustomed work, apparently unconscious Ox 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 17. 313 
 
 the wild tumult, though all around them their 
 friends were being given to the slaughter, and 
 though often their own blood mingled with that of 
 their sacrifices. 
 
 Having put an end to the war, Pompey demol- 
 ished the walls of Jerusalem, transferred several 
 cities from the jurisdiction of Judea to that of 
 Syria, and imposed tribute on the Jews. Thus for 
 the first time was Jerusalem placed by conquest in 
 the hands of that power which was to hold the 
 " glorious land " in its iron grasp till it had utterly 
 consumed it. 
 
 VERSE 17. He shall also set his face to enter with the 
 strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him ; 
 thus shall he do : and he shall give him the daughter of 
 women, corrupting her ; but she shall not stand on his side, 
 neither be for him. 
 
 Bishop Newton furnishes another reading for the 
 verse, which seems to express more clearly the sense, 
 as follows : " He shall also set his face to enter by 
 force the whole kingdom." Verse 16 brought us 
 down to the conquest of Syria and Judea by the 
 Romans. Rome had previously conquered Mace- 
 don and Thrace. Egypt was now all that remained 
 of the " whole kingdom " of Alexander, not brought 
 into subjection to the Roman power, which power 
 now set its face to enter by force into that country. 
 
 Ptolemy Auletes died B. c. 51. He left the 
 crown and kingdom of Egypt to his eldest son and 
 daughter, Ptolemy and Cleopatra. It was provided 
 in his will that they should marry together and 
 
314 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 reign jointly ; and because they were young, they 
 were placed under the guardianship of the Romans. 
 The Roman people accepted the charge, and ap- 
 pointed Ponipey as guardian of the young heirs of 
 Egypt. 
 
 A quarrel having not long after broken out be- 
 tween Pompey and Caesar, the famous battle of 
 Pharsalia was fought between the two generals. 
 Pompey, being defeated, fled into Egypt. Caesar 
 immediately followed him thither; but before his 
 arrival, Pompey was basely murdered by Ptolemy, 
 whose guardian he had been appointed. Caesar 
 therefore assumed the appointment which had been 
 given to Pompey, as guardian of Ptolemy and Cle- 
 opatra. He found Egypt in commotion from in- 
 testine disturbances, Ptolemy and Cleopatra having 
 become hostile to each other, and she being deprived 
 of her share in the government. Notwithstand- 
 ing this, he did not hesitate to land at Alexandria 
 with his small force, 800 horse and 3,200 foot, take 
 cognizance of the quarrel, and undertake its settle- 
 ment. The troubles daily increasing, Caesar found 
 his small force to be insufficient to maintain his po- 
 sition, and being unable to leave Egypt on account 
 of the north wind which blew at that season, he 
 sent into Asia, ordering all the troops he had in 
 that quarter to come to his assistance as soon as 
 possible. 
 
 In the most haughty manner he decreed that 
 Ptolemy and Cleopatra should disband their armies, 
 appear before him for a settlement of their differ- 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 27. 315 
 
 ences, and abide by his decision. Egypt being an 
 independent kingdom, this haughty decree was 
 considered an affront to its royal dignity, at which 
 the Egyptians, highly incensed, flew to arms. Cae- 
 sar replied that he acted by virtue of the will of 
 their father Auletes, who had put his children un- 
 der the guardianship of the senate and people of 
 Rome, the whole authority of which was now 
 vested in his person as consul ; and that, as guard- 
 ian, he had the right to arbitrate between them. 
 
 The matter was finally brought before him, and 
 advocates appointed to plead the cause of the re- 
 spective parties. Cleopatra, aware of the foible of 
 the great Roman conqueror, judged that the beauty 
 of her presence would be more effectual in securing 
 judgment in her favor than any advocate she could 
 employ. To reach his presence undetected, she 
 had recourse to the following strategem : Laying 
 herself at full length in a bundle of clothes, Apollo- 
 dorus, her Sicilian servant, wrapped it up in a cloth, 
 tied it with a thong, and raising it upon his Her- 
 culean shoulders, sought the apartments of Csesar. 
 Claiming to have a present for the Roman general, 
 he was admitted through the gate of the citadel, 
 entered into the presence of Csesar, and deposited 
 the burden at his feet. Undoing the bundle, the 
 beautiful Cleopatra stood before him. Caesar was 
 far from being displeased with the strategem, and, 
 being of a character described in 2 Pet. 2 : 14, the 
 first sight of so beautiful a person, says Rollin, had 
 all the effect upon him she had desired. 
 
316 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Caesar at length decreed that the brother and sis- 
 ter should occupy the throne jointly, according to 
 the intent of the will. Pothinus, the chief minister 
 of State, having been principally instrumental in 
 expelling Cleopatra from the throne, feared the re- 
 sult of her restoration. He therefore began to ex- 
 cite jealousy and hostility against Caesar, by insin- 
 uating among the populace that he designed 
 eventually to give Cleopatra the sole power. Open 
 sedition soon followed. Achillas, at the head of 
 20,000 men, advanced to drive Caesar from Alexan- 
 dria. Skillfully disposing his small body of men 
 in the streets and alleys of the city, Caesar found 
 no difficulty in repelling the attack. The Egyp- 
 tians undertook to destroy his fleet. He retorted by 
 burning theirs. Some of the burning vessels be- 
 ing driven near the quay, several of the buildings 
 of the city took fire, and the famous Alexandrian 
 library, containing nearly 400,000 volumes, was de- 
 stroyed. 
 
 The war growing more threatening, Caesar sent 
 into all the neighboring countries for help. A 
 large fleet came from Asia Minor to his assistance. 
 Mithridates set out for Egypt with an army raised 
 in Syria and Cilicia. Antipater, the Idumean, joined 
 him with 3000 Jews. The Jews, who held the 
 passes into Egypt, permitted the army to pass on 
 without interruption. Without this, the whole plan 
 must have failed. The arrival of this army decided 
 the contest. A decisive battle was fought near the 
 Nile, resulting in a complete victory for Caesar. 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 18. 317 
 
 Ptolemy attempting to escape, was drowned in the 
 river. Alexandria and all Egypt then submitted to 
 the victor. Rome had now entered into, and ab- 
 sorbed, the whole of the original kingdom of Alex- 
 ander. 
 
 By the " upright ones " of the text, are doubt- 
 less meant the Jews, who gave him the assistance 
 already mentioned. Without this, he must have 
 failed ; with it, he completely subdued Egypt to his 
 power, B. c. 47. 
 
 " The daughter of women, corrupting her." The 
 passion which Caesar had conceived for Cleopa- 
 tra, by whom he had one son, is assigned by the his- 
 torian as the sole reason of his undertaking so dan- 
 gerous a campaign as the Egyptian war. This kept 
 him much longer in Egypt than his affairs required, 
 he spending whole nights in feasting and carousing 
 with the dissolute queen. But, said the prophet, 
 she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. 
 Cleopatra afterward joined herself to Antony, the 
 enemy of Augustus Caesar, and exerted her whole 
 power against Rome. 
 
 VERSE 18. After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, 
 and shall take many : but a prince for his own behalf shall 
 cause the reproach offered by him to cease ; without his own 
 reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. 
 
 War with Pharnaces, king of the Cimmerian 
 Bosporus, at length drew him away from Egypt. 
 " On his arrival where the enemy was," says Prid- 
 eaux, "he, without giving any respite either to 
 himself or them, immediately fell on, and gained an 
 
318 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 absolute. victory over, them; an account whereof he 
 wrote to a friend of his in these three words : Veni, 
 vidi, vici, I came, I saw, I conquered." The latter 
 part of this verse is involved in some obscurity, and 
 there is difference of opinion in regard to its appli- 
 cation. Some apply it farther back in Caesar's life, 
 and think they find a fulfillment in his quarrel with 
 Pompey. But we think that preceding and subse- 
 quent events, clearly defined in the prophecy, com- 
 pel us to look for the fulfillment of this part of the 
 prediction between the victory over Pharnaces, and 
 Caesar's death at Rome as brought to view in the 
 following verse. A more fall history of this pe- 
 riod might bring to view events which would render 
 the application of this passage unembarrassed. 
 
 VERSE 19. Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of 
 his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be 
 found. 
 
 After this conquest, Caesar defeated the last re- 
 maining fragments of Pompey 's party, Cato and 
 Scipio in Africa, and Labienus and Varus in Spain. 
 Ee turning to Rome, the " fort of his own land," he 
 was made perpetual dictator ; and such other pow- 
 ers and honors were granted him, as rendered him 
 in fact absolute sovereign of the whole empire. 
 But the prophet had said that he should stumble and 
 fall. The language implies that his overthrow 
 would be sudden and unexpected, like a person ac- 
 cidentally stumbling in his walk. And so this man, 
 who had fought and won five hundred battles, taken 
 one thousand cities, and slain one million one hun- 
 
CHATTER XI, VERSE 20. 319 
 
 dred and ninety-two thousand men, fell, not in the 
 din of battle and the hour of strife, but when he 
 thought his pathway was smooth and strewn with 
 flowers, and when danger was supposed to be far 
 away ; for, taking his seat in the senate chamber, 
 upon his throne of gold, to receive at the hands of 
 that body the title of king, the dagger of treachery 
 suddenly struck him to the heart. Cassius, Brutus, 
 and other conspirators, rushed upon him, and he 
 fell, pierced with twenty-three wounds. Thus he 
 suddenly stumbled and fell, and was not found, B. c. 
 44. 
 
 VERSE 20. Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of 
 taxes in the glory of the kingdom ; but within few days he 
 shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. 
 
 Augustus Caesar succeeded his uncle Julius, by 
 whom he had been adopted as his successor. Being 
 in a distant province engaged in the study of rhet- 
 oric and eloquence, when he heard of his uncle's 
 tragical death, he displayed marked ability in re- 
 turning to Rome, placing himself at the head of the 
 army, and establishing himself the successor to Ju- 
 lius, according to his design. He publicly an- 
 nounced his adoption by his uncle, and took his 
 name, to which he added that of Octavianus. Com- 
 bining with Mark Antony and Lepidus, to avenge 
 the death of Cresar, they formed what is called the 
 Triumvirate form of government. Having subse- 
 quently firmly established himself in the empire, 
 the senate conferred upon him the title of Augustus, 
 and the other members of the Triumvirate being 
 now dead, he became supreme ruler. 
 
320 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 He was emphatically a raiser of taxes. Luke, in 
 speaking of the events that transpired at the time 
 when Christ was born, says : " And it came to pass 
 in those days that there went out a decree from 
 Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." 
 Luke 2 : 1. That taxing which embraced all the 
 world was an event worthy of notice ; and the per- 
 son who enforced it has certainly a claim to the 
 title of "a raiser of taxes," above every. other com- 
 petitor. 
 
 And he stood up in the glory of the kingdom. 
 Rome stood in his days at the pinnacle of its great- 
 ness and power. The " Augustan Age " is an ex- 
 pression everywhere used to denote the golden age 
 of Koman history. Rome never saw a brighter 
 hour. Peace was promoted, justice maintained, 
 luxury curbed, discipline established, and learning 
 encouraged. In his reign, the temple of Janus was 
 for the third time shut, since the foundation of 
 Rome, signifying that all the world was at peace ; 
 and at this auspicious hour, our Lord was born in 
 Bethlehem of Judea. In a little less than eight- 
 
 O 
 
 een years after the taxing brought to view, seem- 
 ing but a "few days" to the distant gaze of the 
 prophet, Augustus died, not in anger nor in battle, 
 but peacefully in his bed, at Nola whither he had 
 gone to seek repose and health, A. D. 14, in the 76th 
 year of his age. 
 
 VERSE 21. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, 
 to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom ; but 
 he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flat- 
 teries. 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 21. 
 
 321 
 
 Tiberius Caesar next appeared after Augustus 
 Caesar on the Roman throne. He was raised to the 
 consulate in his twenty- eighth year. It is recorded 
 that as Augustus was about to nominate his suc- 
 cessor, his wife Li via besought him to nominate Ti- 
 berius (her son by a former husband) ; but the em- 
 peror said, " Your son is too vile to wear the purple 
 of Rome;" and the nomination was given to 
 Agrippa, a very virtuous and much-respected Roman 
 citizen. But the prophecy had foreseen that a vile 
 person should succeed Augustus. Agrippa died : 
 and Augustus was again under the necessity of 
 choosing a successor. Livia renewed her interces- 
 sions for Tiberius ; and Augustus, weakened by age 
 and sickness, was more easily flattered, and finally 
 consented to nominate as his colleague and suc- 
 cessor, that " vile " young man. But the citizens 
 never gave him the love, respect, and " honor of the 
 kingdom," due to an upright and faithful sovereign. 
 
 How clear a fulfillment is this of the prediction 
 that they should not give him the honor of the 
 kingdom. But he was to come in peaceably and 
 obtain the kingdom by flatteries. A paragraph 
 from the Encyclopedia Americana, shows how 
 this was fulfilled : 
 
 "During the remainder of the life of Augustus, he [Tibe- 
 rius] behaved with great prudence and ability, concluding a 
 war with the Germans in such a manner as to merit a tri- 
 umph. After the defeat of Yarus and his legions, he was 
 sent to check the progress of the victorious Germans, and 
 acted in that war with equal spirit and prudence. On the 
 death of Augustus, he succeeded, without opposition, to the 
 21 
 
322 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 sovereignty of the empire ; which, however, with his charac- 
 teristic dissimulation, he affected to decline, until repeatedly 
 solicited by the servile senate." 
 
 Dissimulation on his part, flattery on the part of 
 the servile senate, and a possession of the kingdom 
 without opposition such were the circumstances 
 attending his accession to the throne ; and such 
 were the circumstances for which the prophecy 
 called. 
 
 The person brought to view in the text is called 
 "a vile person." Was such the character sustained 
 by Tiberius ? Let another paragraph from the 
 Encyclopedia answer : 
 
 " Tacitus records the events of this reign, including the 
 suspicious death of Germanicus, the detestable administra- 
 tion of Se janus, the poisoning of Drusus, with all the ex- 
 traordinary mixture of tyranny with occasional wisdom and 
 good sense, which distinguished the conduct of Tiberius, un- 
 til his infamous and dissolute retirement, A. D. 26, to the 
 isle of Caprese, in the bay of Naples, never to return to 
 Rome. On the death of Livia, A. D. 29, the only restraint 
 upon his actions and those of the detestable Sejanus, was 
 removed, and the destruction of the widow and family of 
 Germanicus followed. At length the infamous favorite ex- 
 tending his views to the empire itself, Tiberius, informed 
 of his machinations, prepared to encounter him with his fa- 
 vorite weapon, dissimulation. Although fully resolved upon 
 his destruction, he accumulated honors upon him, declared 
 him his partner in the consulate, and, after long playing 
 with his credulity, and that of the senate, who thought him 
 in greater favor than ever, he artfully prepared for his ar- 
 rest. Sejanus fell deservedly and unpitied ; but many in- 
 iiocent persons shared in his destruction, in consequence of 
 the suspicion and cruelty of Tiberius, which now exceeded 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE SS. 
 
 all limits. The remainder of the reign of this tyrant is lit- 
 tle more than a disgusting narrative of servility on the one 
 hand, and of despotic ferocity on the other. That he him- 
 self endured as much misery as he inflicted, is evident from 
 the following commencement of one of his letters to the sen- 
 ate : ' What I shall write to you, conscript fathers, or what 
 I shall not write, or why I should write at all, may the gods 
 and goddesses plague me more than I feel daily that they are 
 doing, if I can tell.' ' What mental torture,' observes Tac- 
 itus, in reference to this passage, ' which could extort such 
 a confession !' " 
 
 " Seneca remarks of Tiberius that he was never intoxi- 
 cated but once in his life ; for he continued in a state of 
 perpetual intoxication from the time he gave himself to 
 drinking, to the last moment of his life. " 
 
 Tyranny, hyprocrisy, infamous debauchery, and 
 beastly intemperance if these traits and practices 
 show a man to be vile, Tiberius exhibited that char- 
 acter in disgusting perfection. 
 
 VERSE 22. And with the arms of a flood shall they be 
 overflown from before him, and shall be broken ; yea, also 
 the prince of the covenant. 
 
 Bishop Newton presents the following reading as 
 agreeing better with the original : "And the arms 
 of the overflower shall be overflown from before 
 him, and shall be broken." The expressions signify 
 revolution and violence; and in fulfillment we 
 should look for the arms of Tiberius, the overflower, 
 to be overflown, or, in other words, for him to suf- 
 fer a violent death. To show how this was accom- 
 plished, we again have recourse to the Encyclopedia 
 Americana, art. Tiberius : 
 
324 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 "Acting the hypocrite to the last, he disguised his increas- 
 ing debility as much as he was able, even affecting to join 
 in the sports and exercises of the soldiers of his guard. At 
 length, leaving his favorite island, the scene of the most dis- 
 gusting debaucheries, he stopped at a country house near the 
 promontory of Micenum, where, on the sixteenth of March, 
 37, he sunk into a lethargy, in which he appeared dead ; and 
 Caligula was preparing with a numerous escort to take pos- 
 session of the empire, when his sudden revival threw them 
 into consternation. At this critical instant, Macro, the pre- 
 torian prefect, caused him to be suffocated with pillows. 
 Thus expired the emperor Tiberius, in the seventy-eighth 
 year of his age, and twenty-third of his reign, universally 
 execrated." 
 
 "The prince of the covenant" unquestionably 
 refers to Jesus Christ, the "Messiah the Prince," 
 who was to " confirm the covenant " one week with 
 his people. Dan. 9 : 25-27. The prophet, having 
 taken us down to the death of Tiberius, now men- 
 tions incidentally an event to transpire in his reign, 
 so important that it should not be passed over; 
 namely, the cutting off of the prince of the cove- 
 nant, or, in other words, the death of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. According to the prophecy this took place 
 in the reign of Tiberius. Luke informs us (3 : 1-3) 
 that in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius 
 Caesar, John the Baptist commenced his ministry. 
 The reign of Tiberius is to be reckoned, according 
 to Prideaux, Dr. Hales, Lardner, and others, from 
 his elevation to the throne to reign jointly with 
 Augustus, his father-in-law, in August, A. D. 12. 
 His fifteenth year would therefore be from August, 
 A. D. 26, to August, A D. 27. Christ was six months 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 23. 325 
 
 younger than John, and is supposed to have com- 
 menced his ministry six months later, both, accord- 
 ing to the law of the priesthood, entering upon 
 their work when they were thirty years of age. 
 If John commenced in the spring, in the latter por- 
 tion of Tiberius' 15th year, it would bring the 
 commencement of Christ's ministry in the autumn 
 of A. D. 27 ; and here the best of authorities place 
 the baptism of Christ, it being the exact point 
 where the 483 years from B. c. 457, which were to 
 extend to the Messiah the . Prince, terminated ; and 
 Christ went forth proclaiming that the time was 
 fulfilled. From this point, we go forward three 
 years and a half to find the date of the crucifixion; 
 for Christ attended but four passovers, and was cru- 
 cified at the last one. Three and a half years from 
 the autumn of A. D. 27, bring us to the spring of 
 A. D. 31. The death of Tiberius is placed but six 
 years later, in A. D. 37. 
 
 VERSE 23. And after the league made with him he shall 
 work deceitfully ; for he shall come up, and shall become 
 strong with a small people. 
 
 The " him " with whom the league here spoken 
 of is made, must be the same power which has 
 been the subject of the prophecy from the 14th verse; 
 and that this is the Roman power is shown beyond 
 controversy in the fulfillment of the prophecy in 
 three individuals, as already noticed, who succes- 
 sively ruled over the Roman Empire, namely, Ju- 
 lius, Augustus, and Tiberius Caesar. The first, on 
 returning to the fort of his own land in triumph, 
 
326 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 .-tumbled and fell and was not found. Verse 19. 
 The second was a raiser of taxes ; and he reigned 
 in the glory of the kingdom, and died neither in an- 
 ger nor in battle, but peacefully in his own bed. 
 Verse 20. The third was a dissembler, and one of 
 the vilest of characters. He entered upon the 
 kingdom peaceably, but ended both his reign and 
 his life by violence. And in his reign the prince of 
 the covenant, Jesus of Nazareth, was put to death 
 upon the cross. Verses 21, 22. Christ can never 
 be broken or put to death again ; hence in no other 
 government, and at no other time, can we find a ful- 
 fillment of 'these events. Some attempt to apply 
 these verses to Antiochus, and make one of the 
 Jewish high priests the prince of the covenant, 
 though they are never called such. This is the 
 same kind of reasoning which endeavors to make 
 the reign of Antiochus a fulfillment of the little 
 horn of Dan. 8 ; and it is offered for the same pur- 
 pose, namely, to break the great chain of evidence 
 by which it is shown that the Advent doctrine is 
 the doctrine of the Bible, and that Christ is now 
 at the door. But the chain cannot be broken nor 
 the evidence be overthrown. 
 
 Having taken us down through the secular events 
 of the empire to the end of the seventy weeks, the 
 prophet, in verse 23, takes us back to the time when 
 the Romans became directly connected with the 
 people of God, by the Jewish league, B. c. 161 ; 
 from which point we are then taken down in a di- 
 rect line of events to the final triumph of the church, 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 24. 327 
 
 and the setting up of God's everlasting kingdom. 
 The Jews being grievously oppressed by the Syrian 
 kings, sent an embassy to Rome, to solicit the aid 
 of the Romans, and to join themselves in " a league 
 of amity and confederacy with them." 1. Mac. 8 ; 
 Prideaux, ii, 166 ; Joseph us' Antiq., book xii, chap, 
 x, sec. 6. The Romans listened to the request of 
 the Jews, and granted them a decree couched in 
 these words : 
 
 1 'The decree of the senate concerning a league of assist- 
 ance and friendship with the nation of the Jews. It shall 
 not be lawful for any that are subject to the Romans, to 
 make war with the nation of the Jews, nor to assist those 
 that do so, either by sending them corn, or ships, or money ; 
 and if any attack be made upon the Jews, the Romans shall 
 assist them as far they are able ; and again, if any attack be 
 made upon the Romans, the Jews shall assist them. And if 
 the Jews have a mind to add to, or to take from, this league 
 of assistance, that shall be done with the common consent of 
 the Romans. And whatever addition shall thus be made, it 
 shall be of force." "This decree," says Joscphus, "was 
 written by Eupolemus, the son of John, and by Jason, the 
 son of Eleazer, when Judas was high priest of the nation, 
 and Simon, his brother, was general of the army. And this 
 was the first league that the Romans made with the Jews, 
 and was managed after this manner. " 
 
 At this time, the Romans were a small people, 
 and began to work deceitfully, or with cunning, as 
 the word signifies. And from this point they rose 
 by a steady and rapid ascent to the height of power 
 which they afterward attained. 
 
 VERSE 24. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest 
 places of the province ; and he shall do that which his fa- 
 
328 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 thers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers ; he shall scat- 
 ter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches ; yea, and he 
 shall forecast his devices against the strongholds, even for a 
 time. 
 
 The usual manner in which nations had, before 
 the days of Rome, entered upon valuable provinces 
 and rich territory, was by war and conquest. 
 Rome was now to do what had not been done by 
 the fathers, or the fathers' fathers, namely, receive 
 these acquisitions through peaceful means. The 
 custom, before unheard of, was now inaugurated, 
 of kings' leaving by legacy their kingdoms to the 
 Romans. Rome came into possession of a large 
 portion of its provinces in this manner. 
 
 And those who thus came under the dominion 
 of Rome derived no small advantage therefrom. 
 They were treated with kindness and leniency. 
 It was like. having the prey and spoil distributed 
 among them. They were protected from their 
 enemies, and rested in peace and safety under the 
 aegis of the Roman power. 
 
 To the latter portion of this verse, Bishop New- 
 ton gives the idea of forecasting de vices from strong- 
 holds, instead of against them. This the Romans 
 did frv>m the strong fortress of their seven-hilled 
 city. "Even for a time," doubtless a prophetic time, 
 360 years. From what point are these years to be 
 dated ? Probably from the event brought to view 
 in the following verse. 
 
 VERSE 25. And he shall stir up his power and his courage 
 against the king of the south with a great army ; and the 
 
CHATTER XI, VElttSE 25. 329 
 
 king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very 
 great and mighty army ; but he shall not stand ; for they 
 shall forecast devices against him. 
 
 By verses 23 and 24, we are brought down this 
 side of the league between the Jews and the Ro- 
 mans, B. c. 161, to the time when Rome had ac- 
 quired universal dominion. The verse now before 
 us brings to view a vigorous campaign against the 
 king of the south, Egypt, and the occurrence of a 
 notable battle between great and mighty armies. 
 Did such events as these transpire in the history of 
 Rome about this time ? They did. The war was 
 the war between Egypt and Rome ; and the battle 
 was the battle of Actium. Let us take a brief 
 glance at the circumstances that led to this conflict. 
 
 Mark Antony, Augustus Caesar, and Lepidus, 
 constituted the Triumvirate which had sworn to 
 avenge the death of Julius Caesar. This Antony 
 became the brother-in-law of Augustus, by marry- 
 ing his sister eta via. Antony was sent into 
 Egypt on government business, but fell a victim 
 to the arts and charms of Cleopatra, Egypt's dis- 
 solute queen. So strong was the passion he con- 
 ceived for her, that he finally espoused the Egyp- 
 tian interests, rejected his wife Octavia to please 
 Cleopatra, bestowed province after province upon 
 the latter to gratify her avarice, celebrated a tri- 
 umph at Alexandria instead of Rome, and other- 
 wise so affronted the Roman people, that Augus- 
 tus had no difficulty in leading them to engage 
 heartily in a war against this enemy of their 
 
330 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 country. The war was ostensibly against Egypt 
 and Cleopatra; but it was really against Antony, 
 who now stood at the head of Egyptian affairs. 
 And the true cause of their controversy was, says 
 Prideaux, that neither of them could be content 
 with only half of the Roman Empire ; for Lepidus 
 having been deposed from the Triumvirate, it now 
 lay between them, and each being determined to 
 possess the whole, they cast the die of war for its 
 possession. 
 
 Antony assembled his fleet at Samos. Five hun- 
 dred ships of war, of extraordinary size and struct- 
 ure, having several decks one above another, with 
 towers upon the head and stern, made an impos- 
 ing and formidable array. These ships carried two 
 hundred thousand foot, and twelve thousand horse. 
 The kings of Libya, Cilicia, Cappadocia, Paphla- 
 gonia, Comagenia, and Thrace, were there in per- 
 son ; and those of Pontus, Judea, Lycaonia, Galatia 
 and Media, had sent their troops. A more splendid 
 and gorgeous military spectacle than this fleet of 
 battle ships, as they spread their sails, and moved 
 out upon the bosom of the sea, the world has rarely 
 seen. Surpassing all in magnificence, came the 
 galley of Cleopatra, floating like a palace of gold 
 beneath a cloud of purple sails. Its flags and 
 streamers fluttered in the wind, and trumpets and 
 other instruments of war, made the heavens re- 
 sound with notes of joy and triumph. Antony fol- 
 lowed close after in a galley of almost equal mag- 
 nificence. And the giddy queen, intoxicated with 
 
CHAPTER XI, VflUSE 25. 331 
 
 the sight of the warlike array, short-sighted and 
 vainglorious, at the head of her infamous troop of 
 eunuchs, foolishly threatened the Roman capital 
 with approaching ruin. 
 
 Csesar Augustus, on the other hand, displayed 
 less pomp but more utility. He had but half as 
 many ships as Antony, and only eighty thousand 
 foot. But all his troops were chosen men, and on 
 board his fleet were none but experienced seamen ; 
 whereas Antony, not finding mariners sufficient, had 
 been obliged to man his vessels with artisans of 
 every class, men inexperienced, and more calcu- 
 lated to cause trouble, than to do real service in 
 time of battle. The season being far consumed in 
 these preparations, Caesar made his rendezvous at 
 Brondusium, and Antony at Corcyra, till the fol- 
 lowing year. 
 
 As soon as the season permitted, both armies 
 were put in motion on both sea and land. The fleets 
 at length entered the Ambracian Gulf in Epirus, 
 and the land forces were drawn up on either shore 
 in plain view. Antony's most experienced generals 
 advised him not to hazard a battle by sea, with his 
 inexperienced mariners, but to send Cleopatra back 
 to Egypt, and hasten at once into Thrace or Mace- 
 donia, and trust the issue to his land forces, who 
 were composed of veteran troops. But he, illustrat- 
 ing the old adage, Quern Deus vult perdere prius 
 dementat (whom God wishes to destroy, he first 
 makes mad), infatuated by Cleopatra, seemed only 
 desirous of pleasing her; and she, trusting to ap- 
 
332 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 pearances only, deemed her fleet invincible, and ad- 
 vised immediate action. 
 
 The battle was fought, September 2, B. c. 31, at 
 the mouth of the gulf of Ambracia, near the city of 
 Actium. The stake was the world for*which these 
 stern warriors, Antony and Caesar, now played. 
 The contest, long doubtful, was at length decided 
 by the course which Cleopatra pursued. For she, 
 frightened at the din of battle, took to flight when 
 there was no danger, and drew after her the whole 
 Egyptian fleet. Antony, beholding this movement, 
 and lost to everything but his blind passion for 
 her, precipitately followed, and yielded a victory 
 to Caesar, which, had his Egyptian forces proved 
 true to him, and had he proved true to his own 
 manhood, he might have gained. 
 
 This battle doubtless marks the commencement 
 of the " time " mentioned in verse 24. And as dur- 
 ing this "time" devices were to be forecast from 
 
 o 
 
 the stronghold, or Rome, we should conclude that 
 at the end of that period, western supremacy 
 would cease, or such a change take place in the 
 empire, that that city would no longer be consid- 
 ered the seat of government. From B. c. 31, a 
 prophetic time, or 360 years, would bring us to A. 
 D. 330. And it hence becomes a noteworthy fact 
 that the seat of empire was removed from Rome 
 to Constantinople, by Constantine the Great in 
 that very year. See Encyclopedia Americana, 
 art., Constantinople. 
 
 VEK.SE 26. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat 
 

 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER XI, VERSES 26, 27. 333 
 
 
 
 shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow ; and many 
 shall fall down slain. 
 
 The cause of Antony's overthrow was the de- 
 sertion of his allies and friends, those that fed of 
 the portion of his meat. First, Cleopatra, as al- 
 ready described, suddenly withdrew from the bat- 
 tle, taking sixty ships of the line with her. Sec- 
 ondly, the land army, disgusted with the infatua- 
 tion of Antony, went over to Caesar, who received 
 them with open arms. Thirdly, when Antony ar- 
 rived at Libya he found that the forces which he 
 had there left under Scorpus to guard the frontier, 
 had declared for Caesar. Fourthly, being followed 
 by Ccesar into Egypt, he was betrayed by Cleopa- 
 tra, and his forces surrended to Caesar. Hereupon 
 in rage and despair he took his own life. 
 
 VERSE 27. And both these kings' hearts shall be to do 
 mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table ; but it shall 
 not prosper : for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. 
 
 Antony and Caesar were formerly in alliance. 
 Yet under the garb of friendship, they were both 
 aspiring and intriguing for universal dominion. 
 Their protestations of deference to, and friendship 
 for, each other; were the utterances of hypocrites. 
 They spoke lies at one table. Octavia, the wife of 
 Antony and sister of Caesar, declared to the people 
 of Rome at the time Antony divorced her, that 
 she had consented to marry him solely with the 
 hope that it would prove a pledge of union be- 
 tween Caesar and Antony. But that counsel did 
 not prosper. The rupture came; and in the con- 
 
334 THOUGHT IS ON DANIEL. 
 
 flict that ensued, Caesar came off' entirely victorious. 
 
 VERSE 28. Then shall he return into his land with great 
 riches ; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant ; 
 and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. 
 
 Two returnings from foreign conquests are here 
 brought to view ; the first, after the events nar- 
 rated in verses 26 and 27, and the second, af- 
 ter this power had had indignation against the 
 holy covenant, and had performed exploits. The 
 first was fulfilled in the return of Caesar, after 
 his expedition against Egypt and Antony. He re- 
 turned to Rome with abundant honor and riches ; 
 for, says Prideaux (ii, 380), " At this time such vast 
 riches were brought to Rome from Egypt on the 
 reducing of that country, and the return of Octavi- 
 anus [Caesar] and his army from thence, that the 
 vaiue of money fell one-half, and the price of provis- 
 ions and all vendible wares was doubled thereon." 
 Caesar celebrated his victories in a three-days' tri- 
 umph, a triumph which Cleopatra herself would 
 have graced, as one of the royal captives, had she 
 not artfully caused herself to be bitten by the fatal 
 asp. 
 
 The next great enterprise of the Romans after 
 the overthrow of Egypt, was the expedition against 
 Judea, and the capture and destruction of Jerusa- 
 lem. The holy covenant is doubtless the covenant 
 which .God has maintained with his people, begin- 
 ning it with Abraham, and renewing it, since 
 Christ, with all believers in him. The Jews re- 
 jected Christ ; and, according to the prophecy that 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSK 2S. 335 
 
 all who would not hear that prophet should be cut 
 off, they were destroyed out of their own land, and 
 scattered to every nation under heaven. And while 
 Jews and Christians alike suffered under the op- 
 pressive hands of the Romans, we think it was in 
 the reduction of Judea especially that the exploits 
 mentioned in the text were exhibited. 
 
 Under Vespasian, the Romans invaded Judea and 
 took the cities of Galilee, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and 
 Capernaum, where Christ had been rejected. They 
 destroyed the inhabitants, and left nothing but ruin 
 and desolation. Titus besieged Jerusalem. He 
 drew a trench around it, according to the prediction 
 of the Saviour. A terrible famine ensued, the 
 equal of which the world has, perhaps, at no other 
 time witnessed. Moses had predicted that in the 
 terrible calamities to come upon the Jews if they 
 departed from God, even the tender and delicate 
 woman should eat her own children in he straitness 
 of the siege wherewith their enemies should distress 
 them. Under the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, a 
 literal fulfillment of this prediction occurred ; and 
 he, hearing of the inhuman deed, but forgetting that 
 he was the one who was driving them to such dire- 
 ful extremities, swore the eternal extirpation of the 
 accursed city and people. 
 
 Jerusalem fell in A. D. 70. As an honor to him- 
 self, the Roman commander had determined to save 
 the temple ; but the Lord had said that there should 
 not remain one stone upon another which should 
 not be thrown down. A Roman soldier seized a 
 
336 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 brand of fire, and, climbing upon the shoulders of 
 his comrades, thrust it into one of the windows of 
 the beautiful structure. It was soon in the arms of 
 the devouring element. The frantic efforts of the 
 Jews to extinguish the flames were seconded by 
 Titus himself, but all in vain. Seeing that the 
 temple must perish, Titus rushed in and bore away 
 the golden candlestick, the table of show-bread, and 
 the volume of the law, wrapped in golden tissue. 
 The candle-stick was afterward deposited in Vespa- 
 sian's Temple to Peace, and copied on the triumphal 
 arch of Titus, where its mutilated image is yet to be 
 seen. 
 
 The siege of Jerusalem lasted five months. In 
 that siege eleven hundred thousand Jews perished, 
 and ninety-seven thousand were taken prisoners, 
 the city was so amazingly strong that Titus ex- 
 claimed when viewing the ruins, " We have fought 
 with the assistance of God." The city was com- 
 pletely leveled, and the foundations of the temple 
 were ploughed up by Tarentius Rufus. The dura- 
 tion of the whole war was seven years, and one 
 million four hundred and sixty-two thousand per- 
 sons are said to have fallen victims to its fatal hor- 
 rors. 
 
 Thus this power performed great exploits, and 
 again returned to his own land. 
 
 VERSE 29. At the time appointed he shall return, and 
 come toward the south ; but it shall not be as the former, or 
 as the latter. 
 
 The time appointed is probably the prophetic 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSES 29, 30. 337 
 
 time of verse 24, of which we have previously 
 spoken. It closed, as already shown, in A. D. 330, 
 at which time this power was to return and come 
 again toward the south, but not as on the former 
 occasion, when it went to Egypt, nor as the latter, 
 when it went to Judea. Those were expeditions 
 which resulted in conquest and glory. This led to 
 demoralization and ruin. The removal of the seat 
 of empire to Constantinople was the signal of the 
 downfall of the empire. Rome then lost its pres- 
 tige. The western division was exposed to the in- 
 cursions of foreign enemies. On the death of Con- 
 stantine, the Roman Empire was divided into three 
 parts, between his three sons, Constantius, Constan- 
 tine II., and Constans. Constantine II. and Con- 
 stans quarreled, and Constans being victor, gained 
 the supremacy of the whole West. He was soon 
 slain by one of his commanders, who, in turn, was 
 shortly after defeated by the surviving emperor, and 
 in despair ended his own days, A. D. 353. The bar- 
 barians of the north soon began their depredations, 
 and extended their conquests till the imperial power 
 of the West expired in A. D. 476. 
 
 This was indeed different from the two former 
 movements brought to view in the prophecy ; and 
 to this the fatal step of removing the seat of em- 
 pire from Rome to Constantinople, directly led. 
 
 VERSE 30. For the ships of Chittim shall come against 
 him ; therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have in- 
 dignation against the holy covenant ; so shall he do ; he shall 
 even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake 
 the holy covenant. 22 
 
338 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 The prophetic narrative still has reference to the 
 power which has been the subject of the prophecy 
 from the sixteenth verse, namely, Rome. What 
 were the ships of Chittim that came against this 
 power, and when was this movement made ? What 
 country or power is meant by Chittim ? Dr. A. 
 Clarke, on Isa. 23 : 1, has this note : " From the land 
 of Chittim it is revealed to them. The news of the 
 destruction of Tyre, by Nebuchadnezzar, is said to 
 be brought to them from Chittim, the islands and 
 coasts of the Mediterranean ; for the Tyrians, says 
 Jerome, on verse six, when they saw they had no 
 other means of escape, fled in their ships, and took 
 refuge in Carthage, and in the islands of the Ionian 
 and JSgean Seas. So also Jochri on the same place." 
 Kitto gives the same locality to Chittim, namely, 
 the coast and islands of the Mediterranean; and 
 the mind is carried by the testimony of Jerome to 
 a definite and celebrated city as situated in that land, 
 namely, Carthage. 
 
 Was ever a naval warfare, with Carthage as a 
 base of operations, waged against the Roman Em- 
 pire ? Those who have read of the terrible on- 
 slaught of the Vandals upon Rome under the fierce 
 Genseric, can readily answer in the affirmative. 
 Sallying every spring from the port of Carthage, at 
 the head of his numerous and well-disciplined na- 
 val forces, he spread consternation through all the 
 maritime provinces of the empire. That this is 
 the work brought to view is further evident when 
 we consider that we are brought down in the 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE SO. 339 
 
 prophecy to this very time. In verse 29, the 
 transfer of empire to Constantinople we understand 
 to be mentioned. Following in due course of time 
 as the next remarkable revolution, came the erup- 
 tions of the barbarians of the North, prominent 
 among which was the Vandal war already mentioned. 
 The years A. D. 428-468 mark the career of Gen- 
 seric. 
 
 "He shall be grieved and return." This may 
 have reference to the desperate efforts which were 
 made to dispossess Genseric of the sovereignty of 
 the seas, the first, by Marjorian, the second, by 
 Leo, both of which proved to be utter failures ; and 
 Rome was obliged to submit to the humiliation of 
 seeing its provinces ravaged, and its " eternal city " 
 pillaged by the enemy. 
 
 "Indignation against the covenant;" that is, 
 the Holy Scriptures, the book of the covenant. A 
 revolution of this nature was accomplished in Rome. 
 The Goths, Huns, and Vandals, who conquered Rome, 
 embraced the Arian faith, and became enemies of 
 the Catholic church. It was especially for the pur- 
 pose of exterminating this heresy that Justinian 
 decreed the pope to be the head of the church, and 
 the corrector of heretics. Then it was decreed that 
 the Bible was a dangerous book, and should not be 
 read by the common people, but all questions in dis- 
 pute should be submitted to the pope. Thus was 
 indignity heaped upon God's word. And the em- 
 perors of Rome, the eastern division of which still 
 continued, had intelligence or connived with the 
 
340 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 church of Rome which had forsaken the covenant, 
 and constituted the great apostasy, for the purpose 
 of putting down heresy. The man of sin was raised 
 to his ungodly throne by the defeat of the Arian 
 Goths, who then held possession of Rome, in A. D. 
 538. 
 
 VERSE 31. And arms shall stand on his part, and they 
 shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away 
 the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that 
 maketh desolate. 
 
 The power of the empire was committed to the 
 carrying on of the work before mentioned. And 
 they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, or 
 Rome. If this applies to the barbarians, it was lit- 
 erally fulfilled ; for Rome was sacked by the Goths, 
 Huns, and Vandals, and the imperial power of the 
 West ceased through the conquest of Rome by Odo- 
 acer. Or if it refers to those rulers of the empire 
 who were working in behalf of the papacy against 
 the pagan and all other opposing religions, it would 
 signify the removal of the seat of the empire from 
 Rome to Constantinople; which contributed more 
 than anything else to the downfall of Rome. The 
 passage would then be parallel to Dan. 8:11, and 
 Rev. 13 : 2. 
 
 " And they shall take away the daily sacrifice." 
 It was shown on Dan. 8:13, that " sacrifice " is a 
 word erroneously supplied; that it should be deso- 
 lation ; and that the expression denotes a desolating 
 power of which the abomination of desolation is 
 but the counterpart, and to which it succeeds in point 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 31. 341 
 
 of time. The daily desolation was paganism, the 
 abomination of desolation is the papacy. But it 
 may be asked how this can be the papacy, since 
 Christ spoke of it in connection with the destruc- 
 tion of Jerusalem. And the answer is, Christ evi- 
 dently referred to the ninth of Daniel, which is a 
 prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem, and not 
 to this verse of the eleventh, which does not refer 
 to that event. Daniel, in the 9th chapter, speaks 
 of desolations, and abominations, plural. More 
 than one abomination, therefore, treads down the 
 church ; that is, so far as the church is concerned, 
 both paganism and the papacy are abominations. 
 But as distinguished from each other, the language 
 is restricted, and one is the daily desolation and the 
 other is pre-eminently the transgression or abomina- 
 tion of desolation. 
 
 How was the daily, or paganism, taken away ? 
 As this is spoken of in connection with the placing 
 or setting up of the abomination of desolation, or 
 the papacy, it must denote, not merely the nominal 
 change of the religion of the empire from paganism 
 to Christianity, as on the conversion, so-called, of 
 Constantine, but such an eradication of paganism 
 from all the elements of the empire, that the way 
 would be all open for the papal abomination to arise 
 and assert its arrogant claims. Such a revolution 
 as this, plainly defined, was accomplished ; but not 
 for nearly two hundred years after the death of 
 Constantine. 
 
 As we approach the year A. D. 508, we behold a 
 
342 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 grand crisis ripening between Catholicism and the 
 pagan influences still existing in the empire. Up 
 to the time of the conversion of Clovis, king of 
 France, A. D. 496, the French and other nations of 
 Western Rome were pagan ; but subsequently to that 
 event, the efforts to convert idolaters to Christ were 
 crowned with great success. The conversion of 
 Clovis is said to have been the occasion of bestow- 
 ing upon the French monarch the titles of " Most 
 Christian Majesty," and " Eldest Son of the Church." 
 Between that time and A. D. 508, by alliances, ca- 
 pitulations, and conquests, the Arborici, the Roman 
 garrisons in the West, Brittany, the Burgundians, 
 and the Visigoths, were brought into subjection. 
 
 From the time when these successes were fully 
 accomplished, namely, 508, the papacy was trium- 
 phant so far as paganism was concerned ; for though 
 the latter doubtless retarded the progress of the 
 Catholic faith, yet it had not the power, if it had 
 the disposition, to suppress that faith, and hinder 
 the encroachments of the Roman pontiff. When 
 the prominent powers of Europe gave up their at- 
 tachment to paganism, it was only to perpetuate its 
 abominations in another form ; for Christianity, as 
 exhibited in the Catholic church, was, and is, only 
 paganism baptized. 
 
 In England, Arthur, the first Christian king, 
 founded the Christian worship on the ruin of the 
 pagan. Rapin, who claims to be exact in the chro- 
 nology of events, states that he was elected monarch 
 of Britain in 508. Book ii, p. 124. 
 
CHAFTEti XI, VERSE SI. 343 
 
 The condition of the see of Rome was also pecul- 
 iar at this time. In 498, Symmachus ascended 
 the pontifical throne as a recent convert from pa- 
 ganism. He reigned to A. D. 514. He found his 
 way to the papal chair, says Du Pin, by striving 
 with his competitor even unto blood. He received 
 adulation as the successor of St. Peter, and struck 
 the key note of papal assumption, by presuming to 
 excommunicate the emperor Anastasius. The most 
 servile flatterers of the pope now began to main- 
 tain that he was constituted judge in the place of 
 God, and that he was the vicegerent of the Most 
 High. 
 
 Such was the direction in which events were 
 tending in the West. What posture did affairs at 
 the same time assume in the East ? A strong pa- 
 pal party now existed in all parts of the empire. 
 The adherents of this cause in Constantinople, en- 
 couraged by the success of their brethren in the 
 West, deemed it safe to commence open hostilities 
 in behalf of their master at Rome. In 508, their 
 partisan zeal culminated in a whirlwind of fanati- 
 cism and civil war, which swept in fire and blood 
 through the streets of the eastern capital. Gibbon, 
 under the years 508-514, speaking of the commo- 
 tions in Constantinople, says : 
 
 "The statues of the emperor were broken, and his per- 
 son was concealed in a suburb, till, at the end of three days, 
 he dared to implore the mercy of his subjects. Without his 
 diadem, and in the posture of a suppliant, Anastasius ap- 
 peared on the throne of the circus. The Catholics before 
 his face rehearsed the genuine Trisagion ; they exulted in 
 
THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 the offer which he proclaimed by the voice of a herald of ab- 
 dicating the purple ; they listened to the admonition that. 
 since all could not reign, they should previously agree in the 
 choice of a sovereign ; and they accepted the blood of two 
 unpopular ministers, whom their master, without hesitation, 
 condemned to the lions. These furious but transient sedi- 
 tions were encouraged by the success of Vitalian, who, with 
 his army of Huns and Bulgarians, for the most part idola- 
 ters, declared himself the champion of the Catholic faith. 
 In this pious rebellion he depopulated Thrace, besieged Con- 
 stantinople, exterminated sixty-five thousand of his fellow- 
 Christians, till he obtained the recall of the bishops, the satis- 
 faction of the pope, and the establishment of the council of 
 Chalcedon, an orthodox treaty, relunctantly signed by the 
 dying Anastasius, and more faithfully performed by the 
 uncle of Justinian. And such was the event of the first of 
 the religious wars which have been waged in the name, aiid 
 by the disciples, of the God of Peace." Decline and Fali, 
 Vol. iv, p. 526. 
 
 Let it be marked that in this year, 508, pagan- 
 ism had so far declined, and Catholicism had so far 
 relatively increased in strength, that the Catholic 
 church for the first time waged a successful war 
 against both the civil authority of the empire and 
 the church of the East, which had for the most 
 part embraced the Monophosite doctrine. The ex- 
 termination of 65,000 heretics was the result. 
 
 With the following extract from the Second Advent Man- 
 ual, pp. 79-81, we close the testimony on this point : " We 
 now invite our modern Gamaliels to take a position with us 
 in the place of the sanctuary of paganism (since claimed as 
 the ' patrimony of St. Peter ') in 508. We look a few years 
 into the past, and the rude paganism of the northern bar- 
 barians is pouring down upon the nominally Christian em- 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE SI. 345 
 
 pire of Western Rome triumphing everywhere and its 
 triumphs everywhere distinguished by the most savage cru- 
 elty. . . . The empire falls, and is broken into fragments. 
 One by one the lords and rulers of these fragments abandon 
 their paganism and profess the Christian faith. In religion, 
 the conquerors are yielding to the conquered. But still 
 paganism is triumphant. Among its supporters there is one 
 stern and successful conqueror. (Clovis. ) But soon he also 
 bows before the power of the new faith, and becomes its 
 champion. He is still triumphant, but, as a hero and con- 
 queror, reaches the zenith at the point we occupy, A. D. 508. 
 
 " In or near the same year, the last important subdivision 
 of the fallen empire is publicly, and by the coronation of its 
 triumphant ' monarch,' Christianized. 
 
 " The pontiff for the period on which we stand is a re- 
 cently-converted pagan. The bloody contest which placed 
 him in the chair was decided by the interposition of an 
 Arian king. He is bowed to and saluted as filling 'the 
 place of God on earth.' The senate is so far under his 
 power, that on suspicion that the interests of the see of 
 Home demand it, they excommunicate the emperor. . . . 
 In 508, the mine is sprung beneath the throne of the East- 
 ern Empire. The result of the confusion and strife it occa- 
 sions is the humiliation of its rightful lord. Now the ques- 
 tion is, At what time was paganism so far suppressed as to 
 make room for its substitute and successor, the papal abomi- 
 nation? When was this abomination placed in a position to 
 start on its career of blasphemy and blood? Is there any 
 other date for its being 'placed,' or f set up, 1 in the room of 
 paganism, but 508] If the mysterious enchantress has not 
 now brought all her victims within her power, she has taken 
 her position, and some have yielded to the fascination. The 
 others are at length subdued, ' and kings, and peoples, and 
 multitudes, and nations, and tongues,' are brought under the 
 spell which prepares them, even while * drunken with the 
 blood of the martyrs of Jesus,' to 'think they are doing 
 
346 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 God service,' and to fancy themselves the exclusive favor- 
 ites of Heaven, while becoming an easier and richer prey 
 for the damnation of helL " 
 
 From these evidences we think it clear that the 
 daily, or paganism, was taken away in A. D. 508. 
 This was preparatory to the setting up, or estab- 
 lishment, of the papacy, which was a separate and 
 subsequent event. Of this, the prophetic narrative 
 now leads us to speak. 
 
 " And they shall place the abomination that 
 inaketh desolate." Having shown quite fully 
 what constituted the taking away of the daily, 
 or paganism, we now inquire, When was the 
 abomination that maketh desolate, or the papacy, 
 placed, or set up ? The little horn that had eyes 
 like the eyes of man was not slow to see when the 
 way was open for his advancement and elevation. 
 From the year 508, its progress toward universal 
 supremacy was without parallel. 
 
 When Justinian was about to commence the 
 Vandal war, A. D. 533, an enterprise of no small 
 magnitude and difficulty, he wished to secure the in- 
 fluence of the bishop of Rome, who had then at- 
 tained a position in which his opinion had great 
 weight throughout a large portion of Christendom. 
 Justinian therefore took it upon himself to decide 
 the eontest which had long existed between the sees 
 of Rome and Constantinople, as to which should 
 have the precedency, by giving the preference to 
 Rome, and declaring, in the fullest and most un- 
 equivocal terms, that the bishop of that city should 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 31. 347 
 
 be chief of the whole ecclesiastical body of the em- 
 pire. A work on the Apocalypse, by Rev. George 
 Croly, of England, published in 1827, gives a de- 
 tailed account of the events by which the supremacy 
 of the pope of Rome was secured. He gives the fol- 
 lowing as the terms in which the decree of Justinian 
 was expressed : 
 
 "Justinian, pious, fortunate, renowned, triumphant, em- 
 peror, consul, etc. , to JoliH the most holy archbishop of our 
 city of Rome, patriarch. 
 
 " Rendering honor to the apostolic chair and to your holi- 
 ness, as has been always, and is, our wish, and honoring 
 your blessedness as a father ; we have hastened to bring to 
 the knowledge of your holiness all matters relating to the 
 state of the churches ; it having been at all times our great 
 desire to preserve the unity of your apostolic chair, and the 
 constitution of the holy churches of God which has obtained 
 hitherto, and still obtains. 
 
 " Therefore we have made no delay in subjecting and unit- 
 ing to your holiness all the priests of the whole East 
 
 We cannot suffer that anything which relates to the state of 
 the church, however manifest and unquestionable, should be 
 moved without the knowledge of your holiness, who is THE 
 HEAD OF ALL THE HOLY CHURCHES ; for in all things, as 
 we have already declared, we are anxious to increase the 
 honor and authority of your apostolic chair." Croly, pp. 
 114, 115. 
 
 "The emperor's letter," continues Mr. Croly, 
 " must have been sent before the 25th of March, 533. 
 For in his letter of that date to Epiphanius, he 
 speaks of its having been already dispatched, and 
 repeats his decision, that all affairs touching the 
 church shall be referred to the pope, 'head of all 
 
348 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 bishops and the true and effective corrector of 
 heretics.' >: 
 
 The pope, in his answer, returned the same month 
 of the following year, 534, observes that among the 
 virtues of Justinian, " one shines as a star, his rever- 
 ence for the apostolic chair, to which he has sub- 
 jected and united all the churches, it being truly the 
 head of all." 
 
 The " Novelise " of the Justinian code give unan- 
 swerable proof of the authenticity of the title. The 
 preamble of the 9th states that " as the elder Rome 
 was the founder of the laws, so was it not to be 
 questioned that in her was the supremacy of the 
 Pontificate." The 131st, on the ecclesiastical titles 
 and privileges, chapter 2, states : " We therefore de- 
 cree that the most holy pope of the elder Rome is 
 the first of all the priesthood, and that the most 
 blessed archbishop of Constantinople, the new Rome, 
 shall hold the second rank after the holy apostolic 
 chair of the elder Rome." 
 
 Toward the close of the sixth century, John of 
 Constantinople denied the Roman supremacy, and 
 assumed for himself the title of universal bishop ; 
 whereupon, Gregory the Great, indignant at the 
 usurpation, denounced John, and declared, with un- 
 conscious truth, that he who would assume the title 
 of universal bishop was Antichrist. Phocas, in 606, 
 suppressed the claim of the bishop of Constantinople, 
 and vindicated that of the bishop of Rome. But 
 Phocas was not the founder of papal supremacy. 
 Says Croly, " That Phocas repressed the claim of the 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 81. 340 
 
 bishop of Constantinople is beyond a doubt. But 
 the highest authorities among the civilians and an- 
 nalists of Rome, spurn the idea that Phocas was the 
 founder of the supremacy of Rome ; they ascend to 
 Justinian as the only legitimate source, and rightly 
 date the title from the memorable year 533." Again 
 he says : "On reference to Baronius, the established 
 authority among the Roman Catholic annalists, I 
 found the whole detail of Justinian's grants of su- 
 premacy to the pope formally given. The entire 
 transaction was of the most authentic and regular 
 kind, and suitable to the importance of the transfer." 
 Such were the circumstances attending the decree 
 of Justinian. But the provisions of this decree could 
 not at once be carried into effect ; for Rome and 
 Italy were held by the Ostrogoths, who were Arians 
 in faith, and strongly opposed to the religion of Jus- 
 tinian and the pope. It was therefore evident that 
 the Ostrogoths must be rooted out of Rome before 
 the pope could exercise the power with which he 
 had been clothed. To accomplish this object, the 
 Italian war was commenced in 534. The manage- 
 ment of the campaign was intrusted to Belisarius 
 On his approach toward Rome, several cities forsook 
 Vitijes, their Gothic and heretical sovereign, and 
 joined the armies of the Catholic emperor. The 
 Goths, deciding to delay offensive operations till 
 spring, allowed Belisarius to enter Rome without op- 
 position. " The deputies of the pope and clergy, of 
 the senate and people, invited the lieutenant of Jus- 
 tinian to accept their voluntary allegiance." 
 
350 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 Belisarius entered Rome Dec. 10, 536. But this 
 was not an end of the struggle ; for the Goths, ral- 
 lying their forces, resolved to dispute his possession 
 of the city by a regular siege. They commenced in 
 March, 537. Belisarius feared despair and treachery 
 on the part of the people. Several senators, and 
 Pope Sylverius, on proof or suspicion of treason, 
 were sent into exile. The emperor commanded the 
 clergy to elect a new bishop. After solemnly in- 
 voking the Holy Ghost, says Gibbon, they elected 
 the deacon Vigilius, who, by a bribe of two hundred 
 pounds of gold, had purchased the honor. 
 
 The whole nation of the Ostrogoths had been 
 assembled for the siege of Rome ; but success did 
 not attend their efforts. Their hosts melted away 
 in frequent and bloody combats under the walls of 
 the city ; and the year and nine days, during which 
 the siege lasted, witnessed almost the entire con- 
 sumption of the whole nation. In the month of 
 March, 538, dangers beginning to threaten them 
 from other quarters, they raised the siege, burned 
 their tents, and retired in tumult and confusion 
 from the city, with numbers scarcely sufficient to 
 preserve their existence as a nation, or their iden- 
 tity as a people. 
 
 Thus the Gothic horn, the last of the three, was 
 plucked up before the little horn of Dan. 7. Noth- 
 ing now stood in the way of the pope to prevent his 
 exercising the power conferred upon him by Justin- 
 ian, five years before. The saints, times and laws, 
 were now in his hands, not in purpose only, but in 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSES 82, S3. 351 
 
 fact. And this must therefore be taken as the 
 year when this abomination was placed, or set up, 
 and as the point from which to date the predicted 
 12GO years of its supremacy. 
 
 VERSE 32. And such as do wickedly against the covenant 
 shall he corrupt by flatteries : but the people that de know 
 their God shall be strong, and do exploits. 
 
 Those that forsake the covenant, the Holy Script- 
 ures, and think more of the decrees of popes and 
 the decisions of councils than they do of the word 
 of God, these shall he, the pope, corrupt by flat- 
 teries ; that is, lead them on in their partisan zeal 
 for himself by the bestowment of wealth, position, 
 and honors. 
 
 At the same time, a people shall exist who know 
 their God; and these shall be strong, and do ex- 
 ploits. These were those who kept pure religion 
 alive in the earth during the dark ages of papal 
 rule, and performed marvelous acts of self-sacrifice 
 and religious heroism in behalf of their faith. 
 Prominent among these, stand the Waldenses, Al- 
 bigenses, Huguenots, etc. 
 
 VERSE 33. And they that understand among the people 
 shall instruct many ; yet they shall fall by the sword, and 
 by dame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 
 
 The long period of papal persecution against 
 those who were struggling to maintain the truth 
 and instruct their fellow-men in ways of righteous- 
 ness, is here brought to view. The number of the 
 days during which they were thus to fall, is given 
 in Dan. 7 : 25 ; 12:7; Rev. 12 : 6, 14 ; 13 : 5. 
 
352 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 VERSE 34. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen 
 with a little help : but many shall cleave to them with flat- 
 teries. 
 
 In Rev. 12, where this same papal persecution is 
 brought to view, we read that the earth helped the 
 woman by opening her mouth and swallowing up 
 the flood which the dragon cast out after her. The 
 great Reformation by Luther and his co-workers 
 furnished the help here foretold. The German 
 States espoused the Protesant cause, protected the 
 reformers, and restrained the work of persecution 
 so furiously carried on by the papal church. But 
 when they should be helped, and the cause begin 
 to become popular, many should cleave unto them 
 with flatteries, or embrace the cause from unworthy 
 motives, be insincere, hollow-hearted, and speak 
 smooth and friendly words through a policy of 
 self-interest. 
 
 VERSE 35. And some of them of understanding shall fall, 
 to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to 
 the time of the end ; because it is yet for a time appointed. 
 
 Though restrained, the spirit of persecution was 
 not destroyed. It broke out wherever there was 
 opportunity. Especially was this the case in Eng- 
 land. The religious state of that kingdom was 
 fluctuating, it being sometimes under Protestant, 
 and sometimes under papal, jurisdiction, according 
 to the religion of the ruling house. The bloody 
 queen Mary was a mortal enemy to the Protestant 
 cause, and multitudes fell victims to her relentless 
 persecutions. And this condition of affairs was to 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 36. 353 
 
 last more or less to the time of the end. The nat- 
 ural conclusion would be that when the time of the 
 end should come, this power which the church of 
 Rome had possessed to punish heretics, which had 
 been the cause of so much persecution, and which 
 had for a time been restrained, would now be taken 
 entirely away ; and the conclusion would be equally 
 evident that this taking away of the papal suprem- 
 acy would mark the commencement of the period 
 here called the time of the end. If this application 
 is correct, the time of the end commenced in 1798 ; 
 for there, as already noticed, the papacy was over- 
 thrown by the French, and has never since been 
 able to wield the power it before possessed. 
 
 TERSE 36. And the king shall do according to his will ; 
 and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every 
 god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of 
 gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished ; 
 for that that is determined shall be done. 
 
 The king here introduced cannot denote the 
 same power which was last noticed, namely, the 
 papal power; for the specifications will not hold 
 good, if applied to that power. Take a declaration 
 in the next verse : " Nor regard any god." This 
 has never been true of the papacy. God and 
 Christ, though often placed in a false position, 
 have never been set aside and rejected from that 
 system of religion. The only difficulty in applying 
 it to a new power lies in the definite article " the ; " 
 for, it is urged, the expression "ike king" would 
 identify this as the one last spoken of. If it could 
 23 
 
354 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 be properly translated a king, there would be no 
 difficulty ; and it is said that some of the best Bib- 
 lical critics give it this rendering, Mede, Wintle, 
 Boothroyd, and others, translating the passage, 
 "A certain king shall do according to his will," 
 thus clearly introducing a new power upon the 
 stage of action. 
 
 Three particulars must be shown in the power 
 which fulfills this prophecy : 1. It must assume the 
 character here delineated near the commencement of 
 the time of the end, to which we were brought down 
 in the preceding verse. 2. It must be a willful 
 power. 3. It must be an atheistical power. Or 
 perhaps the two latter might be united by saying 
 that its willfulness would be manifested in the di- 
 rection of atheism. A revolution exactly answering 
 to this description did take place in France at the 
 time indicated in the prophecy. Voltaire had 
 sowed the seeds which bore their legitimate and 
 baleful fruit. That godless infidel in his impious 
 but impotent self-conceit had said, " I am weary of 
 hearing people repeat that twelve men established 
 the Christian religion. I will prove that one man 
 may suffice to overthrow it." Associating with him- 
 self such men as Rousseau, De Alembert, Diderot, 
 and others, he undertook the work. They sowed to 
 the wind and reaped the whirlwind. Their efforts 
 culminated in the revolution of 1793, when the Bible 
 was discarded, and the existence of the Deity denied, 
 as the voice of the nation. 
 
 The historian thus describes this great religious 
 change : 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 36. 355 
 
 "It was not enough, they said, for a regenerate nation to 
 have dethroned earthly kings, unless she stretched out the 
 arm of defiance toward those powers which superstition had 
 represented as reigning over boundless space. " Scott's Na- 
 poleon, vol. L, p. 172. 
 
 Again he says : 
 
 " The constitutional bishop of Paris was brought forward 
 to play the principal part in the most impudent and scandal- 
 ous farce ever enacted in the face of a national represcntatior^. 
 . . . He was brought forward in full procession, to de- 
 clare to the convention that the religion which he had taugb* 
 so many years was, in every respect, a piece of PRIESTCRAFT, 
 which had no foundation either in history or sacred truth, 
 He disowned, in solemn and explicit terms, the EXISTENCE OF 
 THE DEITY to whose worship he had been consecrated, and 
 devoted himself in future to the homage of Liberty, Equal- 
 ity, Virtue, and Morality. He then laid on the table his 
 Episcopal decorations, and received a fraternal embrace 
 from the president of the convention. Several apostate 
 priests followed the example of this prelate. . . . The 
 world for the FIRST time, heard an assembly of men, born 
 and educated in civilization, and assuming the right to govern 
 one of the finest of the European nations, uplift their united 
 voice to DENY the most solemn truth which man's soul re- 
 ceives, and RENOUNCE UNANIMOUSLY THE BELIEF 
 AND WORSHIP OF DEIT Y. " Ibid. , vol. i, p. 173. 
 
 A late writer in Blackwood's Magazine says : 
 
 "France is the only nation in the world concerning which 
 the authentic record survives, that as a nation she lifted her 
 hand in open rebellion against the Author of the universe. 
 Plenty of blasphemers, plenty of infidels, there have been, 
 and still continue to be, in England, Germany, Spain, and 
 elsewhere ; but France stands apart in the world's history as 
 the single State which, by the decree w of her legislative as- 
 sembly, pronounced that there was no GOD, and of which 
 
356 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 the entire population of the capital, and a vast majority 
 elsewhere, women as well as men, danced and sang with joy 
 in accepting the announcement." 
 
 But there are other more striking specifications 
 still fulfilled in this power. 
 
 VERSE 37. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, 
 nor the desire of women, nor regard any god ; for he shall 
 magnify himself above all. 
 
 The word for woman and wife are in the origi- 
 nal the same ; and Bishop Newton observes that 
 this passage would be more properly rendered " the 
 desire of wives." This would seem to indicate that 
 this government, at the same time it declared that 
 God did not exist, would trample under foot the 
 law which that God had given to regulate the mar- 
 riage institution. And we find that the historian 
 has, unconsciously perhaps, and if so, all the more 
 significantly, coupled together the atheism and li- 
 centiousness of this government in the same order 
 in which they are presented in the prophecy. He 
 says : 
 
 "Intimately connected with these laws affecting religion, 
 was that which reduced the union of marriage the most 
 sacred engagement which human beings can form, and the 
 permanence of which leads most strongly to the consolida- 
 tion of society to the state of a mere civil contract of a 
 transitory character, which any two persons might engage 
 in, and cast loose at pleasure when their taste was changed 
 or their appetite gratified. If fiends had set themselves at 
 work to discover a mode of most effectually destroying what- 
 ever is venerable, graceful, or permanent, in domestic life, 
 and obtaining at the same time an assurance that the mis- 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 37. 357 
 
 chief which it was their object to create should be perpetu- 
 ated from one generation to another, they could not have in- 
 vented a more effectual plan than the degradation of mar- 
 riage into a state of mere occasional cohabitation or licensed 
 concubinage. Sophie Arnoult, an actress famous for the 
 witty things she said, described the republican marriage as 
 the sacrament of adultery. These anti-religious and anti- 
 social regulations did not answer the purpose of the frantic 
 and inconsiderate zealots, by whom they had been urged 
 forward." Scott's Napoleon, vol. i, p. 173. 
 
 " Nor regard any god." In addition to the testi- 
 mony already presented, to show the utter atheism 
 of the nation at this time, the following fearful 
 language of madness and presumption is to be re- 
 corded : 
 
 "The fear of God is so far from being the beginning of 
 wisdom, that it is the beginning of folly. Modesty is only 
 an invention of refined voluptuousness. The Supreme King, 
 the God of the Jews and the Christians, is but a phantom. 
 Jesus Christ is an impostor. 
 
 Another writer says : 
 
 " In August 26, 1792, an open profession of atheism was 
 made by the National Convention ; and corresponding soci- 
 eties and atheistical clubs were everywhere fearlessly held in 
 the French nation. Massacres and the reign of terror be- 
 came the most horrid. " Smith's Key to Revelation, p. 323. 
 
 1 'Herbert, Chaumette, and their associates, appeared at 
 the bar and declared that God did not exist. " Alison, vol. 
 i, p. 150. 
 
 At this juncture, all religious worship was pro- 
 hibited, except that of liberty and the country. 
 The gold and silver plate of the churches was seized 
 upon and desecrated. The churches were closed. 
 
358 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 The bells were broken and cast into cannon. The 
 Bible was publicly burned. The sacramental ves- 
 sels were paraded through the streets on an ass, in 
 token of contempt. The Sabbath was abolished, 
 and death was declared, in conspicuous letters posted 
 over their burial places, to be an eternal sleep. 
 But the crowning blasphemy, if these orgies of hell 
 admit of degrees, remained to be performed by the 
 comedian Monvel, who, as a priest of Illun.lnism 
 said : 
 
 " God, if you exist, avenge your injured name. I bid 
 you defiance ! You remain silent. You dare not launch 
 your thunders ! Who, after this, will believe in your exist- 
 ence ? The whole ecclesiastical establishment was destroyed. " 
 Scott's Napoleon, vol. i, p. 173. 
 
 Behold what man is when left to himself, and 
 what infidelity is when the restraints of law are 
 thrown off, and it has the power in its own hands ! 
 Can it be doubted that these scenes are what the 
 omniscient eye foresaw and noted on the sacred 
 page when it pointed out a kingdom to arise which 
 should exalt itself above every god and disregard 
 them all ? 
 
 VERSE 38. But in his estate shall he honor the God of 
 forces ; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor 
 with gold, and silver, and with precious stoi js, and pleasant 
 things. 
 
 We meet a seeming contradiction in this verse. 
 How can a nation disregard every god, and yet 
 honor the god of forces ? It could not at one and 
 the same tune hold both these positions. But it 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 38. 359 
 
 might for a time disregard all gods, and then sub- 
 sequently introduce another worship and regard the 
 god of forces. Did such a change occur in France 
 at this time ? It did. The attempt to make France 
 a godless nation produced such anarchy that the 
 rulers feared the power would pass entirely out of 
 their hands, and therefore perceived that, as a po- 
 litical necessity, some kind of worship must be in- 
 troduced ; and they did not intend to introduce any 
 movement which would increase devotion or develop 
 any true spiritual character among the people, but 
 only such as would keep themselves in power, and 
 give them control of the national forces. A few 
 extracts from history will show this. Liberty and 
 country were at first the objects of adoration. 
 " Liberty, equality, virtue, and morality," the very 
 opposite of anything they possessed in fact or ex- 
 hibited in practice, were words which they set forth 
 as describing the deity of the nation. In 1794- the 
 worship of the Goddess of Reason was introduced, 
 and is thus described by the historian : 
 
 " One of the ceremonies of this insane time stands unri- 
 valed for absurdity combined with impiety. The doors of 
 the Convention were thrown open to a band of musicians, 
 preceded by whom, the members of the municipal body en- 
 tered in solemn procession, singing a hymn in praise of Lib- 
 erty, and escorting as the object of their future worship, a 
 vailed female whom they termed the Goddess of Reason. 
 Being brought within the bar, she was unvailed with great 
 form, and placed on the right hand of the president, when 
 she was generally recognized as a dancing girl of the opera, 
 with whose charms most of the persons present were ac- 
 quainted from her appearance on the stage, while the expe- 
 
360 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 rience of individuals was further extended. To this person, 
 as the fittest representative of that reason whom they wor- 
 shipped, the National Convention of France rendered public 
 homage. This impious and ridiculous mummery had a 
 certain fashion; and the installation of the Goddess of 
 Reason was renewed and imitated throughout the nation, in 
 such places where the inhabitants desired to show themselves 
 equal to all the heights of the Revolution." Scott's Life of 
 Napoleon. 
 
 In introducing the worship of Reason, in 1794, 
 Chaumette said : 
 
 " Legislative fanaticism has lost its hold ; it has given 
 place to reason. We have left its temples ; they are re- 
 generated. To-day an immense multitude are assembled 
 under its Gothic roofs, which, for the first time, will re-echo 
 the voice of truth. There the French will celebrate their 
 true worship that of Liberty and Reason. There we will 
 form new vows for the prosperity of the armies of the Re- 
 public ; there we will abandon the worship of inanimate 
 idols for that of reason this animated image, the master- 
 piece of creation. 
 
 "A vailed female, arrayed in blue drapery, was brought 
 into the convention ; and Chaumette, taking her by the 
 hand 
 
 "Mortals," said he, "cease to tremble before the pow- 
 erless thunders of a God, whom your fears have created. 
 Henceforth acknowledge NO DIVINITY but REASON. I offer 
 you its noblest and purest image ; if you must have idols, 
 
 sacrifice only to such as this Fall before the august 
 
 Senate of Freedom Vail of Reason. 
 
 " At the same time the goddess appeared personified by a 
 celebrated beauty, Madame Millard, of the opera, known in 
 more than one character to most of the Convention. The 
 goddess, after being embraced by the president, was mounted 
 on a magnificent car, and conducted amidst an immense 
 crowd to the cathedral of Notre Dame, to take the place of 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 39. 
 
 ike. Deity. Then she was elevated on the high altar, and re- 
 ceived the adoration of all present. 
 
 " On the llth of November, the popular society of the 
 museum entered the hall of the municipality, exclaiming, 
 1 Vive la Reason ! ' and carrying on the top of a pole the 
 half-burnt remains of several books, among others the bre- 
 viaries and the Old and New Testaments, which * expiated in 
 a great fire,' said the president, ' all the fooleries which they 
 have made the human race commit. ' 
 
 " The most sacred relations of life were at the same period 
 placed on a new footing suited to the extravagant ideas of 
 the times. Marriage was declared a civil contract, binding 
 only during the pleasure of the contracting parties. Made- 
 moiselle Arnoult, a celebrated comedian, expressed the pub- 
 lic feeling when she called l marriage the sacrament of adul- 
 tery. ' "Ibid. 
 
 Truly, this was a strange god, whom the fathers 
 of that generation knew not. No such deity had 
 ever before been set up as an object of adoration. 
 And well might it be called the god of forces ; for 
 the object of the movement was to cause the peo- 
 ple to renew their covenant and repeat their vows 
 for the prosperity of the armies of France. Read 
 again a few lines from the extract already given : 
 
 "We have left its temples; they are regenerated. To- 
 
 Iday an immense multitude are assembled under its Gothic 
 roofs, which, for the first time, will re-echo the voice of truth. 
 There the French will celebrate their true worship that of 
 Liberty and Reason. There we will form new vows for the 
 prosperity of the armies of the Republic." 
 
 VERSE 39. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with 
 a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with 
 glory ; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall 
 divide the land for gain. 
 
362 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 The system of paganism which had been intro- 
 duced into France, as exemplified in the worship of 
 the idol set up in the person of the Goddess of 
 Reason, and regulated by a heathen ritual which 
 had been enacted by the National Assembly for the 
 use of the French people continued in force till the 
 appointment of Napoleon to the provisional consu- 
 late of France in 1799. The adherents of this 
 strange religion occupied the fortified places, the 
 strongholds of the nation, as expressed in this verse. 
 
 But that which serves to identify the application 
 of this prophecy to France, perhaps as clearly as 
 any other particular, is the statement made in the 
 last clause of the verse, namc3ly, that they should 
 " divide the land for gain." Previous to the revo- 
 lution, the landed property of France was owned 
 by a few landlords in immense estates. These es- 
 tates were required by the law to remain undivided 
 so that no heirs or creditors could partition them. 
 But revolution knows no law ; and in the anarchy 
 that now reigned, as noted also in the eleventh of 
 Revelation, the titles of the nobility were abolished, 
 and their lands disposed of in small parcels for the 
 benefit of the public exchequer. The government 
 was in need of funds, and these large landed es- 
 tates were confiscated and sold at auction, in parcels 
 to suit purchasers. The historian thus records this 
 unique transaction: 
 
 "The confiscation of two-thirds of the landed property of 
 the kingdom, which arose from the decrees of the Conven- 
 tion against the emigrants, clergy, and persons convicted at 
 
 I 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 40. 3(53 
 
 the Revolutionary Tribunals, .... placed funds worth 
 above 700,000,000 sterling at the disposal of the govern- 
 ment." Alison, vol. iv, p. 151. 
 
 When did ever an event transpire, and in what 
 country, fulfilling a prophecy more completely than 
 this ? As the nation began to come to itself, a more 
 rational religion was demanded, and the heathen 
 ritual was abolished. The historian thus describes 
 that event: 
 
 " A third and bolder measure was the discarding of the 
 heathen ritual, and re-opening the churches for Christian 
 worship ; and of this the credit was wholly Napoleon's, who 
 had to contend with the philosophic prej udices of almost all 
 his colleagues. He, in his conversations with them, made 
 no attempts to represent himself a believer in Christianity, 
 but stood only on the necessity of providing the people with 
 the regular means of worship, wherever it is meant to have 
 a state of tranquility. The priests who chose to take the 
 oath of fidelity to the government wore re-admitted to their 
 functions ; and this wise measure was followed by the ad- 
 herence of not less than 20,000 of these ministers of religion, 
 who had hitherto languished in the prisons of France." 
 Lockhart's Life of Napoleon, vol. i, p. 154. 
 
 Thus terminated the reign of terror and the in- 
 fidel revolution. Out of its ruins rose Bonaparte, 
 to guide the tumult to his own elevation, place him- 
 self at the head of the French government, and 
 strike terror to the hearts of nations. 
 
 VERSE 40. And at the time of the end shall the king of 
 the south push at him ; and the king of the north shall come 
 against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horse- 
 men, and with many ships ; and he shall enter into the 
 countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 
 
364 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 After a long interval, the king of the south and 
 the king of the north again appear on the stage of 
 action. We have met with nothing to indicate 
 that we are to look to any different localities for 
 these powers from those which, shortly after the 
 death of Alexander, constituted respectively the 
 southern and northern divisions of his empire. The 
 king of the south was at that time Egypt, and the 
 king of the north was Syria, including Thrace and 
 Asia Minor. Egypt is still, by common agreement, 
 the king of the south, while the territory which at 
 first constituted the king of the north, has been for 
 the past four hundred years wholly included within 
 the dominions of the Sultan of Turkey. To Egypt 
 and Turkey then, in connection with the power last 
 under consideration, we must look for a fulfillment 
 of the verse before us. 
 
 This application of the prophecy calls for a con- 
 flict to spring up between Egypt and France, and 
 Turkey and France, in 1798 ; which year we have 
 seen to be the commencement of the time of the 
 end ; and if history testifies that such a triangular 
 war did break out in that year, it will be conclu- 
 sive proof of the correctness of the application. 
 
 We inquire, therefore, Is it a fact that at the 
 time of the end, Egypt did " push," or make a com- 
 paratively feeble resistance, while Turkey did come 
 like a resistless "whirlwind," against "him," that 
 is, the government of France ? We have already 
 produced some evidence that the time of the end 
 commenced in 1798 ; and no reader of history need 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 40. 365 
 
 be informed that in that very year a state of open 
 hostility between France and Egypt was in- 
 augurated. 
 
 To what extent this conflict owed its origin to 
 the dreams of glory deliriously cherished in the 
 ambitious brain of Napoleon Bonaparte, the his- 
 torian will form his own opinion ; but the French, 
 or Bonaparte, at least, contrived to make Egypt the 
 aggressor. Thus, when in the invasion of that coun- 
 try he had secured his first foothold in Alexandria, 
 he declared that " he had not come to ravage the 
 country or to wrest it from the Grand Seignior, but 
 merely to deliver it from the domination of the 
 Mamelukes, and to revenge the outrages which they 
 had committed against France" Thiers' French 
 Revolution, vol. iv, p. 268. Again the historian 
 says : " Besides, he [Bonaparte] had strong reasons 
 to urge against them [the Mamelukes] ; for they 
 had never ceased to ill-treat the French." Ib. 
 p. 273. 
 
 The beginning of the year 1798 found France in- 
 dulging in immense projects against the English. 
 The Directory desired Bonaparte to undertake at 
 once a descent upon England ; but he saw that no 
 direct operations of that kind could be judiciously 
 undertaken before the fall ; and he was unwilling 
 to hazard his growing reputation, by spending the 
 summer in idleness. "But," says the historian, "he 
 saw a far-off land, where a glory was to be won 
 which would gain a new charm in the eyes of his 
 countrymen, by the romance and mystery which 
 
366 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 hung upon the scene. Egypt, the land of the Pha- 
 raohs and the Ptolemies, would be a noble field for 
 new triumphs." White's History of France, p. 469. 
 But while still broader visions of glory opened be- 
 fore the eyes of Bonaparte in those eastern historic 
 lands, covering not Egypt only, but Syria, Persia, 
 Hindostan, even to the Ganges itself, he had no dif- 
 ficulty in persuading the Directory that Egypt was 
 the vulnerable point through which to strike at 
 England, by intercepting her eastern trade. Hence, 
 on the pretext above mentioned, the Egyptian cam- 
 paign was undertaken. 
 
 The downfall of the papacy, which marked the 
 termination of the 1260 years, and, according to 
 verse 35, showed the commencement of the time of 
 the end, transpired on the 10th of February, 1798, 
 when Rome fell into the hands of Berth ier, the 
 general of the French. On the 5th of March fol- 
 lowing, Bonaparte received the decree of the Di- 
 rectory relative to the expedition against Egypt. 
 May 3, he left Paris, and set sail from Toulon the 
 19th, with a large naval armament, consisting of 
 500 sail, carrying 40,000 soldiers and 10,000 sail- 
 ors. July 5, Alexandria was taken, and immedi- 
 ately fortified. On the 23d, the decisive battle of 
 the pyramids was fought, in which the Mamelukes 
 contested the field with valor and desperation, but 
 were no match for the disciplined legions of the 
 French. Murad Bey lost all his cannon, 400 cam- 
 els, and 3000 men. The loss of the French was 
 comparatively slight. On the 24th, Bonaparte en- 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 4Q. 367 
 
 tered Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and only waited 
 the subsidence of the floods of the Nile, to pursue 
 Murad Bey to Upper Egypt whither he had re- 
 tired with his shattered cavalry, and so make a 
 conquest of the whole country. Thus the king of 
 the south was able to make but a feeble resistance. 
 
 At this juncture, however, the situation of Na- 
 poleon began to grow precarious. The French fleet, 
 which was his only channel of communication with 
 France, was destroyed by the English under Nel- 
 son at Aboukir ; and on September 2, of this same 
 year, 1798, the Sultan of Turkey, under feelings of 
 jealousy against France, artfully fostered by the 
 English ambassadors at Constantinople, and exas- 
 perated that Egypt, so long a semi-dependency of 
 the Ottoman Empire, should be transformed into 
 a French province, declared war against France. 
 Thus the king of the north [Turkey] came against 
 him [France] in the same year that the king of the 
 south [Egypt] " pushed," and both " at the time of 
 the end;" which is another conclusive proof that 
 the year 1798 is the year which begins that period. 
 
 Was the coming of the king of the north, or 
 Turkey, like the whirlwind in comparison with the 
 pushing of Egypt ? Napoleon had crushed the 
 armies of Egypt ; he essayed to do the same thing 
 with the armies of the Sultan, who were menacing 
 an attack from the side of Asia. Feb. 27, 1799, 
 with 18,000 men, he commenced his march from 
 Cairo to Syria. He first took the fort of El-Arish, 
 in the desert, then Jaffa (the Joppa of the Bible), 
 
368 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 conquered the inhabitants of Naplous at Zeta, and 
 was again victorious at Jafet. Meanwhile a strong 
 body of Turks had intrenched themselves at St. 
 Jean d'Acre, while swarms of Mussulmans gathered 
 in the mountains of Samaria, ready to swoop down 
 upon the French when they should besiege Acre. 
 Sir Sidney Smith at the same time appeared before 
 St. Jean d'Acre with two English ships, reinforced 
 the Turkish garrison of that place, and captured 
 the apparatus for the siege, which Napoleon had 
 sent round by sea from Alexandria. A Turkish 
 fleet soon appeared in the offing, which, with the 
 Russian and English vessels then co-operating with 
 them, constituted the " many ships " of the king of 
 the north. 
 
 On the 18th of March the siege commenced. 
 Napoleon was twice called away to save some 
 French divisions from falling into the hand of the 
 Mussulman hordes that filled the country. Twice 
 also a breach was made in the wall of the city; 
 but the assailants were met with such fury by the 
 garrison, that they were obliged, despite their best 
 efforts, to give over the struggle. After a continu- 
 ance of sixty days, Napoleon raised the siege, 
 sounded, for the first time in his career, the note of 
 retreat, and on the 21st of May, 1799, commenced 
 to retrace his steps to Egypt. 
 
 "And he shall overflow and pass over." We 
 have found events which furnish a very striking 
 fulfillment of the pushing of the king of the south, 
 and the whirlwind onset of the king of the north, 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSS 40. 369 
 
 against the French power. Thus far there is quite 
 a general agreement in the application of the proph- 
 ecy. We now reach a point where the views of ex- 
 positors begin to diverge. To whom do the words, 
 " he shall overflow and pass over," refer ? to France 
 or the king of the north ? The application of the 
 remainder of this chapter depends upon the answer 
 to this question. From this point, two lines of in- 
 terpretation are maintained. Some apply the words 
 to France, and endeavor to find a fulfillment in the 
 career of Napoleon. Others apply them to the 
 king of the north, and accordingly point for a ful- 
 fillment to events in the history of Turkey. We 
 speak of these two positions only, as the attempt 
 which some make to bring in the papacy here is 
 so evidently wide of the mark that its considera- 
 tion need not detain us. If neither of these posi- 
 tions is free from difficulty, as we presume no one 
 will claim that it is, absolutely, it only remains 
 that we take that one which has the weight of evi- 
 dence in its favor. 
 
 Respecting the application of the prophecy to 
 Napoleon, or to France under his leadership, so far 
 as we are acquainted with his history, we do not 
 find events which we can urge with any degree of 
 assurance, as the fulfillment of the remaining por- 
 tion of this chapter ; and hence do not see how it 
 can be thus applied. It must, then, be fulfilled by 
 Turkey, unless it can be shown (1) that the ex- 
 pression, "king of the north," does not apply to 
 Turkey, or (2) that there is some other power be- 
 
 24 
 
370 
 
 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 sides either France or the king of the north, which 
 'fulfilled this part of the prediction. But if Turkey, 
 now occupying the territory which constituted the 
 northern division of Alexander's empire, is not the 
 king of the north of this prophecy, then we are left 
 without any principle to guide us in the interpre- 
 tation. And we presume all will be agreed that 
 there is no room for the introduction of any other 
 power here. The French king and the king of the 
 north, are the only ones to whom the prediction 
 can apply. The fulfillment must lie between them. 
 Some considerations certainly favor the idea that 
 there is, in the latter part of verse 40, a transfer of 
 the burden of the prophecy from the French power 
 to the king of the north. The king of the north is 
 introduced just before as coming forth like a whirl- 
 wind, with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. 
 The collision between this power and the French 
 we have already noticed. The king of the north 
 with the aid of his allies, gained the day in this 
 contest; and the French, foiled in their efforts, 
 were driven back into Egypt. Now it would seem 
 to be the more natural application to refer the "over- 
 flowing and passing over " to that power which 
 emerged in triumph from that struggle ; and that 
 power was Turkey. We will only add that one 
 who is familiar with the Hebrew assures us that 
 the construction of this verse is such as to make it 
 necessary to refer the overflowing and passing over 
 to the king of the north, these words expressing 
 the result of that movement which is just before 
 likened to the fury .of the whirlwind. 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 41- 371 
 
 VERSE 41. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and 
 many countries shall be overthrown : but these shall escape 
 out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the 
 children of Ammon. 
 
 The facts just stated relative to the campaign of 
 the French aganist Turkey, and the repulse of the 
 former at St. Jean d'Acre, were drawn chiefly 
 from the Encyclopedia Americana. From the same 
 source, we gather further particulars respecting the 
 retreat of the French into Egypt, and the additional 
 reverses which compelled them to evacuate that 
 country. 
 
 Abandoning a campaign in which one third of 
 the army had fallen victims to war and the plague, 
 the French retired from St. Jean d'Acre, and after 
 a fatiguing march of twenty-six days, re-entered 
 Cairo in Egypt. They thus abandoned all the con- 
 quests they had made in Judea; and the "glorious 
 land," Palestine, with all its provinces, here called 
 "countries," fell back again under the oppressive 
 rule of the Turk. Edom, Moab, and Ammon, ly- 
 ing outside the limits of Palestine, south and east 
 of the Dead Sea and Jordan, were out of the line 
 of March of the Turks from Syria to Egypt, and so 
 escaped the ravages of that campaign. On this 
 passage, Adam Clarke has the following note: 
 " These and other Arabians, they [the Turks] have 
 never been able to subdue. They still occupy the 
 deserts, and receive a yearly pension of forty thou- 
 sand crowns of gold from the Ottoman emperors 
 to permit the caravans with the pilgrims for Mecca 
 to have a free passage." 
 
372 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 VERSE 42. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the 
 countries ; and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 
 
 On the retreat of the French to Egypt, a Turk- 
 ish fleet landed 18,000 men at Aboukir. Napo- 
 leon immediately attacked the place, completely 
 routing the Turks, and re-establishing his author- 
 ity in Egypt. But at this point, severe reverses to 
 the French arms in Europe called Napoleon home 
 to look after the interests of his own country. The 
 command of the troops in Egypt was left with Gen. 
 Kleber, who, after a period of untiring activity for 
 the benefit of the army, was murdered by a Turk 
 in Cairo, and the command was left with Abdallah 
 Menou. With an army which could not be re- 
 cruited, every loss was serious. 
 
 Meantime, the English government, as the ally 
 of the Turks, had resolved to wrest Egypt from the 
 French. March 13, 1800, an English fleet disem- 
 barked a body of troops at Aboukir. The French 
 gave battle the next day, but were forced to retire. 
 On the 18th, Aboukir surrendered. On the 28th, 
 reinforcements were brought by a Turkish fleet, 
 and the grand vizier approached from Syria with a 
 large army. The 19th, E/osetta surrendered to the 
 combined forces of the English and Turks. At 
 Ramanieh, a French corps of 4000 men was de- 
 feated by 8000 English and 6000 Turks. At El- 
 menayer, 5000 French were obliged to retreat, May 
 16, by the vizier who was pressing forward to Cairo 
 with 20,000 men. The whole French army was 
 now shut up in Cairo and Alexandria. Cairo cap- 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE J&. 373 
 
 itulated June 27, and Alexandria, Sept. 2. Four 
 weeks after, Oct. 1, 1801, the preliminaries of peace 
 were signed at London. 
 
 " Egypt shall not escape," were the words of the 
 prophecy. This language seeins to imply that Egypt 
 would be brought into subjection to some power 
 from whose dominion it would desire to be released. 
 As between the French and Turks, how did this 
 question stand with the Egyptians? They pre- 
 ferred French rule. In R. R. Madden's travels in 
 Egypt, Nubia, Turkey, and Palestine, in the years 
 1824-27, published in London in 1829, it is stated 
 that the French were much regretted by the Egyp- 
 tians, and extolled as benefactors; that "for the 
 short period they remained, they left traces of 
 amelioration," and that, if they could have estab- 
 lished their power, Egypt would now be compara- 
 tively civilized. In view of this testimony the 
 language would not be appropriate if applied to 
 the French; for the Egyptians did not desire to 
 escape out of their hands. They did desire to 
 escape from the hands of the Turks, but could not. 
 
 VERSE 43. But he shall have power over the treasures of 
 gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt ; 
 and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 
 
 In illustration of this verse we quote the follow- 
 big from " Historic Echoes of the voice of God," p. 
 49. 
 
 " History gives the following facts : When the French 
 were driven out of Egypt, and the Turks took possession, 
 the Sultan permitted the Egyptians to reorganize their gov- 
 
374 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 eniment as it was before the French invasion. He asked of 
 the Egyptians neither soldiers, guns, nor fortifications, 
 but left them to manage their own affairs independently, 
 with the important exception of putting the nation under 
 tribute to himself. In the articles of agreement between the 
 Sultan and the Pasha of Egypt, it was stipulated that the 
 Egyptians should pay annually to the Turkish government a 
 certain amount of gold and silver, and ' six hundred thou- 
 sand measures of corn, and four hundred thousand of 
 barley.'" 
 
 "The Libyans and the Ethiopians," "the Cushim," 
 says Dr. Clarke, "the unconquered Arabs," who 
 have sought the friendship of the Turks, and many 
 of whom are tributary to them to the present time. 
 
 VERSE 44. But tidings out of the east and out of the 
 north shall trouble him ; therefore he shall go forth with 
 great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 
 
 On this verse also Dr. Clarke has a note which is 
 worthy of mention. He says : " This part of the 
 prophecy is allowed to be yet unfulfilled." His 
 note was printed in 1825. In another portion of 
 his comment, he says : " If the Turkish power be 
 understood, as in the preceding verses, it may 
 mean that the Persians on the east, and the Rus- 
 sians on the north, will at some time greatly em- 
 barrass the Ottoman government." 
 
 Between this conjecture of Dr. Clarke's, written 
 in 1825, and the Crimean war of 1853 to 1856, 
 there is certainly a striking co-incidence, inasmuch 
 as the very powers he mentions, the Persians on 
 the east and the Russians on the north, were the 
 ones which instigated that conflict Tidings from 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 45. 375 
 
 these powers troubled him [Turkey]. Their atti- 
 tude and movements incited the Sultan to anger 
 and revenge. Russia being the more aggressive 
 party was the object of attack. Turkey declared 
 war on her powerful northern neighbor in 1853. 
 The world looked on in amazement to see a govern- 
 ment which had long been called " the Sick Man of 
 the East," a government whose army was dispirited 
 and demoralized, whose treasuries were empty, 
 whose rulers were vile and imbecile, and whose 
 subjects were rebellious, and threatening secession, 
 rush with such impetuosity into the conflict. The 
 prophecy said that they should go forth with 
 " great fury " ; and when they thus went forth, the 
 profane vernacular of an American writer described 
 them as fighting "like devils." England and 
 France, it is true, soon came to the help of Turkey ; 
 but she went forth in the manner described, and, 
 as is reported, gained victory after victory, before 
 receiving the assistance of these powers. 
 
 VERSE 45. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his pal- 
 ace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain ; yet he 
 shall conie to his end, and none shall help him 
 
 We have now traced the prophecy of the llth 
 of Daniel down, step by step, and have thus 
 far found events to fulfill all its predictions. It 
 has all been wrought out into history except this 
 last verse. The predictions of the preceding verse 
 having been fulfilled within the memory of the 
 generation now living, we are carried by this one 
 past our own day into the future ; for no power 
 
376 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 has yet performed the acts here described. But it 
 is to be fulfilled; and its fulfillment must be ac- 
 complished by that power which has been contin- 
 uously the subject of the prophecy from the 40th 
 verse, down to this 45th verse. If the appli- 
 cation to which we have given the preference, 
 in passing over these verses, is correct, we must 
 look to Turkey to make the move here indicated. 
 
 And let it here be noted how readily this could 
 be done. Palestine, which contains the "glorious 
 holy mountain," the mountain on which Jerusalem 
 stands, " between the seas," the Dead Sea and the 
 Mediterranean, is a Turkish province ; and if the 
 Turk should be obliged to retire hastily from Eu- 
 rope, he could easily go to any point within his 
 own dominions, to establish his temporary head- 
 quarters, here appropriately described as the taber- 
 nacles, movable dwellings, of his palace ; but he 
 could not go beyond them. The most notable point 
 within the limit of Turkey in Asia, is Jerusalem. 
 
 And mark, also, how applicable the language to 
 that power : " He shall come to his end, and none 
 shall help him." This plainly implies that this 
 power has previously received help. And what are 
 the facts ? In the war against France in 1798- 
 1801, in the war between Turkey and Egypt in 
 1838-1840, in the Crimean war in 1853-6, and in 
 the late Russo-Turkish war, Turkey received the 
 assistance of other powers, without which she 
 would probably have failed to maintain her posi- 
 tion. And it is a notorious fact that since the fall 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 5. 377 
 
 of the Ottoman supremacy in 1840, that empire 
 has existed only through the sufferance of the great 
 powers of Europe. Without their pledged support, 
 she would not be long able to maintain even a 
 nominal existence, and when that is withdrawn, 
 she must come to the ground. So the prophecy 
 says the king comes to his end, and none help him , 
 and he comes to his end, as we may naturally infer, 
 because none help him ; because the support previ- 
 ously rendered is withdrawn. 
 
 Have we any indications that this part of the 
 prophecy is soon to be fulfilled ? As we raise this 
 inquiry, we look not to dim and distant ages in the 
 past, whose events, so long ago transferred to the 
 page of history, now interest only the few, but to 
 the present, living, moving world. Are the nations 
 which are now on the stage of action, with their 
 disciplined armies and their multiplied weapons of 
 war, making any movement looking to this end ? 
 
 All eyes are now turned with interest toward 
 Turkey; and the unanimous opinion of statesmen 
 is, that the Turk is destined soon to be driven from 
 Europe. Some years since, a correspondent of the 
 N. Y. Tribune, writing from the East, said: "Rus- 
 sia is arming to the teeth, ... to be avenged on 
 
 Turkey Two campaigns of the Russian army 
 
 will drive the Turks out of Europe!' Carleton, 
 formerly a correspondent of the Boston Journal, 
 writing from Paris under the head of " The East- 
 ern Question," said : 
 
 " The theme of conversation during the last week has not 
 
378 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 been concerning the Expedition, but the ' Eastern Question.' 
 To what will it grow ! Will there be war ? What is Russia 
 going to do 1 What position are the Western powers going 
 to take 'I These are questions discussed not only in the cafes, 
 and restaurants, but in the Corps Legislatif. Perhaps I can- 
 not render better service at the present time than to group 
 together some facts in regard to this question, which, ac- 
 cording to present indications, are to engage the immediate 
 attention of the world. What is the ' Eastern Question ' ? 
 It is not easy to give a definition ; for to Russia it may mean 
 one thing, to France another, and to Austria still another ; 
 but sifted of every side issue, it may be reduced to this : the 
 DRIVING OF THE TURK INTO ASIA, and a scramble for his ter- 
 ritory." 
 
 Again he says : 
 
 " Surely the indications are that the Sultan is destined 
 soon to see the western border of his dominions break off, 
 piece by piece. But what will follow? Are Roumania, 
 Servia, Bosnia, and Albania, to set up as an independent 
 sovereignty together, and take position among the nations ? 
 or is there to be a grand rush for the estate of the Ottoman? 
 But that is of the future a future not far distant. " 
 
 Shortly after the foregoing extracts were written, 
 an astonishing revolution took place, in Europe. 
 France, one of the parties, if not the chief one, in 
 the alliance to uphold the Ottoman throne, was 
 crushed by Prussia. Prussia, another party, was 
 too much in sympathy with Russia to interfere 
 with her movements against the Turk. England, 
 a third, in an embarrassed condition financially, 
 could riot think of entering into any contest in be- 
 half of Turkey, without the alliance of France. 
 Austria had not recovered from the blow she re- 
 ceived in her late war with Prussia ; and Italy was 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 45. 379 
 
 busy with the matter of stripping the pope of his 
 temporal power, and making Rome the capital of 
 the nation. A writer in the N. Y. Tribune re- 
 marked that if Turkey should become involved in 
 difficulty with Russia, she could count on the 
 prompt "assistance of Austria, France, and Eng- 
 land." But none of these powers, nor any others 
 who would be likely to assist Turkey, were in any 
 condition to do so, owing principally to the sud- 
 den and unexpected humiliation of the French na- 
 tion. 
 
 Russia then saw that her opportunity had come. 
 She accordingly startled all the powers of Europe 
 in the fall of the same memorable year, 1870, by 
 stepping forth and deliberately announcing that 
 she designed to regard no longer the stipulations of 
 the treaty of 1856. This treaty, concluded at the 
 termination of the Crimean war, restricted the 
 warlike operations of Russia in the Black Sea. 
 But Russia must have the privilege of using those 
 waters for military purposes, if she would carry out 
 her designs against Turkey ; hence her determina- 
 tion to disregard that treaty right at the time when 
 none of the powers were in a condition to enforce it. 
 
 The ostensible reason urged by Russia, for her 
 movements in this direction, was that she might 
 have a sea-front and harbors in a warmer climate 
 than the shores of the Baltic ; but the real design 
 was against Turkey. Thus the Churchman, of 
 Hartford, Ct., in an able article on the present 
 " European Medley," states that Russia in her en- 
 
380 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 croachments upon Turkey, is not merely seeking a 
 sea frontier, and harbors lying on the great high- 
 ways of commerce, unclosed by arctic winters, but 
 that, with a feeling akin to that which inspired the 
 Crusades, she is " actuated by an intense desire to 
 drive the Crescent from the soil of Europe!' 
 
 This desire on the part of Russia, has been cher- 
 ished as a sacred legacy since the days of Peter the 
 Great. That famous prince, becoming sole emperor 
 of Russia in 1688, at the age of 16, enjoyed a pros- 
 perous reign of thirty-seven years, to 1725, and left 
 to his successors a celebrated " last will and testa- 
 ment," imparting certain important instructions for 
 their constant observance. The 9th article of that 
 will enjoined the following policy : 
 
 " To take every possible means of gaining Con- 
 stantinople and the Indies (for he who rules there 
 will be the true sovereign of the world) ; excite 
 war continually in Turkey and Persia ; establish 
 fortresses in the Black Sea ; get control of the sea 
 by degrees, and also of the Baltic, which is a double 
 point, necessary to the realization of our project ; 
 accelerate as much as possible the decay of Persia ; 
 penetrate to the Persian Gulf ; re-establish, if pos- 
 sible, by the way of Syria, the ancient commerce of 
 the Levant ; advance to the Indies, which are the 
 great depot of the world. Once there, we can do 
 without the gold of England." 
 
 The llth article reads: "Interest the House of 
 Austria in the expulsion of the Turks from Europe, 
 and quiet their dissensions at the moment of the 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 45. 381 
 
 conquest of Constantinople (having excited war 
 among the old States of Europe), by giving to 
 Austria a portion of the conquest, which after- 
 ward will or can be reclaimed." 
 
 The following facts in Russian history will show 
 how persistently this line of policy has been fol- 
 lowed: "In 1696, Peter the Great wrested the Sea 
 of Azov from the Turks and kept it. Next, Cath- 
 arine the Great won the Crimea, In 1812, by the 
 peace of Bucharest, Alexander I. obtained Moldavia, 
 and the prettily-named province of Bessarabia, with 
 its apples, peaches and cherries. Then came the 
 great Nicholas, who won the right of the free 
 navigation of the Black Sea, the Dardanelles and 
 the Danube, but whose inordinate greed led him 
 into the Crimean war, by which he lost Moldavia, 
 and the right of navigating the Danube, and the 
 unrestricted navigation of the Black Sea. This 
 was no doubt a severe repulse to Russia, but it did 
 not extinguish the designs upon the Ottoman 
 power, nor did it contribute in any essential degree 
 to the stability of the Ottoman empire. Patiently 
 biding her time, Russia has been watching and 
 waiting, and in 1870, when all the western nations 
 were watching the Franco-Prussian war, she an- 
 nounced to the Powers that she would be no longer 
 bound by the treaty of 1856, which restricted her 
 use of the Black Sea ; and since that time that sea 
 has been, as it was one thousand years ago, to all 
 intents and purposes, a mare Russicum" 
 
 Napoleon Bonaparte well understood the designs 
 
382 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 of Russia, and the importance of her contemplated 
 movements. While a prisoner on the island of St. 
 Helena, he spoke to Governor Hudson as follows : 
 
 "In the course of a few years, Russia will have Constantino- 
 ple, part of Turkey, and all Greece. This I hold ts> be as cer- 
 tain as if it had already taken place. All the cojolery and flat- 
 tery that Alexander practiced upon me was to gain my con- 
 sent to effect that object. I would not give it, foreseeing 
 that the equilibrium of Europe would be destroyed. Once 
 mistress of Constantinople, Russia gets all the commerce of 
 the Mediterranean, becomes a naval power, and then God 
 knows what may happen. The object of my invasion of 
 Russia was to prevent this, by the interposition between her 
 and Turkey of a new State which I meant to call into ex- 
 istence as a barrier to her eastern encroachments. " 
 
 Kossuth, also, took the same view of the political 
 board, when he said : " In Turkey will be decided 
 the fate of the world." 
 
 The words of Bonaparte quoted above in reference 
 to the destruction of "the equilibrium of Europe," 
 reveals the motive which has induced the great 
 powers to tolerate so long the existence on the con- 
 tinent of a nation which is false in religion, desti- 
 tute of humanity, and a disgrace to modern civili- 
 zation. Constantinople is regarded, by general 
 consent, as the grand strategic point of Europe, and 
 the powers have each sagacity or jealousy enough 
 to see, or think they see, the fact that if any one of 
 the European powers gains permanent possession of 
 that point, as Russia desires to do, that power will 
 be able to dictate terms to the rest of Europe. 
 This position none of the powers are willing that 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 45. 383 
 
 any other power should possess ; and the only ap- 
 parent way to prevent it is for them all to combine, 
 by tacit or express agreement, to keep each other 
 out, and suffer the unspeakable Turk to drag along 
 his sickly Asiatic existence on the soil of Europe. 
 This is preserving that "balance of power" over 
 which they are all so sensitive. But this cannot 
 always continue. " He shall come to his end and 
 none shall help him." The sick man seems deter- 
 mined to reduce himself most speedily to that de- 
 gree of putrefaction, that Europe will be obliged to 
 drive him into Asia, as a matter .of safety to its own 
 civilization. 
 
 When Russia in 1870 announced her intention to 
 disregard the treaty of 1856, the other powers, 
 though incapable of doing anything, nevertheless, 
 as was becoming their ideas of their own impor- 
 tance, made quite a show of offended dignity. A 
 congress of nations was demanded, and the demand 
 was granted. The congress was held, and proved, 
 as everybody expected it would prove, simply a 
 farce, so far as restraining Russia was concerned. 
 The San Francisco Chronicle of March, 1871, had 
 this paragraph touching "The Eastern-Question 
 Congress " : 
 
 11 It is quite evident that, as far as directing or controlling 
 the action of the Muscovite government is concerned, the 
 Congress is little better than a farce. England originated 
 the idea of the Congress, simply because it afforded her an 
 opportunity of abandoning, without actual dishonor, a posi- 
 tion she had assumed rather too hastily, and Russia was 
 complacent enough to join in the * little game,' feeling satis- 
 
THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 fied that she would lose nothing by her courtesy. Turkey 
 is the only aggrieved party in this dextrous arrangement. 
 She is left face to face with her hereditary and implacable 
 enemy ; for the nations that previously assisted her, ostensi- 
 bly through friendship and love of justice, but really through 
 motives of self-interest, have evaded the challenge so openly 
 flung into the arena by the Northern Colossus. It is easy to 
 foresee the end of this Conference. Russia will get all she 
 requires, another step will be taken toward the realization of 
 Peter the Great's Will, and the Sultan will receive a foretaste 
 of his apparently inevitable doom expulsion from Europe. " 
 
 From that point, the smouldering fires of the 
 " Eastern Question " continued to agitate and alarm 
 the nations 'of Europe till in 1877 the flames burst 
 forth anew. On the 24th of April in that year 
 Russia declared war against Turkey ostensibly to 
 defend the Christians against the inhuman barbarity 
 of the Turks really, to make another trial to carry 
 out her long-cherished determination, to drive the 
 Turk from Europe. The events and the results of 
 that war of 1877-8, the general reader will at this 
 writing (1881) distinctly remember. It was evi- 
 dent from the first that Turkey was overmatched. 
 Russia pushed her approaches till the very outposts 
 of Constantinople were occupied by her forces. But 
 diplomacy on the part of the alarmed nations of 
 Europe again stepped in to suspend for awhile the 
 contest. The Berlin congress was held, Jan. 25, 1878. 
 Turkey agreed to sign conditions to peace. The 
 conditions were that the straits of the Dardanelles 
 should be open to Russian ships; that Russians 
 should occupy Batoum, Kars and Erzeroum ; that 
 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 45. 385 
 
 Turkey should pay Russia 20,000,000 sterling, as 
 a war indemnity ; and that the treaty should be 
 signed at Constantinople. In making this an- 
 nouncement, the Allegemeine Zeitung added, " The 
 eventual entry of the Russians into Constantinople 
 cannot longer be regarded as impracticable." 
 
 The Detroit Evening News of Feb. 20, 1878, 
 said : " According to the latest version of the peace 
 conditions, Turkey besides her territorial losses, 
 and the surrender of a few iron-clads, the repairs of 
 the mouth of the Danube, the re-imbursement of 
 Russian capital invested in Turkish securities, the 
 indemnity to Russian subjects in Constantinople 
 for war losses, and the maintenance of about 100,- 
 000 prisoners of war will have to pay to Russia in 
 round figures a sum equivalent to about 8552,000,000 
 in our money. The unestimated items will easily 
 increase this to six hundred millions. With her 
 taxable territory reduced almost to poverty-stricken 
 Asia Minor, and with her finances at present in a 
 condition of absolute chaos, it is difficult to see 
 where she is going to get the money, however 
 ready her present rulers may be to sign the con- 
 tract." 
 
 " The proposition amounts to giving the Czar a 
 permanent mortgage on the whole empire, and con- 
 tains an implied threat that he may foreclose at 
 any time, by the seizure of the remainder of Euro- 
 pean Turkey. In this last aspect, all Europe has a 
 vital interest in the matter, and particularly Eng- 
 land, even if the conditions were not in themselves 
 
 25 
 
386 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 calculated to drive English creditors crazy, by de- 
 stroying- their last hope of ever getting a cent of 
 their large investments in Turkish bonds. It makes 
 Russia a preferred creditor of the bankrupt Porte, 
 with the additional advantage of being assignee in 
 possession, leaving creditors with prior claims out 
 in the cold." 
 
 The following paragraph taken from the Phila- 
 delphia Public Ledger, August, 1878, sets forth an 
 instructive and very suggestive exhibit of the 
 shrinkage of Turkish territory within the past 
 sixty years, and especially as the result of the late 
 war: 
 
 " Any one who will take the trouble to look at a map of 
 Turkey in Europe dating back about sixty years, and com- 
 pare that with the new map sketched by the treaty of San 
 Stefano as modified by the Berlin Congress, will be able to 
 form a judgment of a march of progress that is pressing the 
 Ottoman power out of Europe. Then, the northern bound- 
 ary of Turkey extended to the Carpathian Mountains, and 
 eastward of the river Sereth it embraced Moldavia as far 
 north nearly as the 47th degree of north latitude. That 
 map embraced also what is now the kingdom 'of Greece. It 
 covered all of Servia and Bosnia. But by the year 1830, the 
 northern frontier of Turkey was driven back from the Car- 
 pathians to the south bank of the Danube, the principali- 
 ties of Moldavia and Wallachia being emancipated from 
 Turkish domination, and subject only to the payment of an 
 annual tribute in money to the Porte. South of the Dan- 
 ube, the Servians had won a similar emancipation for their 
 country. Greece also had been enabled to establish her in- 
 dependence. Then, as recently, the Turk was truculent 
 and obstinate. Russia and Great Britain proposed to make 
 Greece a tributary State, retaining the sovereignty of the 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 45. 3$? 
 
 Porte. This was refused, and the result was the utter de- 
 struction of the powerful Turkish fleet at Navarino, and the 
 erection of the independent kingdom of Greece. Thus 
 Turkey in Europe was pressed back on all sides. Now, the 
 northern boundary, which was so recently at the Danube, 
 has been driven south to the Balkans. Roumania and 
 Servia have ceased even to be tributary, and have taken 
 their place among independent States. Bosnia has gone 
 under the protection of Austria, as Roumania did under 
 that of Russia, in 1829. l Rectified ' boundaries give Turk- 
 ish territory to Servia, Montenegro, and Greece. Bulgaria 
 takes the place of Roumania as a self-governing principality, 
 having no dependence on the Porte, and paying only an an- 
 nual tribute. Even south of the Balkans the power of the 
 Turk is crippled, for Roumelia is to have ' home rule ' under 
 a Christian governor. And so again the frontier of Turkey 
 in Europe is pressed back on all sides, until the territory 
 left is but the shadow of what it was sixty years ago. To 
 produce this result has been the policy and the battle of 
 Russia for more than half a century ; for nearly that space 
 of time it has been the struggle of some of the other ' pow- 
 ers ' to maintain the 'integrity' of the Turkish empire. 
 Which policy has succeeded, and which failed, the compar- 
 ison of maps at intervals of twenty-five years will show. 
 Turkey in Europe has been shriveled up in the last half 
 century. It is shrinking back and back toward Asia, and, 
 though all the ' powers ' but Russia should unite their forces 
 to maintain the Ottoman system in Europe, there is a man- 
 ifest destiny visible in the history of the last fifty years that 
 must defeat them." 
 
 A correspondent of the Christian Union, writing 
 from Constantinople under date of Oct. 8, 1878, 
 said : 
 
 " When we consider the difficulties which now beset this 
 feeble and tottering government, tJie only wonder is that it 
 can stand for a day. Aside from the funded debt of $1,000,- 
 
388 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 000,000 upon which it pays no interest, it has an enormous 
 floating debt representing all the expenses of the war, its 
 employes are unpaid, its army has not been disbanded or even 
 reduced, and its paper money has become almost worthless. 
 The people have lost heart, and expect every day some new 
 revolution or a renewal of the war. The government does 
 not know which to distrust most, its friends or its enemies. " 
 
 Thus all evidence goes to show that the Turk 
 must soon leave Europe. Where will he then 
 plant the tabernacles of his palace ? In Jerusalem ? 
 Tnat certainly is the most probable point. Newton 
 on the Prophecies, p. 318, says : "Between the seas 
 in the glorious holy mountain, must denote, as we 
 have shown, some part of the Holy Land. There 
 the Turk shall encamp with all his power, yet 'he 
 shall come to his end, and none shall help him ' 
 shall help him effectually, or deliver him." 
 
 Time will soon determine this matter ; and it 
 may be but a few months. And when this takes 
 place, what follows ? Events of the most moment- 
 ous interest to all the inhabitants of this world, as 
 the next chapter immediately shows. 
 
XII. 
 
 CLOSING SCENES. 
 
 VERSE 1. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the 
 great prince which standeth for the children of thy people ; 
 and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since 
 there was a nation even to that same time ; and at that time 
 thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found 
 written in the book. 
 
 A definite time is introduced in this verse: 
 "At that time." What time? The time to which 
 we are brought in the closing verse of the preced- 
 ing chapter, the time when the king of the north 
 shall plant the tabernacles of his palace in the glo- 
 rious holy mountain ; or, in other words, when the 
 Turk, driven from Europe, shall hastily make Jeru- 
 salem his temporary seat of government. We no- 
 ticed in remarks upon the latter portion of the pre- 
 ceding chapter some of the agencies already in op- 
 eration for the accomplishment of this end, and 
 some of the indications that the Turks will very 
 soon be obliged to make this move. And when 
 this event takes place, then, according to this verse, 
 we look for the standing up of Michael, the great 
 prince. This movement on the part of Turkey is 
 the signal for the standing up of Michael ; that is, 
 it marks this event as next in order. And to 
 
 (389) 
 
390 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 guard against all misunderstanding, let the reader 
 note that the position is not here taken that the 
 next movement against the Turks will drive them 
 from Europe, or that when they shall establish 
 their capital at Jerusalem, Christ begins his reign 
 without the lapse of a day or an hour of time. But 
 here are the events, to come, as we believe, in the 
 following order: 1. Further pressure brought to 
 bear in some way upon the Turk. 2. His retire- 
 ment from Europe. 3. His final stand at Jerusa- 
 lem. 4. The standing up of Michael, or the begin- 
 ning of the reign of Christ, and his coming in the 
 clouds of heaven. And it is not reasonable to sup- 
 pose that any great amount of time will elapse 
 between these events. 
 
 Who, then, is Michael ? and what is his standing 
 up ? Michael is called, in Jude 9, the archangel. 
 This means the chief angel, or the head over the 
 angels. There is but one. Who is he ? He is the 
 one whose voice is heard from Heaven when the 
 dead are raised. 1 Thess. 4 : 16. And whose voice 
 is heard in connection with that event? The voice 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 5 : 28. Tracing 
 back the evidence with this fact as a basis, we 
 reach the following conclusions : The voice of the 
 Son of God is the voice of the archangel : the arch- 
 angel, then, is the Son of God. But the archangel 
 is Michael ; hence Michael is also the Son of God. 
 But the expression of Daniel, "the great prince 
 which standeth for the children of thy people," is 
 alone sufficient to identify the one here spoken of 
 
CHAPTER XII, VEliSE 1. 
 
 as the Saviour of men. He is the Prince of life ; 
 Acts 3 : 15 ; and God hath exalted him to be a 
 "Prince and a Saviour." Acts 5:31. He is the 
 great Prince. There is no one greater save the 
 sovereign Father. 
 
 And he standeth for the children of thy people. 
 He condescends to take the servants of God in this 
 poor mortal state, and redeem them for the subjects 
 of his future kingdom. He stands for us. We are 
 essential to his future purposes, an inseparable part 
 of the purchased inheritance ; and we are to be the 
 chief agents of that joy in view of which Christ 
 endured all the sacrifice and suffering which has 
 marked his intervention in behalf of the fallen 
 race. Amazing honor! Be everlasting gratitude 
 repaid him for his cpndescension and mercy unto 
 us. Be his the kingdom, power, and glory, forever 
 and ever. 
 
 We now come to the second question, What is 
 the standing up of Michael ? The key to the in- 
 terpretation of this expression is furnished us in 
 verses 2 and 3 of chapter 11. " There shall stand 
 up yet three kings in Persia;" "a mighty king 
 shall stand up that shall reign with great domin- 
 ion." There can be no doubt as to the meaning of 
 these expressions in these instances. They mean, to 
 take the kingdom, to reign. The same expression 
 in the verse under consideration must mean the 
 same. At that time, Michael shall stand up, shall 
 take the kingdom, shall commence his reign. 
 
 But is not Christ reigning now ? Yes, associated 
 
392 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 with his Father on the throne of universal do- 
 minion. Eph. 1:20-22; Rev. 3:21. But this 
 throne or kingdom he gives up at the end of this 
 dispensation ; 2 Cor. 15 : 24 ; and then he com- 
 mences his reign brought to view in the text, when 
 he stands up, or takes his own kingdom, the long- 
 promised throne of his father David, and establishes 
 a dominion of which there shall be no end. Luke 
 1 : 32, 33. 
 
 Into an examination of all the events that con- 
 stitute, or are inseparably connected with, this 
 change in the position of our Lord, it is not neces- 
 sary that we here enter. Suffice it to say that then 
 the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of 
 our Lord and of his Christ. His priestly robes are 
 laid aside for royal vesture. The work of mercy 
 is done, and the probation of our race is ended. 
 Then he that is filthy is beyond the hope of recov- 
 ery ; and he that is holy is beyond the danger of 
 falling. All cases are decided. And from that 
 time on, till the terrified nations behold the majes- 
 tic form of their insulted King in the clouds of 
 heaven, the nations are broken as with a rod of 
 iron, and dashed in pieces like a potter's vessel, by 
 a time of trouble such as never was, a series of 
 judgments unparalleled in the world's history, 
 culminating in the revelation of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ from heaven in flaming fire to take ven- 
 geance on them that know not God, and obey not 
 the gospel. 
 
 Thus momentous are the events introduced by 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSE 1. 393 
 
 the standing up of Michael. And he thus stands 
 up, or takes the kingdom, marking the introduction 
 of this decisive period in human history, for some 
 length of time before he returns personally to this 
 earth. How important, then, that we have a 
 knowledge of his position, to be able to trace the 
 progress of his work, and understand when that 
 thrilling moment draws near which ends his inter- 
 cession in behalf of mankind, and fixes our destiny 
 forever. 
 
 But how are we to know this ? How are we to 
 determine what is transpiring in the far off Heaven 
 of heavens, in the sanctuary above ? God has been 
 so good as to place the means of knowing this in 
 our hands. When certain great events transpire on 
 earth, he has told us what events, synchronizing 
 with them, transpire in Heaven. By things which 
 are seen, we thus learn of things that are unseen. 
 As we " look through nature up to nature's God," 
 so through terrestrial phenomena and mundane 
 movements we trace the occurrence of heavenly 
 scenes. When the king of the north plants the 
 tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the 
 glorious holy mountain, a movement for which we 
 already see the preparatory steps, then Michael, our 
 Lord, stands up, or receives from his Father the 
 kingdom, preparatory to his return to this earth. 
 Or it might have been expressed in words like 
 these : Then our Lord ceases his work as our great 
 High Priest, and the probation of the race is fin- 
 ished. The great prophecy of the 2300 days gives 
 
394 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 us definitely the commencement of the final divis- 
 ion of the work in the sanctuary in Heaven. The 
 verse before us gives us data whereby we can dis- 
 cover approximately the time of its close. 
 
 In connection with the standing up of Michael, 
 there occurs a time of trouble such as never was. 
 In Matt. 24 : 21, we read of a period of tribulation 
 such as never was before it, nor should be after it. 
 This tribulation, fulfilled in the oppression and 
 slaughter of the church by the papal power, is al- 
 ready past; while the time of trouble of Dan. 
 12:1, is, according to the view we take, still fut- 
 ure. How can there be two times of trouble 
 many years apart, each of them greater than any 
 that had been before it, or should be after it ? To 
 avoid difficulty here, let this distinction be care- 
 fully noticed: The tribulation spoken of in Mat- 
 thew is tribulation upon the church. Christ is 
 speaking to his disciples, and of his disciples in 
 coming time. They were the ones involved in 
 that trouble, and for their sake, the days of tribu- 
 lation were to be shortened. Verse 22. Whereas 
 the time of trouble in Daniel is not a time of 
 religious persecution, but of national calamity. 
 There has been nothing like it since there was 
 (not a church, bufr) a nation. This comes upon the 
 world. This is the last trouble to come upon the 
 world in its present state. In Matthew there is 
 reference made to time beyond that tribulation ; for 
 there was never to be any like that upon the peo- 
 ple of God in the future, after that was past. But 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSE 2. 395 
 
 there is no reference here in Daniel to future time, 
 after the trouble here mentioned; for that closes 
 up the world's history. It includes the seven last 
 plagues of Rev. 16, and culminates in the revela- 
 tion of the Lord Jesus, coming upon his pathway 
 of clouds in naming fire, to visit destruction upon 
 his enemies who would not have him to reign over 
 them. But out of this tribulation every one shall 
 be delivered who shall be found written in the 
 
 book the book of life ; " for in Mount Zion 
 
 shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and .in 
 the remnant whom the Lord shall call." Joel 2 : 32. 
 
 VERSE 2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the 
 earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to 
 shame and everlasting contempt. 
 
 This verse also shows how momentous a pejiod is 
 introduced by the standing up of Michael, or the 
 commencement of the reign of Christ, as set forth 
 in the first verse of this chapter ; for the event 
 here described in explicit terms is a resurrection of 
 the dead. Is this the general resurrection which 
 takes place at the second coming of Christ ? or, is 
 there to intervene between Christ's reception of the 
 kingdom and his revelation to earth, Luke 19 : 12, 
 in all his advent glory, a special resurrection an- 
 swering to the description here given? One of 
 these it must be ; for every declaration of Scripture 
 will be fulfilled. 
 
 Why may it not be the former, or the resurrec- 
 tion which occurs at the last trump ? Answer. 
 Because those who are then raised are all righteous. 
 
396 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 . Those who sleep in Christ then come forth ; but the 
 rest of the dead live not again for a thousand years. 
 Rev. 20 : 5. So then the general resurrection of the 
 whole race is comprised in two grand divisions, first, 
 of the righteous exclusively, at the coming of Christ ; 
 secondly, of the wicked exclusively, a thousand 
 years thereafter. The general resurrection is not a 
 mixed resurrection. The righteous and wicked do 
 not come up promiscuously at the same time. But 
 each of these two classes is set off by itself, and the 
 time which elapses between their respective resur- 
 rections, is plainly stated to be a thousand years. 
 
 But in the resurrection brought to view in the 
 verse before us, both righteous and wicked come up 
 together. It cannot therefore be the first resurrec- 
 tion, which includes the righteous only, nor the 
 second, which is as distinctly confined to the 
 wicked. If the text read, Many of them that sleep 
 in the dust of the earth shall awake to everlasting 
 life, then the " many " might be interpreted as in- 
 cluding all the righteous, and the resurrection be 
 that of the just at the second coming of Christ. 
 But the fact that some of the many are wicked, 
 and rise to shame and everlasting contempt, bars 
 the way to such an application. 
 
 It may be objected that this text does not affirm 
 the awakening of any but the righteous, according 
 to the translation of Bush and Whiting ; namely, 
 " And many of them that sleep in the dust of the 
 earth shall awake, these to everlasting life, and 
 those to shame and everlasting contempt." It will 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSE 2. 397 
 
 be noticed first of all, thafe this translation (which 
 we by no means hold above criticism) proves noth- 
 ing till the evident ellipsis is supplied. This ellip- 
 sis some, therefore, undertake to supply as follows : 
 " And many of them that sleep in the dust of the 
 earth shall awake, these [the awakened ones] to 
 everlasting life, and those [the unawakened ones] to 
 shame and everlasting contempt." It will be 
 noticed again that this does not supply the ellipsis 
 but only adds a comment, which is a very different 
 thing. To supply the ellipsis is simply to insert 
 those words which are necessary to complete the 
 sentence. " Many of them that sleep in the dust of 
 the earth shall awake " is a complete sentence. 
 The subject and predicate are both expressed. The 
 next member, " Some [or these] to everlasting life," 
 is not complete. What is wanted to complete it ? 
 Not a comment giving some one's opinion of who is 
 intended by "these," but a verb of which these 
 shall be the subject. What verb shall it be? This 
 must be determined by the preceding portion of the 
 sentence which is complete, where the verb "shall 
 awake " is used. This, then, is the predicate to be 
 supplied : " Some [or these] shall awake to everlast- 
 ing life." Applying the same remarks to the next 
 member, " Some [or those] to shame and everlasting 
 contempt," which is not in itself a complete sentence, 
 we find ourselves obliged to supply the same words, 
 and read it, " Some [or those] shall awake to shame 
 and everlasting contempt." Anything less than this 
 will not complete the sense, and anything different 
 
398 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 will pervert the text ; for a predicate to be supplied 
 cannot go beyond a predicate already expressed. 
 The affirmation made in the text pertains only to 
 the many who awake. Nothing is affirmed of the 
 rest who do not then awake. And to say that the 
 expression " to shame and everlasting contempt " ap- 
 plies to them, when nothing is affirmed of them, is 
 not only to outrage the sense of the passage, but the 
 laws of language as well. And of the many who 
 awake, some come forth to everlasting life, and some 
 to shame and everlasting contempt, which further 
 proves a resurrection to consciousness for these also ; 
 for while contempt may be felt and manifested by 
 others toward those who are guilty, shame can be 
 felt and manifested only by the guilty parties them- 
 selves. This resurrection, therefore, as already 
 shown, comprises some of both righteous and wicked, 
 and cannot be the general resurrection at the last 
 day. 
 
 Is there, then, any place for a special or limited 
 resurrection, or elsewhere any intimation of such an 
 event, before the Lord appears ? The resurrection 
 here predicted takes place when God's people are de- 
 livered from the great time of trouble with which 
 the history of this world terminates ; and it seems, 
 from Rev. 22 : 11, that this deliverance is given be- 
 fore the Lord appears. The awful moment arrives 
 when he that is filthy and unjust is pronounced un- 
 just still, and he that is righteous and holy is pro- 
 nounced holy still. Then the cases of all are forever 
 decided. And when this sentence is pronounced 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSE f. 399 
 
 upon the righteous, it must be deliverance to them ; 
 for then they are placed beyond all reach of danger, 
 or fear of evil. But the Lord has not yet made his 
 appearance ; for he immediately adds, " And, behold, 
 I come quickly." The utterance of this solemn fiat 
 which seals the righteous to everlasting life, and the 
 wicked to eternal death, is supposed to be synchro- 
 nous with the great voice which is heard from the 
 throne in the temple of Heaven, saying, It is done ! 
 And this is evidently the voice of God so frequently 
 alluded to in descriptions of the scenes connected 
 with the last day. Joel speaks of it, and says: 
 " The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his 
 voice from Jerusalem ; and the heavens and the 
 earth shall shake : but the Lord will be the hope of 
 his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." 
 The margin reads instead of " hope," " place of re- 
 pair, or harbor." Then, at this time, when God's 
 voice is heard from Heaven, just previous to the 
 coming of the Son of man, God is a harbor for his 
 people, or, which is the same thing, provides them 
 deliverance. Here, then, at the voice of God when 
 the decisions of eternity are pronounced upon the 
 race, and the last stupendous scene is just to open 
 upon a doomed world, God gives to the astonished 
 nations another evidence and pledge of his power, 
 and raises from the dead a multitude who have long 
 slept in the dust of the earth. 
 
 Thus we see that there is a time and place for the 
 resurrection of Dan. 12 : 2. We now add that a 
 passage in the book of Revelation makes it necessary 
 
400 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 to suppose a resurrection of this kind to take place. 
 Rev. 1 : 7, reads : " Behold, he cometh with clouds 
 [this is unquestionably the second advent] ; and every 
 eye shall see him [of the nations then living on the 
 earth], and they also which pierced him [those who 
 were the actors in his crucifixion] ; and all kindreds 
 of the earth shall wail because of him." Those who 
 crucified the Lord, would, unless there was an ex- 
 ception made in their cases, remain in their graves 
 till the end of the thousand years, and come up in 
 the general assembly of the wicked at that time. 
 But here it is stated that they behold the Lord at his 
 second advent. They must therefore have a special 
 resurrection for that purpose. 
 
 And it is certainly most appropriate that some, 
 eminent in holiness, who have labored and suffered 
 for their hope of a coming Saviour, but died without 
 the sight, should be raised a little before, to witness 
 the scenes attending his glorious epiphany ; as, in like 
 manner, a goodly company came out of their graves 
 after his resurrection to behold his risen glory, and to 
 escort him in triumph to the right hand of the throne 
 of the Majesty on high ; and also that some, eminent 
 in wickedness, who have done most to reproach the 
 name of Christ and injure his cause, and especially 
 those who secured his cruel death upon the cross, and 
 mocked and derided him in his dying agonies, should 
 be raised as part of their judicial punishment, to be- 
 hold his return in the clouds of heaven a celestial 
 victor, in, to them, unendurable majesty and splendor. 
 
 One more remark upon this text before we leave 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSE 3. 401 
 
 it. It is supposed by some to furnish good evidence 
 of the eternal conscious suffering of the wicked, be- 
 cause those of this character who are spoken of, come 
 forth to shame and everlasting contempt. How can 
 they forever suffer these, unless they are forever con- 
 scious ? It has already been stated that shame im- 
 plies their consciousness ; but it will be noticed that 
 this is not said to be everlasting. This qualifying 
 word is not inserted till we come to the contempt, 
 which is an emotion felt by others toward the guilty 
 parties, and does not render necessary the conscious- 
 ness of those against whom it is directed. And so 
 some read the passage : " Some to shame and the 
 everlasting contempt of their companions." And so 
 it will be. Shame for their wickedness and corrup- 
 tion will burn into their very souls, so long as they 
 have conscious being. And when they pass away, 
 consumed for their iniquities, their loathsome char- 
 acters and their guilty deeds excite only contempt on 
 the part of all the righteous, unmodified and un- 
 abated so long as they hold them hi remembrance at 
 all. The text, therefore, furnishes no proof of the 
 eternal suffering of the wicked. 
 
 VERSE 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the bright- 
 ness of the firmament ; and they that turn many to right- 
 eousness, as the stars forever and ever. 
 
 The margin reads "teachers " in place of "wise:" 
 And they that be teachers shall shine as the bright- 
 ness of the firmament ; that is, of course, those who 
 teach the truth and lead others to a knowledge of it, 
 
 just previous to the time when the events recorded 
 
 26 
 
4Q2 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 in the foregoing verses are to be fulfilled. And as 
 the world estimates loss and profit, it costs something 
 to be teachers of these things in these days. It costs 
 reputation, ease, comfort, and often property ; it in- 
 volves labors, crosses, sacrifices, loss of friendship, rid- 
 icule, and not unfrequently, persecution. And the 
 question is often asked, How can you afford it ? 
 How can you afford to keep the Sabbath, and per- 
 haps lose a situation, reduce your income, or it 
 may be even hazard your means of support ? Oh ! 
 blind, deluded, sordid question ! Make obedience to 
 what God requires a matter of pecuniary consid- 
 eration ! How unlike is this to the noble martyrs 
 who loved not their lives unto the death ! No, the 
 affording is all on the other side. When God 
 commands, we cannot afford to disobey. And if we 
 are asked, How can you afford to keep the Sabbath? 
 we have only to ask in reply, How can you afford 
 not to do it ? And in the coming day, when those 
 who have sought to save their lives shall lose them, 
 and those who have been willing to hazard all for 
 the sake of truth and its divine Lord, shall receive 
 the glorious reward promised in the text, and be 
 raised up to shine as the firmament and the imper- 
 ishable stars forever and ever, it will then be seen 
 who have been wise, and who, on the contrary, have 
 made the choice of blindness and folly. The wicked 
 and worldly now look upon Christians as fools and 
 madmen, and congratulate themselves upon their su- 
 perior shrewdness in shunning what they call their 
 folly, and avoiding their losses. We need make no 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSE 4. 403 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 response ; for those who now render this decision will 
 soon themselves reverse it, and that with terrible 
 though unavailing earnestness. 
 
 VERSE 4. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal 
 the book, even to the time of the end ; many shall run to 
 and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. 
 
 The "words" and the "book" here spoken of, 
 doubtless refer to the things which had been re- 
 vealed to Daniel in this prophecy. These things 
 were to be shut up and sealed, until the time of the 
 end; that is, not to be specially studied, or to any great 
 extent understood, till that time. The time of the 
 end, as has already been shown, commenced in 1798. 
 As the book was closed up and sealed to that time, 
 the plain inference is that at that time, or from that 
 point, the book would be unsealed, and people would 
 have their attention specially called to this part of 
 the inspired word. Of what has been done on the 
 subject of prophecy since that time, it is unnecessary 
 to remind the reader. The prophecies, especially 
 Daniel's prophecy, have been under examination by 
 all students of the word, wherever civilization has 
 spread abroad its light upon the earth. And so the 
 remainder of the verse, being a prediction of what 
 should take place after the time of the end com- 
 menced, says, "Many shall run to and fro, and 
 knowledge shall be increased." Whether this run- 
 ning to and fro refers to the passing of people from 
 place to place, and the great improvements in the 
 facilities for transportation and travel, made within 
 the last half century, or whether it means, as some 
 
THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 understand it, a turning to and fro in the proph- 
 ecies, that is, a diligent and earnest search into pro- 
 phetic truth, the fulfillment is certainly and surely 
 before our eyes. It must have its application in one 
 of these two ways ; and in both these directions the 
 present age is very strongly marked. 
 
 So of the increase of knowledge. It must refer 
 either to the increase of knowledge in general, the 
 development of the arts and sciences, or an increase 
 of knowledge in reference to those things revealed 
 to Daniel, which were closed up and sealed to the 
 time of the end. Here again, apply it which way 
 we will, the fulfillment is most marked and complete. 
 Look at the marvelous achievements of the human 
 mind, and the cunning works of men's hands, rival- 
 ing the magician's wildest dreams, which have been 
 accomplished within the last fifty years. It was re- 
 cently stated in the Scientific American that more 
 advancement had been made in all scientific attain- 
 ments, and more progress in all that tends to domes- 
 tic comfort, the rapid transaction of business among 
 men, and the transmission of intelligence from one 
 to another, than all that was done for three thou- 
 sand years previous, put together. Or, on the other 
 hand, look at the wonderful light which, within the 
 past thirty years, has shone upon the Scriptures. 
 The fulfillment of prophecy has been shown in the 
 light of history. Applications are made which are 
 beyond dispute, showing that the end of all things 
 is near. Truly the seal has been taken from the 
 book, and knowledge respecting what God has re- 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSES 5-7. 4Q5 
 
 vealed in his word, is wonderfully increased. We 
 think it is in this respect that the prophecy is more 
 especially fulfilled. 
 
 That we are in the time of the end when the book 
 of this prophecy should no longer be sealed, but be 
 open and understood, is shown by Rev. 10 : 1, 2, 
 where a mighty angel is seen to come down from 
 Heaven with a little book in his hand open. For 
 proof that the little book, there said to be open, is 
 the book here closed up and sealed, and that that 
 angel delivers his message in this generation, see 
 " Thoughts on Revelation," 10 : 2. 
 
 VERSE 5. Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood 
 other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and 
 the other on that side of the bank of the river. 6. And one 
 said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters 
 of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these won- 
 ders ? 7. And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was 
 upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand 
 and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth 
 forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half ; and 
 when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the 
 .holy people, all these things shall be finished. 
 
 The question, " How long shall it be to the end of 
 these wonders ? " undoubtedly has reference to all 
 that has previously been mentioned, including the 
 standing up of Michael, the time of trouble, the de- 
 liverance of God's people, and the special and ante- 
 cedent resurrection of verse 1. And the answer 
 seems to be given in two divisions : First, a specific 
 prophetic period is marked off ; and, secondly, an in- 
 definite period follows before the conclusion of all 
 
406 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 these things is reached; just as we have it in chap. 
 8 : 13, 14. When the question was asked, " How 
 long the vision, .... to give both the sanctuary 
 and the host to be trodden under foot ? " the answer 
 was, a definite period of 2300 days, and then an in- 
 definite period of the cleansing of the sanctuary. So 
 in the text before us, we have the period of a time, 
 times, and a half, given, or 1260 years, and then an 
 indefinite period of a continuance of the scattering 
 of the power of the holy people, before the consum- 
 mation. 
 
 The 1260 years mark the period of papal suprem- 
 acy. Why is this period here introduced ? Prob- 
 ably because this power is the one which does more 
 than any other in the world's history, toward scat- 
 tering the power of the holy people, or oppressing 
 the church of God. But what shall we understand 
 by the expression, " Shall have accomplished to scat- 
 ter the power of the holy people " ? A literal trans- 
 lation of the Septuagint seems to present it in a 
 clearer light : " When he shall have finished the scat- 
 tering of the power of the holy people." To whom 
 does the pronoun " he " refer ? According to the 
 wording of this scripture, the antecedent would at 
 first sight seem to be " Him that liveth forever," or 
 Jehovah ; but, as an eminent expositor of the proph- 
 ecies judiciously remarks, in considering the pro- 
 nouns of the Bible, we are to interpret them accord- 
 ing to the facts of the case ; and hence must fre- 
 quently refer them to an antecedent understood, 
 rather than to some noun which is expressed. So, 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSE 5-7. 407 
 
 here, the little horn, or man of sin, having been in- 
 troduced by the particular mention of the time of 
 his supremacy, namely, 1260 years, may be the 
 power referred to by the pronoun "he." For 1260 
 years he had grievously oppressed the church, or 
 scattered its power. After his supremacy is taken 
 away, his disposition toward the truth and its advo- 
 cates still remains, and his power is still felt to a cer- 
 tain extent, and he continues his work of oppression 
 just as far as he is able, till when ? Till the last 
 of the events brought to view in verse 1, the deliver- 
 ance of God's people, every one that is found written 
 in the book. Being thus delivered, persecuting 
 powers are no longer able to oppress them, their 
 power is no longer scattered, the end of the wonders 
 brought to view in this great prophecy is reached, 
 and all its predictions are accomplished. 
 
 Or, we may refer the pronoun " he " to the one 
 mentioned in the oath of verse 7, as " Him that li v- 
 eth forever/' that is, God, without particularly 
 altering the sense, since he permits the agency of 
 earthly powers in chastising and disciplining his peo- 
 ple, and in that sense may be said himself to scatter 
 their power. By his prophet he said concerning the 
 kingdom, "/ will overturn, overturn, overturn 
 it, .... until He come whose right it is." Eze. 21 : 
 27. And again, " Jerusalem shall be trodden down 
 of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be ful- 
 filled." Luke 21 : 24. Of like import is the proph- 
 ecy of Dan. 8:13: "How long the vision . ... to 
 give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden 
 
408 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 under foot." Who gives them to this condition ? 
 God. Why ? To discipline, " purify and make 
 white " his people. How long ? Till the sanctuary 
 is cleansed. 
 
 VERSE 8. And I heard, but I understood not ; then said 
 I, my Lord, what shall be the end of these things 1 9. 
 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel ; for the words are closed 
 up and sealed till the time of the end. 10. Many shall be 
 purified, and made white, and tried ; but the wicked shall 
 do wickedly ; and none of the wicked shall understand ; but 
 the wise shall understand. 
 
 How forcibly are we reminded, by Daniel's solic- 
 itude to understand fully all that had been shown 
 him, of Peter's words where he speaks of the 
 prophets' inquiring and searching diligently to un- 
 derstand the predictions concerning the sufferings of 
 Christ and the glory that should follow ; and also of 
 the fact that not unto themselves but unto us they 
 did minister. How little were some of the prophets 
 permitted to understand of what they wrote ! But 
 they did not therefore refuse to write. If God re- 
 quired it, they knew that in due time he would see 
 that his people derived from their writings all the 
 benefit that he intended. So the language here used 
 to Daniel, was the same as telling him that when 
 the right time should come, the wise would under- 
 stand the meaning of what he had written, and be 
 profited thereby. The time of the end was the time 
 in which the Spirit of God was to break the seal 
 from off this book ; and consequently this was the 
 time during which the wise should understand, while 
 the wicked, lost to all sense of the value of eternal 
 
CHAl'TER XII, VERSES 8-10. 
 
 truth, with hearts callous and hardened in sin, would 
 grow continually more wicked and more blind. None 
 of the wicked understand. The efforts of the wise 
 to understand, they call folly and presumption, 
 and ask, in sneering mockery, Where is the prom- 
 ise of His coming ? And should the question be 
 raised, Of what time and what generation speak- 
 eth the prophet this ? the solemn* answer would be, 
 Of the present time, and of the generation now be- 
 fore us. This language of the prophet is now re- 
 ceiving a most striking fulfillment. 
 
 The phraseology of verse 10 seems at first sight 
 to be rather peculiar : " Many shall be purified, and 
 made white, and tried." How, it may be asked, 
 can they be made white, and then tried (as the lan- 
 guage would seem to imply), when it is by being 
 tried that they are purified and made white ? An- 
 swer: The language doubtless describes a process 
 which is many times repeated in the experience of 
 those who, during this time, are being made ready 
 for the coming and kingdom of the Lord. They are 
 purified and made white to a certain degree, and in 
 comparison with their former condition. Then 
 they are tried. Greater tests are brought to bear 
 upon them. If they endure these, the work of pu- 
 rification is thus carried on to a still deeper degree, 
 the process of being made white is made to reach a 
 still higher stage. And having reached this state, 
 they are tried again, resulting in their being still 
 further purified and made white ; and thus the proc- 
 ess goes on till characters are developed which" will 
 
410 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 stand the test of the great day, and a place is 
 reached beyond which there is no need of further 
 trial. 
 
 VERSE 11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall 
 be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate 
 set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety 
 days. 
 
 We here have a new prophetic period introduced, 
 namely, 1290 prophetic days, which would denote 
 the same number of literal years. From the read- 
 ing of the text, some have inferred (though the in- 
 ference is not a necessary one) that this period be- 
 gins with the setting up of the abomination of des- 
 olation, or the papal power, in 538, and consequently 
 extends to 1828. But while we find nothing in 
 that year to mark its termination, we do find evi- 
 dence in the margin that it begins before the set- 
 ting up of the papal abomination. The margin 
 reads, " To set up the abomination, etc." With this 
 reading the text would stand thus : " And from the 
 time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, to 
 set up [or, in order to set up] the abomination that 
 maketh desolate, there shall be a thousand two hun- 
 dred and ninety days." The daily has already been 
 shown to be, not the daily sacrifice of the Jews, but 
 the daily or continual abomination, that is, pagan- 
 ism. See on chap. 8:13. This had to be taken 
 away to prepare the way for the papacy. For the 
 historical events showing how this was accom- 
 plished in 508, see on chap. 11:31. We are not 
 told directly to what event these 1290 days reach ; 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSE 12, 13. 
 
 but inasmuch as their commencement is marked by 
 a work which takes place to prepare the way for 
 the setting up of the papacy, it would be most nat- 
 ural to conclude that their end would be marked by 
 the cessation of papal supremacy. Counting back, 
 then, 1290 years from 1798, we have the year 508, 
 where it has been shown that paganism was taken 
 away thirty years before the setting up of the pa- 
 pacy. This period is doubtless given to show the 
 date of the taking away of the daily, and it is the 
 only one which does this. The two periods, there- 
 fore, of 1290 and 1260 days, terminate together in 
 1798 ; the one beginning in 538, and the other in 
 508, thirty years previous. 
 
 VERSE 12. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the 
 thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. 13. But 
 go thou thy way till the end be ; for thou shalt rest, and 
 stand in thy lot at the end of the days. 
 
 Still another prophetic period is here introduced, 
 denoting 1335 years. The testimony concerning 
 this period, like that which pertains to the 1290 
 years, is very meager. Can we tell when this period 
 begins and ends ? The only clue we have to the 
 solution of this question, is the fact that it is 
 spoken of in immediate connection with the 1290 
 years, which commenced, as shown above, in 508. 
 From that point there shall be, says the prophet, 
 1290 days. And the very next sentence reads, 
 Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 
 days. From what point? From the same, un- 
 doubtedly, as that from which the 1290 date, 
 
412 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 namely, 508. Unless they are to be reckoned from 
 this point, it is impossible to locate them, and they 
 must be excepted from the prophecy of Daniel, 
 when we apply to it the words of Christ, " Whoso 
 readeth let him understand." Matt. 24:15. From 
 this point they would extend to 1843; for 1335 
 added to 508, make 1843. Commencing in the 
 spring of the former year, they ended in the spring 
 of the latter. 
 
 But how can it be that they have ended, it may 
 be asked, since at the end of these days Daniel 
 stands in his lot, which is his resurrection from the 
 dead ? This question is founded on a misapprehen- 
 sion in two respects ; First, that the days at the end 
 of which Daniel stands in his lot, are the 1335 days ; 
 which we think is a mistake ; secondly, that the 
 standing of Daniel in his lot, is his resurrection; 
 which also cannot be shown. The only thing 
 promised at the end of the 1335 days, is a blessing 
 unto those who wait and come to it ; that is, those 
 who are living at that time. What is this blessing ? 
 Looking at the year 1843, when these years ex- 
 pired, what do we behold ? We see a remarkable 
 fulfillment of prophecy in the great proclamation of 
 the second coming of Christ. Forty-five years be- 
 fore this, the time of the end commenced, the book 
 was unsealed, and light began to increase. About 
 the year 1843, there was a grand culmination of all 
 the light that had been shed on prophetic subjects 
 up to that time. The proclamation went forth in 
 power. The new and stirring doctrine of the set- 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSES 12, 13. 413 
 
 ting up of the kingdom of God, shook the world. 
 New life was imparted to the true disciples of 
 Christ. The unbelieving were condemned, the 
 churches were tested, and a spirit of revival was 
 awakened which has no parallel in modern times. 
 
 Was this the blessing ? Listen to the Saviour's 
 words : " Blessed are your eyes," said he to his dis- 
 ciples, " for they see ; and your ears, for they hear." 
 Matt. 13:16. And again he told his followers that 
 prophets and kings had desired to see the things 
 which they saw, and had not seen them. But 
 " blessed," said he to them, " are the eyes which see 
 the things that ye see." Luke 10 : 23, 24. If a new 
 and glorious truth was a blessing in the days of 
 Christ to those who received it, why not equally so 
 in A. D. 1843? 
 
 It may be objected that those who engaged in 
 this movement were disappointed in their expecta- 
 tions ; so were the disciples of Christ at his first ad- 
 vent, in a tenfold degree. They shouted before him 
 as he rode into Jerusalem, expecting that he would 
 then take the kingdom ; but the only throne to 
 which he then went was the cross, and instead of 
 being hailed as king in a royal palace, he was laid a 
 lifeless form in Joseph's new sepulcher. Neverthe- 
 less, they were blessed in receiving the truths they 
 had heard. 
 
 It may be objected further that this was not a 
 sufficient blessing to be marked by a prophetic pe- 
 riod. Why not, since the period in which it was to 
 occur, namely, the time of the end, is introduced by 
 
414 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 a prophetic period, since our Lord in verse 14 of his 
 great prophecy of Matt. 24, makes a special an- 
 nouncement of this movement, and since it is still 
 further set forth in Rev. 14:6, 7, under the symbol 
 of an angel flying through mid heaven with a spe- 
 cial announcement of the everlasting gospel to the 
 inhabitants of the earth ? Surely the Bible gives 
 great prominence to this movement. We do not half 
 realize its blessedness and importance. 
 
 Two more questions remain to be briefly noticed : 
 1. What days are referred to in verse 13 ? 2. 
 What is meant by Daniel's standing in his lot? 
 Those who claim that the days are the 1335, are led 
 to that application by looking back no further than 
 to the preceding verse, where the 1335 days are 
 mentioned ; whereas in making an application of 
 these days so indefinitely introduced, we think the 
 whole scope of the prophecy should be taken in 
 from chap. 8. Chapters 9, 10, 11, and 12, are 
 clearly a continuation and explanation of the vision 
 of chapter 8 ; so that we may say that in the vis- 
 ion of chapter 8, as carried out and explained, there 
 are four prophetic periods ; namely, the 2300, 1260, 
 1290, and 1335 days. The first is the principal and 
 longest period ; the others are but intermediate 
 parts and subdivisions of this. Now when the an- 
 gel tells Daniel, at the conclusion of his instructions, 
 that he shall stand in his lot at the end of the days, 
 without specifying which period was meant, would 
 not Daniel's mind naturally turn to the principal 
 and longest period, the 2300 days, rather than to 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSES 12, 13. 415 
 
 any of its subdivisions ? If this is so, the 2300 are 
 the days intended. The reading of the Septua- 
 gint seems to look very plainly in this direction : 
 " But go thy way and rest ; for there are yet days 
 and seasons to the full accomplishment [of these 
 things] ; and thou shalt stand in thy lot at the end 
 of the days." This certainly carries the mind back 
 to the long period contained in the first vision in 
 relation to which these subsequent instructions were 
 given. 
 
 The 2300 days, as has been already shown, ter- 
 minated in 1844, and brought us to the cleansing of 
 the sanctuary. How did Daniel at that time stand 
 in his lot ? Answer. In the person of his Advo- 
 cate, our great High Priest, as he presents the cases 
 of the righteous for acceptance to his Father. The 
 word here translated lot, does not mean a piece of 
 real estate, a lot of land, but the decisions of chance, 
 or the determinations of Providence. At the end 
 of the days, the lot, so to speak, was to be cast. 
 In other words, a determination was to be made in 
 reference to those who should be accounted worthy 
 of a possession in the heavenly inheritance. And 
 when Daniel's case comes up for examination, he is 
 found righteous, stands in his lot, is assigned a place 
 in the heavenly Canaan. Does not the language of 
 the psalmist have reference to this time, when he 
 says, Ps. 1:5," The ungodly shall not stand in the 
 Judgment"? 
 
 When Israel were about to enter into the prom- 
 ised land, the lot was cast, and the possession of each 
 
4,16 THOUGHTS ON DANIEL. 
 
 tribe was thus assigned it. Each tribe thus stood 
 in its lot, long before it entered upon the actual 
 possession of the land. The time of the cleansing 
 of the sanctuary corresponds to this period in Isra- 
 el's history. We now stand upon the borders of 
 the heavenly Canaan, and decisions are being made, 
 assigning to some a place in the eternal kingdom, 
 and barring others forever therefrom. In the de- 
 cision of his case, Daniel's portion in the celestial 
 inheritance will be made sure to him. And with 
 him all the faithful will also stand. And when this 
 devoted servant of God, who filled up a long life 
 with the n,oblest deeds of service to his Maker, 
 though cumbered with the weightiest cares of this 
 life, shall enter upon his reward for well-doing, we 
 too may enter with him into rest, behold his rap- 
 ture, and share his joy. 
 
 We draw these Thoughts on Daniel to a close 
 with the remark that it has been with no small de- 
 gree of satisfaction that we have spent what time 
 and study we have on this wonderful prophecy, and 
 in contemplating the character of this most beloved 
 of men and most illustrious of prophets. God is no 
 respecter of persons ; and a reproduction of Dan- 
 iel's character will secure the favor of God, as sig- 
 nally even now. Let us emulate his virtues, that 
 we, like him, may have the approbation of God 
 while here, and dwell amid the creations of his in- 
 finite glory in the long hereafter. 
 
THE REVELATION. 
 
THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 THE Revelation, usually termed "The Apoca- 
 lypse," from its Greek name, 'ATro/cdAv^c, meaning "a 
 disclosure, a revelation," has been described to be 
 "a panorama of the glory of Christ." In the Evan- 
 gelists we have the record of his humiliation, his 
 condescension, his toil and sufferings, his patience, 
 his mockings and scourgings by those who should 
 have done him reverence, and finally his death upon 
 the shameful cross, a death esteemed in that age to 
 be the most ignominious that men could inflict. In 
 the Revelation we have the gospel of his enthrone- 
 ment in glory, his association with the Father upon 
 the throne of universal dominion, his overruling 
 providence among the nations of the earth, and his 
 coming again not a homeless stranger but in 
 power and great glory to punish his enemies and 
 reward his followers. "A voice has cried in the 
 wilderness, 'Behold the Lamb of God ;' a voice will 
 soon proclaim from Heaven, 'Behold the Lion of the 
 tribe of Judah!'" 
 
 Scenes of glory surpassing fable are unveiled 
 
 (419) 
 
420 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 before us in this book. Appeals of unwonted power 
 bear down upon the impenitent from its sacred 
 pages, in threatenings of judgment that have no 
 parallel in any other portion of the book of God. 
 Consolation which no language can describe is here 
 given to the humble followers of Christ in this 
 lower world, in glorious views of Him upon whom 
 help for them has been laid, Him who has the key 
 of David, who holds his ministers in his own right 
 hand, who, though he was once dead, is now alive 
 forevermore, and assures us that he is the triumph- 
 ant possessor of the keys of death and the grave, 
 and who has given to every overcomer the multi- 
 plied promise of walking with him in white, having 
 a crown of life, partaking of the fruit of the tree of 
 life which grows in the midst of the Paradise of 
 God, and being raised up to sit with him upon his 
 own glorious throne. No other book takes us at 
 once, and so irresistibly, into another sphere. Long 
 vistas are here opened before us, which are bounded 
 by no terrestrial objects, but carry us forward into 
 other worlds. And if ever themes of thrilling and 
 impressive interest, and grand and lofty imagery, 
 and sublime and magnificent description, can invite 
 the attention of mankind, then the Revelation in- 
 vites us to a careful study of its pages, which urge 
 upon our notice the realities of a momentous future, 
 and an unseen world. 
 
I. 
 
 THE INTRODUCTORY VISION. 
 
 THE book opens with the announcement of its 
 title and a benediction : 
 
 VERSES 1-3. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God 
 gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must 
 shortly come to pass ; and he sent and signified it by his 
 angel unto his servant John, who bare record of the word of 
 God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things 
 that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear 
 the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are 
 written therein ; for the time is at hand. 
 
 The Title. The translators of our common ver- 
 sion of the Bible have given this book the title of 
 " The Revelation of St. John the Divine." In this 
 they contradict the very first words of the book 
 itself, which declare it to be "The Revelation of 
 Jesus Christ." Jesus Christ is the Revelator, not 
 John. John is but the penman employed by Christ 
 to write out this Revelation for the benefit of his 
 church. There is no doubt that the John here 
 mentioned is the person of that name who was the 
 beloved and highly favored one among the twelve 
 apostles. He was evangelist and apostle, and the 
 NY liter of the gospel and epistles which beax his 
 
 (421) 
 
422 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 name. See Clarke, Barnes, Kitto, Pond, and others. 
 To his previous titles he now adds that of prophet ; 
 for the Revelation is a prophecy. But the matter 
 of this book is traced back to a still higher source. 
 It is not only the Revelation of Jesus Christ, but it 
 is the Revelation which God gave unto him. It 
 comes, then, first, from the great fountain of all 
 wisdom and truth, God the Father ; by him it was 
 communicated to Jesus Christ, the Son ; and Christ 
 sent and signified it by his angel to his servant 
 John. 
 
 The Character of the Book. This is expressed in 
 one word, "Revelation." A revelation is something 
 revealed, something clearly made known, not some- 
 thing hidden and concealed. Moses, in Deut. 29 : 29, 
 tells us that "the secret things belong unto the Lord 
 our God ; but those things which are revealed belong 
 unto us and to our children forever." The very 
 title of the book, then, is a sufficient refutation of 
 the popular opinion of to-day, that this book is 
 among the hidden mysteries of God, and cannot be 
 understood. Were this the case, it should bear 
 some such title as "The Mystery," or "The Hidden 
 Book ;" certainly not that of "The Revelation." 
 
 Its Object " To show unto his servants things 
 which must shortly corne to pass." His servants 
 who are they ? Is there any limit ? For whose 
 benefit was the Revelation given ? For any speci- 
 fied persons ? For any particular churches ? For 
 any special period of time ? No : it is for all the 
 church in all time, so long as any of the events 
 
CHAPTEli 7, VERSES 1-3. 423 
 
 therein predicted remain to be accomplished. It is 
 for all those who can claim the appellation of " his 
 servants," wherever or whenever they may live. 
 But this language brings up again the popular view 
 that the Revelation is not to be understood. God 
 says it was given to show something to his ser- 
 vants ; and yet many of the expounders of his word 
 tell us that it does not show anything, because no 
 man can understand it \ As though God would 
 undertake to make known to mankind some im- 
 portant truths, and yet fall into the worse than 
 earthly folly of clothing them in language or in 
 figures which human minds could not comprehend ! 
 As though he would command a person to behold 
 some distant object, and then erect an impenetrable 
 barrier between him and the object specified ! Or 
 as though he would give his servants a light to 
 guide them through the gloom of night, and yet 
 throw over that light a pall so thick and heavy 
 that not a ray of its brightness could penetrate the 
 obscuring folds ! How do they dishonor God who 
 thus trifle with his word ! No : the Revelation will 
 accomplish the object for which it was given, and 
 "his servants" will learn therefrom "the things 
 which must shortly come to pass," and which con- 
 cern their eternal salvation. 
 
 His Angel. Christ sent and made known the 
 Revelation to John by " his angel." A particular 
 angel seems here to be brought to view. What 
 angel could appropriately be called Christ's angel? 
 May we not find an answer to this question in a 
 
424 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 significant passage in the prophecy of Daniel ? In 
 Dan. 10 : 21, an angel, which was doubtless Gabriel 
 (see Dan. chaps. 9, 10, and 11 : 1), in making 
 known some important truths to Daniel, said, 
 "There is none that holdeth with me in these 
 things, but Michael your prince." Who Michael is 
 we easily learn. Jude, verse 9, calls him the "arch- 
 angel." And Paul tell us that when the Lord de- 
 scends from Heaven, and the dead in Christ are 
 raised, the voice of the archangel shall be heard. 
 1 Thess. 4 : 16. And whose voice will be heard at 
 that amazing hour when the dead are called to life ? 
 The Lord himself replies, "Marvel not at this; for 
 the hour is coming in the which all that are in the 
 graves shall hear his voice," John 5 : 28 ; and the 
 previous verse shows that the one here referred to, 
 whose voice shall be heard, is the Son of man, or 
 Christ It is the voice of Christ, then, that calls 
 the dead from their graves. That voice Paul de- 
 clares is the voice of the archangel ; and Jude says 
 that the archangel is called Michael, the very per- 
 sonage mentioned in Daniel ; and all referring to 
 Christ. The statement in Daniel, then, is, that the 
 truths to be revealed to Daniel were committed to 
 Christ, and confined exclusively to him, and to an 
 angel whose name was Gabriel. Similar to the 
 work of communicating important truth to the 
 "beloved prophet," is the work of Christ in the 
 Revelation of communicating important truth to 
 the " beloved disciple ;" and who, in this work, can 
 be his angel, but he who was engaged with him in 
 
CHAPTER J, VERSES 1-S. 425 
 
 the former work, that is, the angel Gabriel ? This 
 fact will throw light on some points in this book, 
 while it would also seem most appropriate that the 
 same being who was employed to carry messages 
 to the principal prophet of the former dispensation, 
 should perform the same office for him who corre- 
 sponds to that prophet in the gospel age. See on 
 chapter 19 : 10. 
 
 The Benediction. "Blessed is he that readeth, 
 and they that hear the words of this prophecy." 
 Is there so direct and formal a blessing pronounced 
 upon the reading and observance of any other por- 
 tion of the word of God ? What encouragement, 
 then, have we for its study! And shall we say 
 that it cannot be understood ? A blessing offered 
 for the study of a book which it can do us no good 
 to study ? Men may assert, with more pertness 
 than piety, that "every age of declension is marked 
 by an increase of commentaries on the Apocalypse/' 
 or that "the study of the Revelation either finds or 
 leaves a man mad ;" but God has pronounced his 
 blessing upon it, he has set the seal of his approba- 
 tion to an earnest study of its marvelous pages : 
 and with such encouragement from such a source, 
 the child of God will be unmoved by a thousand 
 feeble counterblasts from men. 
 
 Every fulfillment of prophecy brings its duties ; 
 hence there are things in the Revelation to be kept 
 or performed ; practical duties to be entered upon 
 as the result of the accomplishment of prophecy. 
 A notable instance of this kind may be seen in 
 
426 THOUGHTS ON THE HE V ELATION. 
 
 chap. 14 : 12 : " Here are they that keep the com- 
 mandments of God and the faith of Jesus." 
 
 But, says John, " The time is at hand." Another 
 motive offered for the study of this book. It be- 
 comes more and more important as we draw near 
 the great consummation. On this point we offer the 
 impressive thoughts of another : " The importance 
 of studying the Apocalypse increases with the lapse 
 of time. Here are 'things which must shortly come 
 to pass.' Even when John bare record of the word 
 of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and 
 of all things that he saw, the long period within 
 which those successive scenes were to be realized 
 was at hand. If proximity then constituted a 
 motive for heeding those contents, how much more 
 does it now ! Every revolving century, every clos- 
 ing year, adds to the urgency with which attention 
 is challenged to the concluding portion of Holy 
 Writ. And does not that intensity of devotion to 
 the present, which characterizes our times and our 
 country, enhance the reasonableness of this claim ? 
 Never, surely, was there a period when some mighty 
 counteracting power was more needed. The Reve- 
 lation of Jesus Christ, duly studied, supplies an 
 appropriate corrective influence. Would that all 
 Christians might, in fullest measure, receive the 
 blessing of 'them that hear the words of this 
 prophecy, and that keep the things which are 
 written therein ; for the time is at hand.' " 
 
 Following the benediction, we have the dedica- 
 tion : 
 
CHAPTER /, VERSES 4-6. 427 
 
 VERSES 4r-6. John to the seven churches which are in 
 Asia : Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and 
 which was, and wliich is to come ; and from the seven spirits 
 which are before his throne ; and from Jesus Christ, who is 
 the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and 
 the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved 
 us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath 
 made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to Him 
 be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 
 
 The Churches in Asia. There were more churches 
 in Asia than seven. We may confine ourselves to 
 that western fraction of Asia, known as Asia Minor, 
 or we may include still less territory than that ; for 
 in that small portion even of Asia Minor, where 
 were situated the seven churches which are men- 
 tioned, and right in their very midst, there were 
 other important churches. Colosse, to the Chris- 
 tians of which place Paul addressed his epistle to 
 the Colossians, was but a slight distance from Lao- 
 dicea. Miletus was nearer than any of the seven 
 to Patmos, where John had his vision ; and it was 
 an important station for the church, as we may 
 judge from the fact that Paul, during one of his 
 stays there, sent for the elders of the church of 
 Ephesus to meet him at that place. Acts 20 : 17-38. 
 At the same place he also left, in good Christian 
 hands no doubt, Trophimus, his disciple, sick. 2 
 Tim. 4 : 20. And Troas, where Paul spent a season 
 with the disciples, and having waited till the Sab- 
 bath was past, started off upon his journey, was not 
 far removed from Pergamos, which is named among 
 the seven. It becomes, therefore, an interesting 
 
428 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 question, to determine why seven of the churches of 
 Asia Minor were selected as the ones to which the 
 Revelation should be dedicated. Does what is said 
 of the seven churches in chap. 1, and to them in 
 chaps. 2 and 3, have reference solely to the seven 
 literal churches named, describing things only as 
 they then and there existed, and portraying what 
 was before them alone ? We cannot so conclude, 
 for the following reasons : 
 
 1. The entire book of Revelation, see chap. 1 : 3, 
 11, 19 ; 22 : 18, 19, was dedicated to the seven 
 churches. Verse 11. But the book was no more 
 applicable to them than to other Christians in Asia 
 Minor, those, for instance, who dwelt in Pontus, Ga- 
 latia, Cappadocia, and Bithynia, addressed in 1 Peter 
 1 : 1, or the Christians of Colosse, Troas, and Miletus, 
 in the very midst of the churches named. 
 
 2. Only a small portion of the book could have 
 personally concerned the churches named, or any of 
 the Christians of John's day ; for the events it brings 
 to view were mostly so far in the future as to be be- 
 yond the lifetime of the generation then living, and 
 with which they could consequently have no per- 
 sonal connection. 
 
 3. The seven stars which the Son of man held in 
 his right hand, verse 20, are declared to be the angels 
 of the seven churches. The angels of the churches, 
 doubtless all will be agreed, are the ministers of the 
 churches. Their being held in the right hand of the 
 Son of man denotes the upholding power, guidance, 
 and protection, vouchsafed to them. But there were 
 
CHAPTER 7, VERSES 4-6- 429 
 
 only seven of them in his right hand. And are there 
 only seven thus cared for by the great Master of 
 assemblies? May not, rather, all the true ministers 
 of the whole gospel age derive from this representa- 
 tion the consolation of knowing that they are upheld 
 and guided by the right hand of the great Head of 
 the church? Such would seem to be the only con- 
 sistent conclusion. 
 
 4. Again, John, looking into the Christian dispen- 
 sation, saw only seven candlesticks, representing 
 seven churches, in the midst of which stood the Son 
 of man. The position of the Son of man in their 
 midst must denote his presence with them, his watch- 
 care over them, and his searching scrutiny of all 
 their works. But does he thus take cognizance of 
 only seven individual churches in this dispensation? 
 May we not rather conclude that this scene repre- 
 sents his position in reference to all his churches dur- 
 ing the gospel age? Then why were only seven 
 mentioned? Seven, as used in the Scriptures, is a 
 number denoting fullness and completeness, being, 
 doubtless, a kind of memorial of the great facts of 
 the first seven days of time which have divided all 
 ages into cycles of weeks. Like the seven stars, the 
 seven candlesticks must denote the whole of the 
 things which they represent. The whole gospel 
 church in seven divisions or periods must be symbol- 
 ized by them. And hence the seven churches must 
 be applied in the same manner. 
 
 5. Why, then, were the seven particular churches 
 chosen that are mentioned ! For the reason, doubt- 
 
430 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 less, that in the names of these churches, according 
 to the definitions of the words, are brought out the 
 religious features of those periods of the gospel age 
 which they respectively represent. 
 
 For these reasons, we understand by "the seven 
 churches," not merely the seven literal churches of 
 Asia which went by the names mentioned, but seven 
 periods of the Christian church, from the days of the 
 apostles to the close of probation. See on chap. 2, 
 verse 1. 
 
 The Source of Blessing. "From Him which is, and 
 which was, and which is to come," or is to be, an 
 expression which signifies complete eternity, past and 
 future, and can be applicable to God the Father only. 
 This language, we believe, is never applied to Christ. 
 He is spoken of as another person, in distinction from 
 the being thus described. 
 
 The Seven Spirits. This expression probably has 
 no reference to angels, but to the Spirit of God. It 
 is one of the sources from which grace and peace are 
 invoked for the church. Chap. 22 : 9. On the sub- 
 ject of the seven spirits, Thompson remarks: "That 
 is, from the Holy Spirit, denominated 'the seven spir- 
 its/ because seven is a sacred and perfect number; 
 not thus named as denoting interior plurality, but 
 the fullness and perfection of his gifts and opera- 
 tions." Barnes says, " The number seven, therefore, 
 may have been given by the Holy Spirit with refer- 
 ence to the diversity or the fullness of his operations 
 on the souls of men, and to his manifold agency on 
 the affairs of the world as further developed in this 
 
CHAPTER /, VERSES 4-6. 431 
 
 book." Bloomfield gives this as the general interpre- 
 tation. 
 
 His Throne. The throne of God, the Father ; for 
 Christ has not yet taken his own throne. The seven 
 spirits being before the throne " m&y be intended to 
 designate the fact that the Divine Spirit is ever 
 ready to be sent forth, in accordance with a common 
 representation in the Scriptures, to accomplish im- 
 portant purposes in human affairs." 
 
 And from Jesus Christ. Then Christ is not the 
 person, who, in the verse before, is designated as 
 "Him which is, and which was, and which is to 
 come." Some of the chief characteristics which per- 
 tain to Christ are here mentioned. He is 
 
 The Faithful Witness. Whatever he bears witness 
 to, is true. Whatever he promises he will surely fulfill. 
 
 The First Begotten of the Dead. This expression is 
 parallel to 1 Cor. 15 :20, 23; Heb. 1:6; Rom. 8 : 
 29, and Col. 1 : 15, 18, where we find such expres- 
 sions applied to Christ, as, "the first-fruits of them 
 that slept," "the first-born among many brethren," 
 "the first-born of every creature," and "the first-born 
 from the dead." But we do not think that these 
 expressions denote that he was the first in point of 
 time to be raised from the dead; for others were 
 raised before him. That would be a very unimpor- 
 tant point ; but he was the chief and central figure of 
 all who have come up from the grave ; for it was by 
 virtue of Christ's coming work and resurrection that 
 any were raised before his time. In the purpose of 
 
432 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 God, he was the first even in point of time as well as 
 in importance ; for it was not till the purpose of 
 Christ's triumph over the grave was formed in the 
 mind of God, who calleth those things that be not as 
 though they were, Rom. 4 : 17, that any were re- 
 leased from the power of death, by virtue of that 
 great fact which was, in due time, to be accom- 
 plished. Christ is therefore called the "first begotten 
 of the dead," chap. 1:5, the "first-fruits of them 
 that slept," 1 Cor. 15 : 20, the "first-born among 
 many brethren," Rom. 8:29, and "the first-born 
 from the dead," Col. 1 : 18. In Acts 26 : 23, he is 
 spoken of as " the first that should rise from the dead, 
 and should show light unto the people," or the first 
 who by rising from the dead should show light unto 
 the people. See the Greek of this passage, and 
 Bloomfield's note thereon; also, Man's Nature and 
 Destiny, chap. 17. 
 
 The Prince of the Kings of the Earth. Christ is 
 Prince of earthly kings in a certain sense now. Paul 
 informs us in Eph. 1 : 20, 21, that he has been set at 
 the right hand of God in the heavenly places, " far 
 above all principality, and power, and might and 
 dominion, and every name that is named, not only in 
 this world, but also in that which is to come." The 
 highest names named in this world, are the princes, 
 kings, emperors, and potentates of earth. But Christ 
 is placed far above them. He is seated with his 
 Father upon the throne of universal dominion, chap. 
 3 : 21, and ranks equally with him in the overruling 
 and disposition of the nations and affairs of earth. 
 
CHAPTER /, VERSES 4-6. 433 
 
 In a more particular sense Christ is to be Prince of 
 the kings of the earth when he takes his own throne, 
 and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom 
 of our Lord and his Christ, when they are given by 
 the Father into his hands, and he comes forth bear- 
 ing upon his vesture the title of " King of kings and 
 Lord of lords," to dash them in pieces like a potter's 
 vessel. Chap. 19:16. 
 
 Unto Him that Loved Us. We have thought that 
 earthly friends loved us, a father, a mother, brothers, 
 and sisters, or bosom friends, but we see that no love 
 is worthy of the name compared with Christ's. And 
 the following sentence adds intensity of meaning to 
 the previous words : " and washed us from our sins 
 in his own blood." What love is this! "Greater 
 love," says the apostle, " hath no man than this, that 
 a man lay down his life for his friends." But Christ 
 has commended his love to us in that he died for us 
 while we were yet sinners. But more than this 
 "hath made us kings and priests unto God and his 
 Father." From being leprous with sin, we are made 
 clean in his sight ; from being enemies, we are not 
 only made friends, but raised to positions of honor 
 and dignity. This cleansing, and this kingly and 
 priestly exaltation to what state do they pertain? 
 to the present or the future? Chiefly to the future; 
 for it is only then that we shall enjoy these blessings 
 in the highest degree. Then, after the atonement 
 has been accomplished, are we absolutely and forever 
 free from our sins ; here they are pardoned only on 
 
 condition, and blotted out only by anticipation. But 
 28 
 
434 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 when the saints are permitted to sit with Christ on 
 his throne, according to the promise to the victo- 
 rious Laodiceans, when they take the kingdom under 
 the whole heaven and reign forever and ever, they 
 will be kings in a sense that they never can be in 
 this present state. Yet enough is true of our present 
 condition to make this cheering language appropriate 
 in the Christian's present song of joy; for here we 
 are permitted to say that we have redemption 
 through his blood, though that redemption is not yet 
 given, and that we have eternal life, though that life 
 is still in the hands of the Son, to be brought unto 
 us at his appearing ; and it is still true, as it was in 
 John's and Peter's day, that God designs his people 
 in this world to be unto him a chosen generation, a 
 royal (kingly) priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar 
 people. 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 3 : 21 ; Dan. 7 : 18, 27. 
 No wonder the loving and beloved disciple ascribed 
 to this Being who has done so much for us, glory 
 and dominion, forever and ever. And let all the 
 church join in this most fitting ascription to their 
 greatest benefactor and dearest friend. 
 
 VERSE 7. Behold, He cometh with clouds ; and every eye 
 shall see him, and they also which pierced him ; and all kin- 
 dreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, 
 Amen. 
 
 He Cometh with Clouds. Here John carries us for- 
 ward to the second advent of Christ in glory, the 
 climax and crowning event of his intervention in 
 behalf of this fallen world. Once he came in weak- 
 ness, now in power ; once in humility, now in glory. 
 
CHAPTER /, VERSE 7. 435 
 
 He comes in clouds in like manner as he ascended. 
 Acts 1 : 9, 11. 
 
 His Coining Visible. " Every eye shall see him ; " 
 that is, all who are alive at the time of his coming. 
 We know of no second coming of Christ that shall 
 be as the stillness of midnight, or take place only in 
 the desert or the secret chamber. He comes not as 
 a thief in the sense of stealing in stealthily and 
 quietly upon the world, and purloining goods to 
 which he has no right. But he comes to take to 
 himself his dearest treasure, his sleeping and living 
 saints, whom he has purchased with his own precious 
 blood; whom he has wrested from the power of 
 death in fair and open conflict; and for whom his 
 coming will be no less open and triumphant too. It 
 will be with the brilliancy and splendor of the light- 
 ning as it shines from the east to the west. Matt. 
 24 : 27. It will be with a sound of a trumpet that 
 shall pierce to earth's lowest depths, and with a 
 mighty voice that shall wake the sainted sleepers 
 from their dusty beds. Matt. 24 : 31, margin ; 1 
 Thess. 4:16. He will come upon the wicked as a 
 thief, only because they persistently shut their eyes 
 to the tokens of his approach, and will not believe 
 the declarations of his word that he is at the door. 
 To represent two comings, a private and a public, 
 in connection with the second advent, as some do, 
 is a libel upon the Advent name and faith. 
 
 And They also which Pierced Him. They also 
 (in addition to the every eye before mentioned) who 
 were chiefly concerned in the tragedy of his death ; 
 
436 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 they shall behold him returning to earth in triumph 
 and glory. But how is this ? They are not living 
 as this dispensation draws to its close; and how, 
 then, shall they behold him ? Answer : by a res- 
 urrection; for there is no other avenue to life to 
 those who have been once laid in the grave. But 
 how is it that these wicked persons come up at this 
 time ? for the general resurrection of the wicked 
 does not take place till a thousand years after the 
 second advent. Chap. 20 : 1-6. On this point, 
 Daniel informs us. He says in chap. 12 : 1, 2 : 
 
 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the 
 great prince which standeth for the children of thy 
 people ; and there shall be a time of trouble, such 
 as never was since there was a nation even to that 
 same time ; and at that time thy people shall be 
 delivered, every one that shall be found written in 
 the book. And many of them that sleep in the 
 dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting 
 life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." 
 
 Here a partial resurrection is brought to view, or 
 a resurrection of a certain class of each, righteous 
 and wicked, before the general resurrection of either 
 class. Many, not all, that sleep shall awake. Some 
 of the righteous, not all of them, to everlasting life, 
 and some of the wicked, not all of them, to shame 
 and everlasting contempt. And this resurrection 
 transpires in connection with the great time of 
 trouble such as never was, which just precedes the 
 coming of the Lord. May not "they also which 
 pierced Him," be among those who then come up to 
 
CHAPTER /, VERSE 8. 437 
 
 shame aud everlasting contempt ? What could be 
 more appropriate, so far as human minds can judge, 
 than that those who took part in the scene of our 
 Lord's greatest humiliation, and other special leaders 
 in crime against him, should be raised to behold his 
 terrible majesty, as he comes forth triumphantly, in 
 naming fire, to take vengeance on them that know 
 not God and obey not his gospel ? See Thoughts 
 on Daniel 12 : 2. 
 
 The Church's Response. "Even so, Amen." 
 Though this coming of Christ is to the wicked a 
 scene of terror, it is to the righteous a scene of joy. 
 " When the world's distress comes, then the saints' 
 rest comes." That coming which is with naming 
 fire, and for the purpose of taking vengeance on the 
 wicked, is to recompense rest to all them that be- 
 lieve. 2 Thess. 1 : 6-10. Every friend and lover 
 of Christ will hail every declaration and every 
 token of his return, as glad tidings of great joy. 
 
 VERSE 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the 
 ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which 
 is to come, the Almighty. 
 
 Here another speaker is introduced. Previous to 
 this, John has been the speaker. But this verse 
 has no connection with what precedes, nor with 
 what follows. Who it is who here speaks must be 
 determined, therefore, by the terms used. We have 
 here the expression again, "which is, and which 
 was, and which is to come," which has already been 
 noticed as referring exclusively to God. But it 
 may be asked, Does not the word Lord denote that 
 
438 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 it was Christ ? On this point, Barnes has the fol- 
 lowing note : " Many MSS. instead of ' Lord/ tiptoe , 
 read 'God/ #e<5?, and this reading is adopted by Gries- 
 bach, Tittman, and Hahn, and is now regarded as 
 the correct reading." Bloomfield supplies the word 
 God, and marks the words " the beginning and the 
 ending" as an interpolation. Thus appropriately 
 closes the first principal division of this chapter, by 
 a revelation of the great God of himself, as a being 
 of an eternity of existence, past and future, and of 
 almighty power, and hence able to perform all his 
 threatenings and his promises, which he has given 
 us in this book. 
 
 VERSE 9. I John, who also am your brother, and com- 
 panion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of 
 Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the 
 word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 
 
 The subject here changes, John introducing the 
 place and the circumstances under which the Rev- 
 elation was given. He first sets himself forth as a 
 brother of the universal church, and their companion 
 in the tribulations incident to the Christian pro- 
 fession in this life. 
 
 And in the Kingdom. These words have been 
 the occasion of no little controversy. Does John 
 really mean to say that Christians in the present 
 state are in the kingdom of Christ; or, in other 
 words, that Christ's kingdom had already been, in 
 his day, set up ? If this language has any reference 
 to the present state, it must be in a very limited and 
 accommodated sense. Those who take the ground 
 
CHAPTER /, VERSE 9. 439 
 
 that it has its application here, usually refer to 1 Pet. 
 2 : 9, to prove the existence of a kingdom in the pres- 
 ent state and to show its nature. But, as was re- 
 marked on verse 6, the literal reign of the saints is 
 yet future. It is through much tribulation that we 
 are to enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 14 : 22. 
 But when the kingdom is entered, the tribulation is 
 done. The tribulation and the kingdom do not ex- 
 ist contemporaneously. Murdock's translation of the 
 Syriac of this verse omits the word kingdom, and 
 reads as follows : " I John, your brother, and partaker 
 with you in the affliction and suffering that are in 
 Jesus the Messiah." Wakefield translates : " I John, 
 your brother, and sharer with you in enduring the 
 affliction of the kingdom of Jesus Christ." Bloom- 
 field says that by the words tribulation and patience, 
 "are denoted afflictions and troubles to be endured 
 for the sake, and in the cause, of Christ : and Baa^'a 
 [kingdom] intimates that he is to be partaker with 
 them in the kingdom prepared for them." He says 
 that "the best comment on this passage is 2 Tim. 
 2:12," which reads: "If we suffer, we shall also 
 reign with him." From all which, we may safely 
 conclude that though there is a kingdom of grace in 
 the present state, the kingdom to which John alluded 
 is the future kingdom of glory, and the suffering and 
 patience are preparatory to its enjoyment. 
 
 The Place. The isle that is called Patmos. A 
 small, barren island, off" the west coast of Asia Mi- 
 nor, between the island of Icaria and the prom- 
 ontory of Miletus, where in John's day existed 
 
440 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 the nearest Christian church. It is about eight 
 miles in length, one in breadth, and eighteen in 
 circumference. Its present name is Patino or Pat- 
 mosa. The coast is high, and consists of a suc- 
 cession of capes which form many ports. The only 
 one now in use is a deep bay sheltered by high 
 mountains on every side but one, where it is pro- 
 tected by a projecting cape. The town attached to 
 this port is situated upon a high, rocky mountain 
 rising immediately from the sea, and is the only 
 inhabited site of the island. About half way up 
 the mountain on which this town is built, there is 
 shown a natural grotto in the rock, where tradition 
 will have it that John had his vision and wrote the 
 Revelation. On account of the stern and desolate 
 character of this island, it was used, under the Roman 
 Empire, as a place of banishment, which accounts 
 for the exile of John thither. The banishment of 
 the apostle took place about the year A. D. 94, as is 
 generally supposed, under the Emperor Domitian ; 
 and from this fact the date assigned to the writing 
 of the Revelation is A. D. 95 or 96. 
 
 The Cause of Banishment. " For the word of 
 God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." This 
 was John's high crime and misdemeanor. The ty- 
 rant Domitian who was then invested with the 
 imperial purple of Rome, more eminent for his vices 
 than even for his civil position, quailed before this 
 aged but dauntless apostle. He dared not permit 
 the promulgation of his pure gospel within the 
 bounds of his kingdom. He exiled him to lonely 
 
CHAPTER /, VEESE 10. 441 
 
 Patmos, where, if anywhere this side of death, he 
 might be said to be out of the world. Having con- 
 fined him to that barren spot, and to the cruel labor 
 of the mines, the emperor doubtless thought that 
 this preacher of righteousness was finally disposed 
 of, and that the world would hear no more of him. 
 So, doubtless, thought the persecutors of John Bun- 
 yan when they had shut him up in Bedford jail. 
 But when man thinks he has buried the truth in 
 eternal oblivion, the Lord gives it a resurrection in 
 tenfold glory and power. From Bunyan's dark and 
 narrow cell there blazed forth a spiritual light, which, 
 next to the Bible itself, has built up the interests of 
 the gospel ; and from the barren isle of Patmos, 
 where Domitian thought he had forever extin- 
 guished at least one torch of truth, there arose the 
 most magnificent revelation of all the sacred canon, 
 to shed its divine luster over the whole Christian 
 world till the end of time. And how many will 
 revere the name of the beloved disciple, and hang 
 with delight upon his rapturous visions of heav- 
 enly glory, who will never learn the name of the 
 monster who caused his banishment. Verily, those 
 words of the Scriptures are sometimes applicable, 
 even to the present life, which declare that " the 
 righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance," but 
 "the name of the wicked shall rot." 
 
 VERSE 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and 
 heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. 
 
 In the Spirit. Exiled though John was, from all 
 of like faith, and almost from the world, he was not 
 
442 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 exiled from God, nor from Christ, nor from the Holy 
 Spirit, nor from angels. He still had communion 
 with his divine Lord. And the expression, " in the 
 Spirit," seems to denote the highest state of spiritual 
 elevation into which a person can be brought by the 
 Spirit of God. It marked the commencement of his 
 vision. 
 
 On the Lord's Day. What day is intended by 
 this designation ? On this question four different 
 positions are taken by different classes. 1. That it 
 means the gospel dispensation. 2. That it means 
 the day of Judgment, the future "day of the Lord" 
 so often brought to view in the Scriptures. 3. That 
 it means the first day of the week ; and 4. That it 
 means the seventh day, the Sabbath of the Lord. 
 
 To the first of these positions it is sufficient to 
 reply that the book of Revelation is dated by the 
 writer John, in the isle of Patmos, and upon the 
 Lord's day. The writer, the place where it was 
 written, and the day upon which it was dated, have 
 each a real existence, and not merely a symbolical or 
 mystical one. But if we say that the day means the 
 gospel dispensation, we give it a symbolical or mys- 
 tical meaning, which is not admissible. Besides, this 
 position involves the absurdity of making John say, 
 sixty-five years after the death of Christ, that the 
 vision which he records was seen by him in the gos- 
 pel dispensation, as though any Christian could pos- 
 sibly be ignorant of that fact ! 
 
 The second position, that it is the day of Judg- 
 ment, cannot be correct ; for while John might have 
 
CHAPTER /, VEtiSE 10. 443 
 
 had a vision concerning the day of Judgment, he 
 could not have had one on that day when it was yet 
 future. The word translated " on " is en (>), and is 
 denned by Robinson, when relating to time, as fol- 
 lows : " Time when, a definite point or period, in, 
 during, on, at, which anything takes place." It 
 never means about or concerning. Hence they who 
 refer it to the Judgment day, either contradict the 
 language used, making it mean "concerning" in- 
 stead of " on," or they make John state, if we may 
 coin a word, a most distortionate falsehood by saying 
 that he had a vision upon the isle of Patmos, over 
 seventeen hundred years ago, on the day of Judg- 
 ment, which is yet future ! 
 
 For the third view, that by " Lord's day " is 
 meant the first day of the week, a view by far the 
 most generally entertained, we inquire for the proof. 
 What evidence have we for this assertion ? The 
 text itself does not define the term Lord's day; 
 hence if it means the first day of the week we must 
 look elsewhere in the Bible for the proof that that 
 day of the week is ever so designated. The only 
 other inspired writers that speak of the first day at 
 all, are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul ; and they 
 speak of it simply as the first day of the week. 
 They never speak of it in a manner to distinguish 
 it above any other of the six working days. And 
 this is the more remarkable, viewed from the pop- 
 ular standpoint, as three of them speak of it at the 
 very time when it is said to have become the Lord's 
 day by the resurrection of the Lord upon it, and 
 
444 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 two of them mention it some thirty years after that 
 event. 
 
 But it is said that the term " Lord's day " was 
 the usual term for the first day of the week in 
 John's day. Where is the proof of this ? It can- 
 not be found. But we have proof of just the con- 
 trary. See " History of the Sabbath," and " Com- 
 plete Testimony of the Fathers," by Andrews, pub- 
 lished at the REVIEW Office, Battle Creek, Mich. If 
 this was the universal designation of the first day 
 at the time the Revelation was written, the same 
 writer would most assuredly call it so in all his 
 subsequent writings. But John wrote his gospel 
 after he wrote the Revelation, and yet in that gos- 
 pel he calls the first day of the week, not Lord's 
 day, but simply " first day of the week." For proof 
 that the gospel was written at a period subsequent 
 to the Revelation, the reader is referred to the fol- 
 lowing authorities : Religious Encyclopedia, Barnes' 
 Notes (gospels), Bib. Die., Cottage Bible, Domestic 
 Bible, Mine Explored, Union Bib. Die., Comprehen- 
 sive Bible, Paragraph Bible, Bloomfield, Dr. Hales, 
 Home, Nevins, and Olshausen. 
 
 And what still further disproves the claim here 
 set up in behalf of the first day, is the fact that 
 neither the Father nor the Son have ever claimed 
 the first day as their own in any higher sense than 
 they have each or any of the other laboring days. 
 They have never placed any blessing upon it, nor 
 attached any sanctity to it. If it was to be called 
 the Lord's day from the fact of Christ's resurrec- 
 
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 10. 44,5 
 
 tion upon it, Inspiration would doubtless have some- 
 where so informed us. But there are other events 
 equally essential to the plan of salvation, as for in- 
 stance, the crucifixion and the ascension ; and in the 
 absence of all instruction upon the point, why not 
 call the day upon which either of these occurred, 
 the Lord's day, as well as the day upon which he 
 rose from the dead ? 
 
 The three positions already examined having 
 been disproved, the fourth now demands attention, 
 namely, that by Lord's day is meant the Sabbath 
 of the Lord. And this of itself is susceptible of the 
 clearest proof: 1. When God gave to man in the 
 beginning six days of the week for labor, he ex- 
 pressly reserved the seventh day to himself, placed 
 his blessing upon it, and claimed it as his holy day. 
 2. Moses told Israel in the wilderness of Sin, on the 
 sixth day of the week, " To-morrow is the rest of 
 the holy Sabbath unto the Lord." We come to 
 Sinai where the great Lawgiver proclaimed his 
 moral precepts in awful grandeur ; and in that su- 
 preme code, he thus lays claim to his hallowed day : 
 " The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy 
 God; . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven 
 and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and 
 rested the seventh day ; wherefore the Lord blessed 
 the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." By the prophet 
 Isaiah, about eight hundred years later, God spoke 
 as follows : " If thou turn away thy foot from the 
 Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on MY HOLY DAY, 
 .... then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord," 
 
446 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 etc. We come down to New-Testament times, and 
 He who is one with the Father, declares expressly, 
 "The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." 
 Can any man deny that that day is the Lord's day, 
 of which he has emphatically declared that he is 
 the Lord? Thus we see that whether it be the 
 Father or the Son whose title is involved, no other 
 day can be called the Lord's day but the Sabbath 
 of the great Creator. 
 
 One more thought, and we leave this point : 
 There is hi this dispensation one day distinguished 
 above the other days of the week as the Lord's day. 
 How completely does this great fact disprove the 
 claim put forth by some that there is no Sabbath 
 in this dispensation, but that all days are alike. 
 And by calling it the Lord's day, the apostle has 
 given us, near the close of the first century, apos- 
 tolic sanction for the observance of the only day 
 which can be called the Lord's day, which is the 
 seventh day of the week. 
 
 VERSE 11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and 
 the last ; and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send 
 it unto the seven churches which are in Asia ; unto Ephesus, 
 and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, 
 and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 
 
 On this verse Dr. A. Clarke remarks, "I am 
 Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and] 
 This whole clause is wanting in A B C ; thirty-one 
 others ; some editions ; the Syriac, Coptic, ^Ethiopic, 
 Armenian, Slavonic, Vulgate, Arethas, Andreas, and 
 Primasius. Griesbach has left it out of the text." 
 
CHAPTER /, VERSES 12-18. 447 
 
 He also states that the phrase " in Asia," is wanting 
 in the principal HSS. and versions, and that Gries- 
 bach has left it out of the text. Bloomfield also 
 marks the clause, " I am Alpha and Omega, the first 
 and the last, and " as without doubt an interpola- 
 tion, and also the words " in Asia." It would then 
 read, " Saying, What thou seest, write in a book, 
 and send it unto the seven churches; unto Ephesus," 
 etc. See translations of Whiting, Wesley, Ameri- 
 can Bible Union and others. Compare remarks on 
 verse 4. 
 
 VERSES 12-18. And I turned to see the voice that spake 
 with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candle- 
 s:icks ; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like 
 unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the 
 foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His 
 head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow ; 
 and his eyes were as a flame of fire ; and his feet like unto 
 fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace ; and his voice as 
 the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand 
 seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged 
 sword ; and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his 
 strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. 
 And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear 
 not ; I am the first and the last ; I am he that liveth, and 
 was dead ; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen ; and 
 have the keys of hell and of death. 
 
 / Turned to See the Voice; that is, the person 
 from whom the voice came. 
 
 Seven Golden Candlesticks. These cannot be the 
 antitype of the golden candlestick of the ancient typ- 
 ical temple service ; for that was but one candlestick 
 
448 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 with seven branches. That is ever spoken of in the 
 singular number. But here are seven, more properly 
 lamp-stands than simply candlesticks ; stands upon 
 which lamps are set to give light in the room. And 
 they bear no resemblance to the ancient candlestick 
 but are distinct, and so far separated from each other 
 that the Son of Man is seen walking about in the 
 midst of them. 
 
 The Son of Man. The central and all-attractive 
 figure of the scene now opened before John's vision, 
 is the majestic form of one like the Son of man, rep- 
 resenting Christ. The description here given of him 
 with his flowing robe, his hair white, not with age, 
 but with the brightness of heavenly glory, his flaming 
 eyes, his feet glowing like molten brass, and his voice 
 as the sound of many waters, cannot be excelled for 
 grandeur and sublimity. Overcome by the presence 
 of this august Being, and perhaps under a vivid 
 sense of his own unworthiness, John fell at his feet as 
 dead ; but a comforting hand is laid upon him, and a 
 voice of sweet assurance tells him to fear not. It is 
 equally the privilege of Christians to-day to feel the 
 same hand laid upon them to strengthen and comfort 
 in hours of trial and affliction, and to hear the same 
 voice saying unto them, Fear not. 
 
 But the most cheering assurance in all these words 
 of consolation, is the declaration of this Exalted One 
 who is alive fore verm ore, that he is the arbiter of 
 death and the grave. " I have," he says, " the keys 
 of hell [dffyf, the grave] and death." Death is a con- 
 quered tyrant. He may ply his gloomy labors age 
 
CHAPTER 7, VEMSEK 19, 20. 449 
 
 after age, of gathering to the grave the precious of 
 the earth, and gloat for a season over his apparent 
 triumph. But he is performing a fruitless task ; for 
 the key to his dark prison-house has been wrenched 
 from his grasp, and now rests in the hands of a 
 mightier than he. He is compelled to deposit his 
 trophies in a region over which another has absolute 
 control ; and this one is the unchanging friend and 
 the pledged redeemer of his people. Then grieve not 
 for the righteous dead ; they are in safe keeping. An 
 enemy for a while takes them away ; but a friend 
 holds the key to the place of their temporary con- 
 finement. 
 
 VERSE 19. Write the things which thou has seen, and 
 the things which are, and the things which shall be here- 
 after. 
 
 A more definite command is given in this verse to 
 John to write the entire Revelation, which would re- 
 late chiefly to things which were then in the future. 
 In some few instances, events then in the past or then 
 transpiring were referred to ; but these references 
 were simply for the purpose of introducing events to 
 be fulfilled after that time, and so that no link in the 
 chain might be lacking. 
 
 VERSE 20. The mystery of the seven stars which thou 
 sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. 
 The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches ; and 
 the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven 
 churches. 
 
 To represent the Son of man as holding in his hand 
 
 only the ministers of seven literal churches in Asia 
 29 
 
450 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 Minor, and walking in the midst of only those seven 
 churches, would be to reduce the sublime representa- 
 tions and declarations of this and following chapters 
 into comparative insignificance. The providential 
 care and presence of the Lord are with, not a speci- 
 fied number of churches only, but with all his peo- 
 ple ; not in the days of John merely, but through all 
 time. "Lo! I am with you alway," said he to his 
 disciples, "even unto the end of the world." See 
 remarks on verse 4. 
 
II. 
 
 THE SEVEN CHURCHES. 
 
 VERSE 1. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus, write : 
 These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in his 
 right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden 
 candlesticks ; 2. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy 
 patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil ; 
 and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and 
 are not, and hast found them liars : 3. and hast borne, and 
 hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast 
 not fainted. 4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, 
 because thou hast left thy first love. 5. Remember, there- 
 fore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the 
 first works ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will 
 remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 
 6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nic- 
 olaitanes, which I also hate. 7. He that hath an ear, let 
 him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; To him 
 that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which 
 is in the midst of the paradise of God. 
 
 The Church of Ephesus. Some reasons why the 
 seven churches, or more properly the messages to 
 them, should be regarded as prophetic, having their 
 application to the seven periods of the Christian age, 
 have been given in the remarks on chap. 1:4. It 
 may here be added that this view is neither new nor 
 local. Benson quotes Bishop Newton as saying: 
 
 (451) 
 
452 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 "Many contend, and among them such learned 
 men as More and Vitringa, that the seven epistles are 
 prophetical of so many successive periods and states 
 of the church, from the beginning to the conclusion 
 of all." 
 
 Scott says, " Many expositors have imagined that 
 these epistles to the seven churches were mystical 
 prophecies of seven distinct periods, into which the 
 whole term, from the apostles' days to the end of the 
 world, would be divided." 
 
 Although neither Newton nor Scott themselves 
 hold this view, their testimony is good as showing 
 that such has been the view of many expositors. 
 Matthew Henry says : 
 
 " An opinion has been held by some commentators 
 of note, which may be given in the words of Vitringa : 
 ' That under this emblematical representation of the 
 seven churches of Asia, the Holy Spirit has delineated 
 seven different states of the Christian church, which 
 would appear in succession, extending to the coming of 
 our Lord, and the consummation of all things. That 
 this is given in descriptions taken from the names, 
 states, and conditions of these churches, so that they 
 might behold themselves, and learn both their good 
 qualities and their defects, and what admonitions and 
 exhortations were suitable for them.' Vitringa has 
 given a summary of the arguments which may be 
 alleged in favor of this interpretation. Some of them 
 are ingenious, but they are not now considered suffi- 
 cient to support such a theory. Gill is one of the 
 principal of the English commentators who adopt this 
 
CHAPTER //, VEMSES 1-7. 453 
 
 view, that * they are prophetical of the churches of 
 Christ, in the several periods of time, until he ap- 
 pears again.'" 
 
 It appears from the authors above cited, that 
 what has led commentators of more modern times 
 to discard the view of the prophetical nature of the 
 messages to the seven churches, is the comparatively 
 recent, and unscriptural doctrine of the temporal 
 millennium. The last state of the church as de- 
 scribed in chap. 3 : 15-17, was deemed to be incom- 
 patible with the glorious state of things which 
 would exist here on this earth for a thousand years, 
 with all the world converted to God. Hence, in 
 this case, as in many others, the more scrip tural 
 view is made to yield to the more pleasing. The 
 hearts of men, as in ancient times, still love smooth 
 things; and their ears are ever favorably open to 
 those who will prophesy peace. 
 
 The definition of the word Ephesus is, desirable, 
 which may well be taken as a good descriptive 
 term of the character and condition of the church 
 in its first state. Those early Christians had re- 
 ceived the doctrine of Christ in its purity. They 
 enjoyed the benefits and blessings of the gifts of 
 the Holy Spirit. They were noted for works, labor, 
 and patience. In faithfulness to the pure principles 
 taught by Christ, they could not bear those that 
 were evil, and they tried false apostles, searched 
 out their true characters, and found them liars. 
 That this work was done by the literal and par- 
 ticular church at Ephesus, we have no evidence; 
 
454 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 there is nothing said about it by Paul in the epistle 
 he wrote to that church ; but it was done by the 
 Christian church as a whole, in that age, and was a 
 most appropriate work at that time. See Acts 15 ; 
 2 Cor. 11 : 13. 
 
 The Angel of the Church. The angel of a church 
 must denote the messenger or minister of that 
 church ; and as these churches each cover a period 
 of time, the angel of each church must denote the 
 ministry, or all the true ministers of Christ during 
 the period covered by that church. The different 
 messages, though addressed to the ministers, cannot 
 be understood to be applicable to them alone ; but 
 they are doubtless addressed to the church through 
 them. 
 
 The Cause of Complaint. "I have somewhat 
 against thee," says Christ, " because thou hast left 
 thy first love." " Not less worthy of warning than 
 departure from fundamental doctrine, or from script- 
 ural morality, is the leaving of first love. The 
 charge here is not that of falling from grace, nor 
 that love is extinguished, but diminished. No zeal, 
 no suffering, can atone for the want of first love." 
 Thompson. The time never should come in a Chris- 
 tian's experience, when, if he was asked to mention 
 the period of his greatest love to Christ, he would 
 not say, The present moment. But if such a time 
 does come, then should he remember from whence 
 he is fallen, meditate upon it, take time for it, and 
 carefully call up the state of his former acceptance 
 with God, then haste to repent, and retrace his 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 1-7. 455 
 
 steps to that desirable position. Love, like faith, is 
 manifested by works ; and first love, when it is at- 
 tained, will always bring first works. 
 
 The Threatening. "I will come unto thee quickly, 
 and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except 
 thou repent." The coming here mentioned must 
 be a figurative coming, signifying a visitation of 
 judgment, inasmuch as it is conditional. The re- 
 moving of the candlestick would denote the taking 
 away from them the light and privileges of the 
 gospel, and committing them to other hands, unless 
 they should better fulfill the responsibilities of the 
 trust committed to them. But it may be asked, on 
 the view that these messages are prophetic, if the 
 candlestick would not be removed any way, whether 
 they repented or not, as that church was succeeded 
 by the next, to occupy the next period ? and if this 
 is not an objection against regarding these churches 
 as prophetic ? Answer : The expiration of the pe- 
 riod covered by any church is not the removal of the 
 candlestick of that church. The removal of their 
 candlestick would be taking away from them privi- 
 leges which they might, and should, longer enjoy. 
 It would be the rejection of them on the part of 
 Christ, as his representatives, to bear the light of 
 his truth and gospel before the world. And this 
 threatening would be just as applicable to individ- 
 uals as to the church as a body. How many who 
 professed Christianity during that period, thus 
 came short and were rejected, we know not; doubt- 
 less many. And thus things would go on, some 
 
456 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 remaining steadfast, some backsliding, and becom- 
 ing no longer light-bearers in the world, new con- 
 verts meanwhile filling up the vacancies made by 
 death and apostasy, until the church reaches a new 
 era in her experience, marked off as another period 
 in her history, and covered by another message. 
 
 The Nicolaitanes. How ready is Christ to com- 
 mend his people for whatever good qualities they 
 may possess ! If there is anything of which he ap- 
 proves, he mentions that first. And in this message 
 to the church of Ephesus, having first mentioned 
 their commendable traits, and then their failures, 
 as if unwilling to pass by any of their good quali- 
 ties, he mentions this : that they hated the deeds of 
 the Nicolaitanes, which he also hated. In verse 15, 
 the doctrines of the same characters are condemned. 
 It appears that they were a class of persons whose 
 deeds and dectrines were alike abominable in the 
 the sight of Heaven. Their origin is involved in 
 some doubt. Some say that they sprang from 
 Nicolas of Antioch, one of the seven deacons ; Acts 
 6:5; some, that they only attribute their origin to 
 him to gain the prestige of his name; and others, 
 that the sect took its name from one Nicolas of a 
 later date, which is probably the nearest correct. 
 Concerning their doctrines and practices, there seems 
 to be a general agreement that they held to a com- 
 munity of wives, regarded adultery and fornication 
 as things indifferent, and permitted the eating of 
 things offered to idols. See Bel. Encyc., Clarke, 
 Kitto, and other authorities. 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 1-7. 457 
 
 The Summons to Attention. "He that hath an 
 ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
 churches." A solemn manner of calling universal 
 attention to that which is of general and most mo- 
 mentous importance. The same language is used to 
 each of the seven churches. Christ, when upon 
 earth, made use of the same form of speech hi calling 
 the attention of the people to the most important of 
 his teachings. He used it in reference to the mission 
 of John, Matt. 11 : 15, the parable of the sower, Matt. 
 13 : 9, and the parable of the tares, setting forth the 
 end of the world, verse 43. It is also used in rela- 
 tion to an important prophetic fulfillment in Rev. 
 13:9. 
 
 The Promise to the Victor. To the overcomer 
 it is promised that he shall eat of the tree of life that 
 grows in the midst of the paradise, or garden, of God. 
 Where is this paradise? Answer. In the third 
 Heaven. Paul writes in 2 Cor. 12 : 2, that he knew 
 a man, referring to himself, caught up to the third 
 Heaven. In verse 4, he calls the same place para- 
 dise ; leaving only one conclusion to be drawn, which 
 is, that paradise is in the third Heaven. In this par- 
 adise, it seems, is the tree of life. There is but one 
 tree of life brought to view in the Bible. It is men- 
 tioned six times, three times in Genesis, and three 
 times in the Revelation ; but it is used every time 
 with the definite article the. It is the tree of life in 
 the first book of the Bible, the tree of life in the last ; 
 the tree of life in the ' paradise " (Septuagint) in Eden 
 at the beginning, and the tree of life in the paradise 
 
458 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 of which John now speaks, in Heaven above. But 
 if there is but one tree, and that was at first upon 
 the earth, it may be asked how it has now come to 
 be in Heaven ? To which the answer would be that 
 it must have been taken up, or translated to the par- 
 adise above. There is no possible way that the same 
 identical body which is situated in one place can be 
 located in another but by being transported bodily 
 thither. And that the tree of life and paradise have 
 been removed from earth to Heaven, besides the nec- 
 essary inference from this argument, there is good 
 reason to believe. 
 
 In 2 Esdras 7 ; 26, occurs this language: "Behold, 
 the time shall come, that these tokens which I have 
 told thee shall come to pass, and the bride shall ap- 
 pear, and she coming forth shall be seen that now is 
 withdrawn from the earth." There is an evident 
 allusion here to " the bride, the Lamb's wife," Rev. 
 21 : 9, which is the "holy city, New Jerusalem," verse 
 10, Gal. 4 : 26, in which is the tree of life, Rev. 22 : 2, 
 which is now "withdrawn from the earth," but 
 which will, in due time, appear and be located 
 among men. Rev. 21 : 2, 3. 
 
 The following paragraph on this point, we quote 
 from Kurtz' Sacred History, p. 50 : 
 
 " The act of God in appointing the cherubim ' to 
 keep the way of the tree of life,' Gen. 3 : 24, in the 
 garden of Eden, likewise appears not only in an as- 
 pect indicating judicial severity, but also in one 
 which conveys a promise full of consolation. The 
 blessed abode from which man is expelled, is neither 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 8-11. 459 
 
 annihilated nor even abandoned to desolation and 
 ruin, but withdrawn from the earth and from man, 
 and consigned to the care of the most perfect crea- 
 tures of God, in order that it may be ultimately re- 
 stored to man when he is redeemed. Rev. 22 : 2. 
 .The garden, as it existed before God 'planted' or 
 adorned it, came under the curse, like the remainder 
 of the earth, but the celestial and paradistical addi- 
 tion was exempted, and intrusted to the cherubim. 
 The true paradise is now translated to the invisible 
 world. At least a symbolical copy of it, established 
 in the holy of holies in the tabernacle, was granted 
 to the people of Israel, after the pattern which Moses 
 saw in the mount, Ex. 25 : 9, 40, and the original it- 
 self, as the renewed habitation of redeemed man, will 
 hereafter descend to the earth. Rev. 21 : 10." 
 
 To the overcomer, then, is promised a restoration 
 to more than Adam lost ; not to the overcomers of 
 that state of the church, merely, but to all overcom- 
 ers of every age ; for in the great rewards of Heaven 
 there are no restrictions. Reader, strive to be an 
 overcomer ; for he who gains access to the tree of 
 life in the midst of the paradise of God, shall die no 
 more. 
 
 Time of the first church, to the close of the first 
 century, or to the death of the last of the apostles. 
 
 VERSE 8. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna, 
 write : These things saith the first and the last, which was 
 dead, and is alive ; 9 ; I know thy works, and tribulation, 
 and poverty ( but thou art rich) ; and I know the blasphemy 
 of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the 
 synagogue of Satan. 10. Fear none of those things which 
 
460 
 
 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 thou shalt suffer ; behold, the devil shall cast some of you 
 into prison, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribula- 
 tion ten days : be thou faithful unto death, and I will give 
 thee a crown of life. 11. He that hath an ear, let him hear 
 what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; he that overcometh 
 shall not be hurt of the second death. 
 
 It will be noticed that the Lord introduces himself 
 to each church by mentioning some of his character- 
 istics which show him to be peculiarly fitted to bear 
 to them the testimony which he utters. To the 
 Smyrnian church, about to pass through the fiery 
 ordeal of persecution, he reveals himself as one who 
 was dead, but is now alive. If they should be called 
 to seal their testimony with their blood, they were to 
 remember that the eyas of One were upon them, who 
 had shared the same fate, but had triumphed over 
 death, and was able to bring them up again from a 
 martyr's grave. 
 
 Poverty and Riches. "I know thy poverty," says 
 Christ to them, "but thou art rich." Strange para- 
 dox, this may seem at first. But who are the truly 
 rich in this world? Those who are "rich in faith" 
 and "heirs of the kingdom." The wealth of this 
 world, for which men so eagerly strive, and so often 
 barter away present happiness and future endless 
 life, is "coin not current in Heaven." A certain 
 writer has forcibly remarked, " There is many a rich 
 poor man, and many a poor rich man." 
 
 Say They Are Jews and Are Not. That the term 
 Jew is not here used in a literal sense, is very evi- 
 dent. It denotes some character which was approved 
 by the gospel standard. Paul's language will make 
 
CHAPTER //, VEHSES S-li. 
 
 this point plain. He says, Roin. 2 : 28, 29: "For he 
 is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that 
 circumcision which is outward in the flesh ; but he is 
 a Jew [hi the true Christian sense] which is one in- 
 wardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the 
 spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of 
 men, but of God." Again he says, chap. 9:6, 7 : 
 "For they are not all Israel which are of Israel; 
 neither because they are the seed of Abraham are 
 they all children." In Gal. 3 : 28, 29, Paul further 
 tells us that in Christ there are no such outward dis- 
 tinctions as Jew and Greek, but that if we are Christ's 
 then are we Abraham's seed [in the true sense], and 
 heirs according to the promise. To say, as some do, 
 that the term Jew is never applied to Christians, is 
 to contradict all these inspired declarations of Paul, 
 and the testimony of the faithful and true Witness 
 to the Smyrnian church. Some were hypocritically 
 pretending to be Jews in this Christian sense, when 
 they possessed nothing of the requisite character. 
 Such were of the synagogue of Satan. 
 
 Tribulation Ten Days. As this message is pro- 
 phetic, the time mentioned in it must also be re- 
 garded as prophetic, which would denote ten years. 
 And it is a noticeable fact that the last and most 
 bloody of the ten persecutions continued just ten 
 years under Diocletian, from A. D. 302 to A. D. 312. 
 See Buck's Theol. Die., pp. 332, 333. It would be 
 difficult to make an application of this language on 
 the ground that these massages are not prophetic ; 
 for in that case, only ten literal days could be 
 
462 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 meant ; and it would not seem probable that a per- 
 secution of only ten days, on only a single church, 
 would be made a matter of prophecy. Again, apply 
 this persecution to any of the notable persecutions 
 of that period, and how could it be spoken of as the 
 fate of one church alone ? All the churches suffered 
 in them ; and where, then, would be the propriety 
 of singling out one, to the exclusion of the rest, as 
 alone involved in such a calamity ? 
 
 Faithful unto Death. Some have endeavored to 
 base a criticism on the use of the word unto, in- 
 stead of until, as though the idea of time was not 
 involved. But the original word, axgi, rendered unto, 
 signifies, primarily, until. No argument, however, 
 can be drawn from this for consciousness in death. 
 The vital point for such an argument is still lack- 
 ing ; for it is not affirmed that the crown of life is 
 bestowed immediately at death. "We must conse- 
 quently look to other scriptures to learn when the 
 crown of life is given; and other scriptures very 
 fully inform us. Paul declares that this crown is 
 to be given at the day of Christ's appearing, 2 Tim. 
 4 : 8 at the last trump, 1 Cor. 15 : 51-54 when the 
 Lord shall himself descend from Heaven, 1 Thess. 4 : 
 16, 17 ; when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, says 
 Peter, 1 Pet. 5:4; at the resurrection of the just, says 
 Christ, Luke 14 : 14 and when he should return to 
 take his people to the mansions prepared for them, 
 that they might ever be with him. John 14 : 3. 
 Be thou faithful until death ; and having been thus 
 faithful, when the time comes that the saints of 
 God are rewarded, you shall receive a crown of life. 
 
CHAPTER //, VERSES 12-17. 463 
 
 The Overcomers Reward. " He shall not be hurt 
 of the second death." Is not the language Christ 
 here uses a good comment upon what he taught his 
 disciples, when he said, "And fear not them which 
 kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but 
 rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul 
 and body in hell " ? Matt. 10 : 28. The Smyrnians 
 might be put to death here; but the future life, 
 which was to be given them, man could not take 
 away, and God would not ; hence they were to fear 
 not those who could kill the body, to " fear none of 
 the things which they should suffer ; " for their eter- 
 nal existence was sure. 
 
 Smyrna signifies myrrh fit appellation for the 
 church of God, while passing through the fiery fur- 
 nace of persecution, and proving herself a " sweet- 
 smelling savor unto him." But we soon reach the 
 days of Constantine, when the church presents a 
 new phase, rendering a far different name and 
 another message applicable to her history. 
 
 According to the foregoing, the date of the Smyr- 
 nian church would be A. D. 200-323. 
 
 VERSE 12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos, 
 write : These things saith He which hath the sharp sword 
 with two edges : 13 : I know thy works, and where thou 
 dwellest, even where Satan's seat is ; and thou holdest fast 
 my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days 
 wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain 
 among you, where Satan dwelleth. 14. But I have a few 
 things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold 
 the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling- 
 block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrified 
 
464 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15. So hast thou 
 also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which 
 thing I hate. 16. Repent ; or else I will come unto thee 
 quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my 
 mouth. 17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the 
 Spirit saith unto the churches : To him that overcometh will 
 I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white 
 stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man 
 knoweth saving he that receiveth it. 
 
 Against the church of Smyrna, which has just 
 been considered, there was no word of condemna- 
 tion uttered. Persecution is ever calculated to keep 
 the church pure, and incite its members to piety and 
 godliness. But we now reach a period when influ- 
 ences began to work, through which errors and evils 
 were likely to creep into the church. 
 
 Pergamos signifies height, elevation. The period 
 covered by this church may be located from the 
 days of Constantine, or perhaps rather from his 
 professed conversion to Christianity, A. D. 323, to 
 the establishment of the papacy, A. D. 538. It was 
 a period in which the true servants of God had to 
 struggle against a spirit of worldly policy, pride, 
 and popularity, among those who professed to be 
 the followers of Christ, and against the virulent 
 workings of the mystery of iniquity, which finally 
 resulted in the full development of the papal man 
 of sin. 
 
 Where Satan's Seat Is. Christ takes cognizance 
 of the unfavorable situation of his people during 
 this period. This language is not probably designed 
 to denote locality. As to place, Satan is everywhere 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 12-17. 465 
 
 where Christians dwell. But there are times and 
 seasons when he works with special power; and 
 the period covered by the church of Pergamos was 
 one of these. During this period, the doctrine of 
 Christ was being corrupted, the mystery of iniquity 
 was working, and Satan was laying the very foun- 
 dation of that most stupendous system of wicked- 
 ness, the papacy. Here was the falling away fore- 
 told by Paul in 2 Thess. 2 : 3. 
 
 Antipas. That a class of persons are referred to 
 by this name, and not an individual, there is good 
 reason to believe ; for no authentic information re- 
 specting such an individual is now to be found. 
 On this point, Wm. Miller says : 
 
 " It is supposed that Antipas was not an individ- 
 ual, but a class of men who opposed the power of 
 the bishops, or popes, in that day, being a combina- 
 tion of two words, anti, opposed, and Papas, father, 
 or pope, and many of them suffered martyrdom, at 
 that time, in Constantinople and Rome, where the 
 bishops and popes began to exercise the power 
 which soon after brought into subjection the kings 
 of the earth, and trampled on the rights of the 
 church of Christ. And for myself, I see no reason 
 to reject this explanation of the word Antipas in 
 this text, as the history of those times is perfectly 
 silent respecting such an individual as is here 
 named." Millers Lectures, pp. 138, 139. 
 
 Watson says, "Ancient ecclesiastical history fur- 
 nishes no account of this Antipas." Dr. Clark men- 
 tions a work as extant called the " Acts of Antipas," 
 30 
 
466 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 but gives us to understand that it is entitled to no 
 credit. 
 
 The Cause of Censure. Disadvantages in situ- 
 ation are no excuse for wrongs in the church. Al- 
 though this church lived at a time when Satan was 
 especially at work, it was their duty to keep them- 
 selves pure from the leaven of his evil doctrines. 
 Hence, they were censured for harboring in their 
 midst those who held the doctrines of Balaam and 
 the Nicolaitaries. See remarks on the Nicolaitanes, 
 verse 6. What the doctrine of Balaam was, is 
 here partially revealed. He taught Balak to cast a 
 stumbling-block before the children of Israel. See 
 a full account of his transactions and their results, 
 in Num. 22-25, and 31 : 13-16. It appears that 
 Balaam desired to curse Israel for the sake of the 
 rich reward which Balak offered him for so doing. 
 But not being permitted by the Lord to curse 
 them, he resolved to accomplish essentially the 
 same thing, though in a different way. He there- 
 fore counseled Balak to seduce them, by means of 
 the females of Moab, to participate in the celebra- 
 tion of the rites of idolatry, and all its licentious 
 accompaniments. The plan succeeded. The abom- 
 inations of idolatry spread through the camp of 
 Israel, the curse of God was called down upon them 
 by their sins, and there fell by the plague twenty- 
 four thousand persons. 
 
 The doctrines complained of in the church of 
 Pergamos were of course similar in their tendency, 
 leading to spiritual idolatry, and an unlawful con- 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 12-17. 
 
 necfcion between the church and the world. Out 
 of this spirit was finally produced the union of the 
 civil and ecclesiastical powers, which culminated in 
 the formation of the papacy. 
 
 Repent. By disciplining or expelling those who 
 hold these pernicious doctrines. If they did not do 
 this, Christ declared that he would take the matter 
 into his own hands, and come unto them (in judg- 
 ment) and fight against them (them who held these 
 evil doctrines) ; and the whole church would be 
 held responsible for the wrongs of those heretical 
 ones whom they harbored in their midst. 
 
 The Promise. To the overcomer it is promised 
 that he shall eat of the hidden manna, and receive 
 from his approving Lord a white stone, with a new 
 and precious name engraved thereon. Concerning 
 mamia that is "hidden," and a new name that no 
 one is to know but he that receiveth it, not much 
 in the way of exposition should be required. But 
 there has been much conjecture upon these points, 
 and an allusion to these may be expected. Most 
 commentators apply the manna, white stone, and a 
 new name, to spiritual blessings to be enjoyed in 
 this life ; but, like all the other promises to the 
 overcomer, we think it refers wholly to theiuture, 
 and is to be given when the time comes that the 
 saints are to be rewarded. Perhaps the following 
 from the late H. Blunt, is as satisfactory as any- 
 thing that has ever been written upon these several 
 particulars : 
 
 " It is generally thought by commentators that 
 
468 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 this refers to an ancient judicial custom of drop- 
 ping a black stone into an urn when it is intended 
 to condemn, and a white stone when the prisoner is 
 to be acquitted ; but this is an act so distinct from 
 that described, ' I will give thee a white stone/ that 
 we are disposed to agree with those who think it 
 refers rather to a custom of a very different kind, 
 and not unknown to the classical reader ; according 
 with beautiful propriety to the case before us. In 
 primitive times, when traveling was rendered diffi- 
 cult from want of places of public entertainment, 
 hospitality was exercised by private individuals to 
 a very great extent, of which, indeed, we find fre- 
 quent traces in all history, and in none more than 
 the Old Testament. Persons who partook of this 
 hospitality, and those who practiced it, frequently 
 contracted habits of friendship and regard for each 
 other, and it became a well-established custom 
 among the Greeks and Romans to provide their 
 guests with some particular mark, which was 
 handed down from father to son, and insured hos- 
 pitality and kind treatment whenever it was pre- 
 sented. This mark was usually a small stone or 
 pebble, cut in half, and upon the halves of which 
 the host and the guest mutually inscribed their 
 names, and then interchanged with each other. 
 The production of this tessera was quite sufficient 
 to insure friendship for themselves or descendants 
 whenever they traveled again in the same direc- 
 tion ; while it is evident that these stones required 
 to be privately kept, and the names written upon 
 
CHAPTER U, VERSES 18-29. 469 
 
 them carefully concealed, lest others should obtain 
 the privileges instead of the persons for whom they 
 were intended. 
 
 " How natural, then, the allusion to this custom 
 in the words of the text, ' I will give him to eat of 
 the hidden manna ! ' and having done this, having 
 made him partake of my hospitality, having recog- 
 nized him as my guest and friend, I will present 
 him with the white stone, and in the stone a new 
 name written, which no man knoweth, save he 
 who receiveth it. I will give him a pledge of my 
 friendship, sacred and inviolable, known only to 
 himself." 
 
 On the new name, Wesley very appropriately 
 
 " Jacob, after his victory, gained the new name 
 of Israel. Wouldst thou know what thy new 
 name will be ? The way to this is plain, overcome. 
 Till then, all thy inquiries are vain. Thou wilt 
 then read it on the white stone." 
 
 VERSE 18. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira, 
 write : These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes 
 like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass ; 19 ; 
 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy 
 patience, and thy works ; and the last to be more than the 
 first. 20. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against 
 thee, because thou sufierest that woman Jezebel, which call- 
 eth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants 
 to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 
 21. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and 
 Llie repented not. 22. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, 
 and them that commit adultery with her into great tribula- 
 tion, except they repent of their deeds. 23. And I will kill 
 
470 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 her children with death ; and all the churches shall know 
 that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts : and I 
 will give unto every one of you according to your works. 
 24. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, 
 as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not 
 known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put upon 
 you none other burden. 25. But that which ye have al- 
 ready, hold fast till I come. 26. And he that overcometh, 
 and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give 
 power over the nations : 27 : and he shall rule them with a 
 rod of iron ; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken 
 to shivers ; even as I received of my Father. 28. And I 
 will give him the morning star. 29. He that hath an ear, 
 let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 
 
 If the period covered by the Pergamos church 
 has been correctly located, terminating with the 
 setting up of the papacy, A. D. 538, the most natu- 
 ral division to be assigned to the church of Thya- 
 tira would be the time of the continuance of this 
 blasphemous power through the 1260 years of its 
 supremacy; or, from A. D. 538, to A. D. 1798. 
 
 Thyatira signifies, "sweet savor of labor," or 
 "sacrifice of contrition." This would well describe 
 the state of the church of Jesus Christ during the 
 long period of papal triumph and persecution. 
 This age of dreadful tribulation upon the church 
 such as never was (Matt-. 24:21), improved the real 
 condition of believers. Hence, they receive for 
 their works, charity, service, faith and patience, the 
 commendation of Him whose eyes are as a flame of 
 fire. And works are then again mentioned, as 
 though worthy of a double commendation. And 
 the last were more than the first. There had been 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 18-29. 
 
 an improvement in their condition, a growth in 
 grace, an increase in all these elements of Chris- 
 tianity. This church is the only one that is com- 
 mended for an improvement in spiritual things. 
 But, as in the church of Pergamos, unfavorable cir- 
 cumstances were no apology for false doctrines in 
 the church, so in this church, no amount of labor, 
 charity, service, faith or patience, could compensate 
 for a like sin. A rebuke is therefore given them 
 for suffering in their midst 
 
 That Woman Jezebel. As in the preceding church, 
 Antipas denoted, not an individual, but a class of 
 persons ; so, doubtless, Jezebel is here to be under- 
 stood in the same sense. Watson's Bible Dictionary 
 says, "The name of Jezebel is used proverbially. 
 Rev. 2 : 20." Wm. Miller, Lectures, p. 142, speaks 
 as follows : 
 
 "Jezebel is a figurative name alluding to Ahab's 
 wife, who slew the prophets of the Lord, led her 
 husband into idolatry, and fed the prophets of Baal 
 at her own table. A more striking figure could not 
 have been used to denote the papal abominations. 
 See 1 Kings, chaps. 18, 19, and 21. It is very 
 evident from history, as well as from this verse, 
 that the church of Christ did suffer some of the 
 papal monks to preach and teach among them. See 
 the ' History of the Waldenses.' " 
 
 The Comprehensive Commentary has the follow- 
 ing remark upon verse 23 : " Children are spoken 
 of, which confirms the idea that a sect and its prose- 
 lytes are meant." The judgments here threatened 
 
472 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 against this woman are in harmony with the threat- 
 enings in other parts of this book against the 
 Romish church, under the symbol of a corrupt 
 woman, the mother of harlots and abominations of 
 the earth. See chaps. 17-19. The death which is 
 threatened is doubtless the second death, at the end 
 of the one thousand years of Rev. 20, when the 
 righteous retribution from the Searcher of "the 
 reins and hearts " of all men will be given. And 
 further, the declaration, " I will give unto every one 
 of you according to your works," is proof that the 
 address to this church looks forward prophetically 
 to the final reward or punishment of all accountable 
 beings. 
 
 And all the Churches Shall Know, etc. It has 
 been argued from this expression that these churches 
 could not denote seven successive periods of the 
 gospel age, but must exist contemporaneously, as 
 otherwise all the churches could not know that 
 Christ was the searcher of the reins and hearts from 
 seeing his judgments upon Jezebel and her children. 
 But when is it that all the churches are to know 
 this ? It is when these children are punished with 
 death. And if this is at the time when the second 
 death is inflicted upon all the wicked, then, indeed, 
 will " all the churches " as they behold the infliction 
 of the Judgment, know that no secret thing, no 
 evil thought or purpose of the heart, has escaped 
 the knowledge of Him who, with eyes like flames 
 of fire, searches the hearts and reins of men. 
 
 / Will Lay upon You none other Burden. A 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 18-29. 473 
 
 respite promised the church, if we rightly appre- 
 hend, from the burden so long her portion, the 
 weight of papal oppression. It cannot be applied 
 to the reception of new truths ; for truth is not a 
 burden to any accountable being. But the days of 
 tribulation that came upon that church, were to be 
 shortened for the elect's sake. Matt. 24 : 22. " They 
 shall be holpen," says the prophet, " with a little 
 help." Dan. 11:34. "And the earth helped the 
 woman," says John. Rev. 12 : 6. 
 
 Hold Fast till I Come. These are the words 
 of " the Son of God," and bring to our view an un- 
 conditional coming. To the churches of Ephesus 
 and Pergamos, certain comings were threatened on 
 conditions : " Repent, or else I will come unto thee," 
 etc., implying visitations of judgment. But here, 
 a coming of altogether a different nature is brought 
 to view. It is not a threatening of punishment. It 
 is suspended upon no conditions. It is set before 
 the believer as a matter of hope, and can refer to 
 no other event but the future second advent of the 
 Lord in glory, when the Christian's trials will cease, 
 and his efforts in the race for life, and his warfare 
 for a crown of righteousness, be rewarded with ever- 
 lasting success. 
 
 This church brings us down to the time when 
 the more immediate signs of the soon coming ad- 
 vent began to be fulfilled. In 1780, eighteen years 
 before the close of this period, the predicted signs 
 in the sun and moon were fulfilled. See on chap. 
 6 : 12. And in reference to these signs, the Saviour 
 
474 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 said: "And when these things begin to come to 
 pass, then look up and lift up your heads ; for your 
 redemption draweth nigh." In the history of this 
 church we reach a point within eighty-two years of 
 the present time (1880), and must conclude that 
 some whose religious experience commenced back 
 under that period, will live to behold the Lord ap- 
 pear to consummate the hope of his people. To 
 such, the exhortation is, " Hold fast till I come." 
 
 Till the End. The end of the Christian age. 
 "He that shall endure to the end," says Christ, 
 " the same shall be saved." Matt. 24 : 13. Is not 
 here a like promise to those who keep Christ's 
 works, do the things he has enjoined, keep the 
 faith of Jesus ? Chap. 14 : 12. 
 
 Power over the Nations. In this world, the 
 wicked bear rule, and the servants of Christ are of 
 no esteem. But the time is coming when right- 
 eousness will be in the ascendency ; when all un- 
 godliness will be seen in its true light, and be at a 
 heavy discount; and when the scepter of power 
 will be in the hands of the people of God. This 
 promise will be explained by the following facts 
 and scriptures: 1. The nations are to be given by 
 the Father into the hands of Christ, to be ruled 
 with a rod of iron, and dashed in pieces like a pot- 
 ter's vessel. Ps. 2 : 8, 9. 2. Associated with Christ 
 when he thus enters upon his own work of power 
 and judgment, are to be his saints. Rev. 3 : 21. 
 3. They are to reign with him in this capacity for 
 one thousand years. Chap. 20 : 4. 4. During this 
 
CHAPTER II, VERSES 18-29. 475 
 
 period, the degree of judgment upon wicked men 
 and evil angels is determined. 1 Cor. 6 : 2, 3. 5. 
 At the end of the one thousand years, they have 
 the honor of sharing with Christ in the execution 
 of the sentence written. Ps. 149 : 9. 
 
 The Morning Star. Christ says in chap. 22 : 16, 
 that he is himself the morning star. The morning 
 star is the immediate forerunner of the day. What 
 is here called the morning star, is called the day- 
 star, in 2 Pet. 1 : 19, where it is associated with the 
 dawn of the day. " Until the day dawn, and the 
 day-star arise." During the saint's weary night of 
 watching, they have the word of God to shed its 
 needful light upon their path. But when the day- 
 star shall arise in their hearts, or the morning star 
 be given to the overcomers, they will be taken into 
 so close a relation to Christ that their hearts will 
 be fully illuminated with his Spirit, and they will 
 walk in his light. Then they will no longer need 
 the sure word of prophecy, which now shines as a 
 light in a dark place. Hasten on, O glorious hour ! 
 when the light of Heaven's bright day shall rise 
 upon the pathway of the little flock, and beams of 
 glory from the eternal world shall gild their ban- 
 ners. 
 
III. 
 
 THE SEVEN CHURCHES CONTINUED. 
 
 VERSE 1. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis 
 write : These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of 
 God, and the seven stars ; I know thy works, that thou hast 
 a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2. Be watchful, and 
 strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die ; 
 for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3. Re- 
 member, therefore, how thou hast received, and heard, and 
 hold fast, and repent. If therefore, thou shalt not watch, I 
 will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what 
 hour I will come upon thee. 4. Thou hast a few names 
 even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and 
 they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5. 
 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white rai- 
 ment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of 
 life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and be- 
 fore his angels. 6. He that hath an ear, let him hear what 
 the Spirit saith unto the churches. 
 
 If the preceding churches have been correctly ap- 
 plied, the period covered by the church of Sardis, 
 must commence about the year 1798. 
 
 Sardis signifies, " prince or song of joy ; or, that 
 which remains." We then have before us, as con- 
 stituting this church, the reformed churches from 
 the date above-named to the great movement which 
 marked another era in the history of the people of 
 
 God. (476) 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 1-6. 477 
 
 The great fault found with this church is, that it 
 has a name to live, but is dead. And what a high 
 position, in a worldly point of view, has the nominal 
 church occupied during this period ! Look at her 
 high-sounding titles, and her favor with the world. 
 But how has pride and popularity grown apace, 
 until spirituality is destroyed, the line of distinction 
 between the church and the world is obliterated, and 
 these different popular bodies are churches of Christ 
 only in name. 
 
 This church was to hear the proclamation of the 
 doctrine of the second advent, as we learn from verse 
 3 : " If, therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come 
 on thee as a thief.'* This implies that the doctrine 
 of the advent would be proclaimed, and the duty of 
 watching enjoined upon the church. The coming is 
 unconditional ; the manner only in which it would 
 come upon them is conditional. Their not watching 
 would not prevent the coming of the Lord ; but by 
 watching they could avoid being overtaken as a 
 thief. It is only to those who are in this condition 
 that the day of the Lord comes unawares. "Ye, 
 brethren," says Paul, " are not in darkness that that 
 day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 5 : 4. 
 
 A Feiv Names even in Sardis. This language 
 would seem to imply a period of unparalleled worldli- 
 ness in the church. But even in this state of things, 
 there are some whose garments are not defiled, some 
 who have kept themselves free from this contam- 
 inating influence. James says, " Pure religion, and 
 undefiled before God and the Father is this : To visit 
 
478 
 
 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to 
 keep himself unspotted from the world!' James 
 1:27. 
 
 Shall Walk ivith Me in White. The Lord does 
 not overlook his people in any place, however few 
 their numbers. Lonely Christian, with none of like 
 precious faith with whom to commune, do you ever 
 feel as though the hosts of the unbelievers would swal- 
 low you up ? You are not unnoticed or forgotten 
 by your Lord. The multitude of the wicked around 
 you cannot be so great as to hide you from his view. 
 And if you keep yourself unspotted from surround- 
 iricr evil, the promise is sure to you. You shall be 
 clothed in white, the white raiment of the overcomer, 
 and walk with your Lord in glory. See chap. 7 : 
 17 : "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the 
 throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto 
 living fountains of waters ; and God shall wipe away 
 all tears from their eyes." 
 
 White Raiment. Being clothed with white rai- 
 ment is explained in other scriptures to be a symbol 
 of exchanging iniquity for righteousness. See Zech, 
 3 : 4, 5. " Take away the filthy garments from 
 him," explained by the language that follows, " Be- 
 hold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee." 
 " The fine linen," or the white raiment, " is the right- 
 eousness of saints." Rev. 19:8. 
 
 The Book of Life. Object of thrilling interest ! 
 Vast and ponderous volume, in which are enrolled 
 the names of all the candidates for everlasting life ! 
 And is there danger, after having our names once 
 
CHAPTER III, VEHXES 1-6. 479 
 
 entered in that heavenly journal, of having them 
 blotted out? Yes; or this warning would never 
 have been penned. Paul, even, feared that he him- 
 self might become a castaway. 1 Cor. 9 : 27. It is 
 only by our being overcomers at last that our names 
 can be retained in that book. But all will not over- 
 come. Their names, of course, will be blotted out. 
 And reference is made to some definite point of time 
 in the future fer this work. " I will not" says 
 Christ, in the future, blot out the names of the over- 
 cornel's, which is also saying, by implication, that at 
 the same time he will blot out the names of those 
 who do not overcome. Is not this the same time 
 mentioned by Peter, in Acts 3:19: " Repent ye, there- 
 fore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted 
 out, when the times of refreshing shall come from 
 the presence of the Lord " ? To say to the overcomer 
 that his name shall not be blotted out of the book of 
 life, is to say also that his sins shall be blotted out of 
 the book wherein they are recorded, to be remembered 
 against him no more forever. Heb. 8:12. And this 
 is to be when the times of refreshing come from the 
 presence of the Lord ; may we not also add, in that 
 other language of Peter, when the day-star shall arise 
 in our hearts, or the morning star be given to the 
 church, just previous to the advent of the Lord to 
 usher in the glorious day ? 2 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 2 : 28. 
 And when that hour of decision shall come, which can- 
 not now be a great way in the future, how, reader, 
 will it be with you ? Will your sins be blotted out, 
 and your name retained in the book of life ? or will 
 
480 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 your name be blotted out of the book of life, and 
 your sins left to bear their fearful record against you ? 
 The Presentation in Glory. " I will confess his 
 name before my Father, and before his angels." 
 Christ taught here upon earth, that as men confessed 
 or denied, despised or honored, him here, they would 
 be confessed or denied by him before his Father in 
 Heaven and the holy angels. Matt. 10 : 32, 33 ; 
 Mark 8 : 38 ; Luke 12 : 8, 9. And who can fathom 
 the honor of being approved before the heavenly 
 hosts ? Who can conceive the bliss of that moment 
 when we shall be owned by the Lord of life before 
 his Father, as those who have done his will, fought 
 the good fight, run the race, honored him before men, 
 overcome, and whose names are worthy, through his 
 merits, of standing upon the imperiohable record of 
 the book of life forever and ever ! 
 
 VERSE 7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, 
 write : These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He 
 that hath the key of David, He that openeth and no man 
 shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, 8, I know thy 
 works ; behold I have set before thee an open door, and no 
 man can shut it ; for thou hast a little strength, and hast 
 kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9. Behold, I 
 will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they 
 are Jews and are not, but do lie ; behold, I will make them 
 to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I 
 have loved thee. 10. Because thou hast kept the word of 
 my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of tempta- 
 tion, which shall come upon all the world to try them that 
 dwell upon the earth. 11. Behold, I come quicUy; hold 
 that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12. 
 Him that overcometh, will I mako a pillar in the temple of 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 7-13. 481 
 
 my God, and he shall go no more out ; and I will write upon 
 him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my 
 God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of 
 Heaven from my God ; and I will write upon him my new 
 name. 13. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the 
 Spirit saith unto the churches. 
 
 Philadelphia signifies brotherly love, and expresses 
 the position and spirit of those who received the Ad- 
 vent message up to the autumn of 1844. As they 
 came out of the sectarian churches, they left party 
 names and party feelings behind, and every heart 
 beat in union, as they gave the alarm to the churches 
 and to the world, and pointed to the coming of the 
 Son of man as the believer's true hope. Selfishness 
 and covetousness were laid aside, and a spirit of con- 
 secration and sacrifice was cherished. The Spirit of 
 God was with every true believer, and his praise 
 upon every tongue. Those who were not in that 
 movement know nothing of the deep searching of 
 heart, consecration of all to God, peace, joy in the 
 Holy Spirit, and pure, fervent love for each other, 
 which true believers then enjoyed. Those who were 
 in that movement are aware that language would 
 fail to describe that holy, happy state. 
 
 The Key of David. A key is a symbol of power. 
 The Son of God is the rightful heir to David's throne ; 
 and he is about to take to himself his great power 
 and reign ; hence he is represented as having the key 
 of David. The throne of David, or of Christ, on 
 which he is to reign, is included in the capital of his 
 
 kingdom, the New Jerusalem, now above, but which 
 31 
 
482 THOUGHTS ON THE ItEVELATION. 
 
 is to be located on this earth, where he is to reign for- 
 ever and ever. Rev. 21 : 1-5 ; Luke 1 : 32, 33. 
 
 He that Openeth and no Man Shutteth, etc. To 
 understand this language, it is necessary to look at 
 Christ's position and work as connected with his min- 
 istry in the sanctuary or true tabernacle above. Heb. 
 8:2. A figure, or pattern of this heavenly sanctu- 
 ary once existed here upon earth in the sanctuary 
 built by Moses. Ex. 25 : 8, 9 ; Acts 7 : 44 ; Heb. 9 : 
 1 : 21, 23, 24. The earthly building had two apart- 
 ments, the holy place and the most holy place. Ex. 
 26 : 33, 34. In the first apartment were the candle- 
 stick, the table of shew-bread, and the altar of in- 
 cense. In the second, were the ark which contained 
 the tables of the covenant, or ten commandments, and 
 the cherubim. Heb. 9 : 1-5. Likewise the sanctu- 
 ary in which Christ ministers in Heaven has two 
 apartments. Heb. 9 : 24. See also verses 8 and 12, 
 and chap. 10 : 19, in each of which texts the words 
 rendered " holiest " and " holy place " are plural in 
 the original, and should be rendered holy places. 
 And as all things were made after their pattern, the 
 heavenly sanctuary has also furniture similar to that 
 of the worldly. For the antitype of the golden can- 
 dlestick and altar of incense in the first apartment, 
 see Rev. 4:5; 8:3; and for the antitype of the ark 
 of the covenant, with its ten commandments, see Rev. 
 11 : 19. In the worldly sanctuai y the priests min- 
 istered. Ex. 28 : 41, 43 ; Heb. 9 : 6, 7 ; 13 : 11, etc. 
 The ministry of these priests was a shadow of the 
 ministry of Christ in the sanctuary in Heaven. 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 7-1S. 483 
 
 Heb. 8 : 4, 5. A complete round of service was per- 
 formed in the earthly tabernacle once every year. 
 Heb. 9 : 7. But in the tabernacle above, the service 
 is performed once for all. Heb. 7 : 27 ; 9 : 12. At 
 the close of the yearly typical service, the high priest 
 opened the door of the most holy place of the sanct- 
 uary, to go in and make an atonement, called the 
 cleansing of the sanctuary. Lev. 16 : 20, 30, 33 ; 
 Eze. 45 : 18. At the same time the service of the 
 first apartment, or holy place, ceased. Lev. 16 : 17. 
 A similar opening and shutting, or change of minis- 
 tration, must be accomplished by Christ, when the 
 time comes for the cleansing of the heavenly sanctu- 
 ary. And the time did come for this service to com- 
 mence at the close of the 2300 days in 1844. To 
 this event the opening and shutting mentioned in 
 the text under consideration can appropriately ap- 
 ply ; the opening being the opening of his ministra- 
 tion in the most holy place, and the shutting, its cessa- 
 tion in the first apartment, or holy place. Dan. 8 : 14. 
 
 Verse 9 probably applies to those who do not keep 
 pace with the advancing light of truth, and who op- 
 pose those that do. Such shall yet be made to feel 
 and confess that God loves those who, not rejecting 
 the past fulfillments of his word, nor stereotyping 
 themselves in a creed, continue to advance in the 
 knowledge of his truth. 
 
 The Word of My Patience. Says John in Rev. 
 14:12, "Here is the patience of the saints; here 
 are they that keep the commandments of God and 
 the faith of Jesus." Those who now live in pa- 
 
484 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 tient, faithful obedience to the commandments of 
 God and the faith of Jesus, will be kept in the 
 hour of temptation and peril just before us. See 
 chap. 13 : 13-17. 
 
 Behold, I Come Quickly. The second coming of 
 Christ is here again brought to view, and with 
 more startling emphasis than in any of the pre- 
 ceding messages. The nearness of that event is 
 here urged upon the attention of believers. The 
 message applies to a period when that great event 
 is impending. And in this we have most indu- 
 bitable evidence of the prophetic nature of these 
 messages. What is said of the first three churches 
 contains no allusion to the second coming of Christ, 
 from the fact that they do not cover a period dur- 
 ing which that event could be scripturally expected. 
 But we come down to the Thyatiran church, a few 
 of whose members would probably live to behold 
 the advent of the Lord in glory, and, as if then the 
 time had come when this great hope was just be- 
 ginning to dawn upon the church, the mind is car- 
 ried forward to it by a single allusion : " Hold fast 
 till I come." We come down to the next state of 
 the church, the Sardis, the church which occupies 
 a position still nearer that event, and the great 
 proclamation is brought to view which was to her- 
 ald it, and the duty of watching enjoined upon the 
 church ; " If thou shalt not watch, I will come on 
 thee as a thief." We reach the Philadelphian 
 church, still further down in the stream of time, 
 and the nearness of the *ame great event then 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 7-13. 485 
 
 leads Him who "is holy and true," to utter the 
 stirring declaration, "Behold, I come quickly." 
 How evident is it from all this that these churches 
 occupy positions successively nearer the great day 
 of the Lord, as in each succeeding one, and in a 
 continually increasing ratio, this great event is 
 made more and more prominent, and more definitely 
 and impressively urged upon the attention of the 
 church. 
 
 Faithfulness Enjoined. "Hold that fast which 
 thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Not that 
 by our faithfulness we are depriving any one else 
 of a crown; but the verb rendered, to take, has a 
 number of definitions, one of which is "to take 
 away, snatch from, deprive of" Hold fast that 
 thou hast, that no man deprive you of the crown of 
 life. Let no one, and no thing, induce you to yield 
 up the truth, or pervert you from the right ways of 
 the Lord ; for by so doing they will cause you to 
 lose the reward. 
 
 A Pillar in ike Temple. The overcomer in this 
 address has the promise of being made a pillar in 
 the temple of God, and going no more out. The 
 temple here must denote the church ; and the 
 promise of being made a pillar therein is the 
 strongest promise that could be given, of a place of 
 honor, permanence and safety in the church, under 
 the figure of a heavenly building. And when the 
 time comes that this part of the promise is fulfilled, 
 probation with the overcomer is past, he is fully 
 established in the truth, and sealed. " He shall go 
 
486 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 no more out ; " that is, there is no more danger of 
 his falling away ; he is the Lord's forever ; his sal- 
 vation is sure. 
 
 But they are to have more than this : From the 
 moment they overcome, and are sealed for Heaven, 
 they are labeled, if we may so express it, for the New 
 Jerusalem. They are to have written upon them the 
 name of God, whose property they a,re, the name of 
 the New Jerusalem, to which place they are going, 
 not Old Jerusalem, where some are vainly looking ; 
 and they have upon them the new name of Christ, 
 by whose authority they are to receive everlasting 
 life, and enter into the kingdom. Thus sealed and 
 labeled, the saints of God are safe. No enemy will 
 be able to prevent their reaching their destination, 
 their glorious haven of rest, Jerusalem above. 
 
 VERSE 14. And unto the angel of the church of the La- 
 odiceaiis, write ; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and 
 true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God : 15 : I 
 know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would 
 thou wert cold or hot. 16. So then because thou art luke- 
 warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my 
 mouth. 17. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased 
 with goods, and have need of nothing ; and knowest not 
 that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, 
 and naked : 18 : I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in 
 the fire, that thou mayest be rich : and white raiment, that 
 thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy naked- 
 ness do not appear ; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, 
 that thou mayest see. 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and 
 chasten ; be zealous, therefore, and repent. 20. Behold, I 
 stand at the door and knock : if any man hear my voice, and 
 open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES U-22. 487 
 
 and he with me. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant 
 to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am 
 set down with my'Father in his throne. 22. He that hath 
 an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 
 
 Laodicea signifies the judging of the people; or, 
 according to Cruden, a just people. This message 
 brings to view the closing scenes of probation. It re- 
 veals a period of Judgment. It is the last stage of 
 the church. It consequently applies to believers un- 
 der the third message, the last message of mercy be- 
 fore the coming of Christ, chap. 14 : 9-14, while the 
 great day of atonement is transpiring, and the inves- 
 tigative Judgment is going forward upon the house 
 of God, a period during which the just and holy 
 law of God is taken by the waiting church as their 
 rule of life. 
 
 These Things Saith the Amen. This is then the 
 final message to the churches ere the close of proba- 
 tion. And though the description he gives to the in- 
 different Laodiceans, of their condition, is fearful and 
 startling, nevertheless it cannot be denied ; for the 
 Witness is " faithful and true." Moreover he is " the 
 beginning of the creation of God." Some understand 
 by this language that Christ was the first created 
 being, dating his existence far back before any other 
 created being or thing, next to the self -existent and 
 eternal God. But the language does not necessarily 
 imply this ; for the words, " the beginning of the cre- 
 ation," may simply signify that the work of creation, 
 strictly speaking, was begun by him. And it is ex- 
 pressly declared that " without him was not anything 
 
488 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 made that was made." Others, however, take the 
 word fyx% to mean the agent or efficient cause, which 
 is one of the definitions of the word, understanding 
 that Christ is the agent through whom God has cre- 
 ated all things, but that he himself came into exist- 
 ence in a different manner, as he is called " the only 
 begotten" of the Father. It would seem utterly inap- 
 propriate to apply this expression to any being cre- 
 ated in the ordinary sense of that term. 
 
 The charge he brings against the L'aodiceans is, 
 that they are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. They 
 lack that religious fervency, zeal, and devotion, which 
 their position in the world's closing history, and the 
 light of prophecy beaming upon their pathway, de- 
 mand that they should manifest; and this luke- 
 warmness is shown by a lack of good works ; for it 
 is from a knowledge of their works that the faithful 
 and true Witness brings this fearful charge against 
 them. 
 
 I Would Thou Wert Cold or Hot Three states 
 are brought to view in this message : the cold, the 
 lukewarm, and the hot. It is important to deter- 
 mine what condition they each denote, in order to 
 guard against wrong conclusions. What the term 
 hot means, it is not difficult to conceive. The mind 
 at once calls up a state of intense fervency and zeal, 
 when all the affections, raised to the highest pitch, 
 are drawn out for God and his cause, and manifest 
 themselves in corresponding works. To be lukewarm 
 is to lack this zeal, to be in a state in which heart 
 and earnestness are wanting, in which there is no 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 14-28. 489 
 
 self-denial that costs anything, no cross-bearing that 
 is felt, no determined witnessing for Christ, and no 
 valiant aggression that keeps sinews strained and 
 armor bright ; and, worst of all, to be entirely satis- 
 fied with that condition. But to be cold what is 
 that ? Does it denote a state of corruption, wicked- 
 ness, and sin, such as characterizes the world of un- 
 believers ? We cannot so regard it, for the follow- 
 ing reasons : 
 
 1. It would seem harsh and repulsive to represent 
 Christ as wishing, under any circumstances, that per- 
 sons should be in such a condition ; but he says, " I 
 would thou wert cold or hot." 
 
 2. No state can be more offensive to Christ than 
 that of the sinner in open rebellion, and his heart 
 filled with every evil. It would therefore be incor- 
 rect to represent him as preferring that state to any 
 position which his people can occupy while they are 
 still retained as his. 
 
 3. The threat of rejection hi verse 16 is because 
 they are neither cold nor hot. As much as to say 
 that if they were either cold or hot, they would not 
 be rejected. But if by cold is meant a state of open 
 worldly wickedness, they would be rejected therefor 
 very speedily. Hence, such cannot be its meaning. 
 
 We are consequently forced to the conclusion that 
 no reference is had whatever to those outside of his 
 church, by this language of our Lord, but that he re- 
 fers to three degrees of spiritual affections, two of 
 which are more acceptable to him than the third. 
 H eat and cold are preferable to lukewarmness. But 
 
490 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 what kind of a spiritual state is denoted by the term, 
 cold ? We may remark first that it is a state of feel- 
 ing. In this respect, it is superior to hike warm ness, 
 which is a state of comparative insensibility, indiffer- 
 ence, and supreme self-satisfaction. To be hot is also 
 to be in a state of feeling. And as hot denotes joy- 
 ous fervency, and a lively exercise of all the affec- 
 tions, with a heart buoyant with the sensible presence 
 and love of God, so by cold would seem to be denoted 
 a spiritual condition characterized by a destitution of 
 these traits, yet one in which the individual feels such 
 destitution, and longs to recover his lost treasures. 
 This state is well expressed by the language of Job, 
 " Oh that I knew where I might find Him ! " Job 
 23 : 3. In this state there is not indifference, nor is 
 there content; but there is a sense of coldness, unfit- 
 ness, and discomfort, and a groping and seeking after 
 something better. There is hope of a person in this 
 condition. What a man feels that he lacks and wants, 
 he will earnestly strive to obtain. The most discour- 
 aging feature of the lukewarm is that they are con- 
 scious of no lack, and feel that they have need of 
 nothing. Hence it is easy to see why our Lord 
 should prefer to behold his church in a state of com- 
 fortless coldness, rather than in a state of comfortable, 
 easy, indifferent lukewarmness. Cold, a person will 
 not long remain. His efforts will soon lead him to 
 the fervid state. But lukewarm, there is danger of 
 remaining till the faithful and true Witness is obliged 
 to reject him as a nauseous and loathsome thing. 
 / Will Spue Thee out of My Mouth. Here the 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 14-'* 
 
 491 
 
 figure is still further carried out, and the rejection of 
 the lukewarm expressed by the well-known nauseat- 
 ing effects of tepid water. And this denotes a final 
 rejection, an utter separation from his church. 
 
 Rich and Increased in Goods. Such the Laodi- 
 ceans think is their condition. They are not hypo- 
 crites, because they " know not " that they are poor 
 miserable, blind, and naked. 
 
 The Counsel Given Them. Buy of me, says the 
 true Witness, gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest 
 be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be 
 clothed, and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that 
 thou mayest see. This shows at once to the deceived 
 Laodiceans the objects they lack, and the extent of 
 their destitution. It shows, too, where they can ob- 
 tain those things in which they are so fearfully poor; 
 it brings before them the necessity of speedily obtain- 
 ing them. The case is so urgent that our great Ad- 
 vocate in the court above sends us special counsel on 
 the point; and the fact that He who has conde- 
 scended to point out our lack, and counsel us to buy, 
 is the one who has these things to bestow, and in- 
 vites us to come to him for them, is the best possible 
 guarantee that our application will be respected, and 
 our requests granted. 
 
 But, by what means can we buy these things? 
 Just as we buy all other gospel graces. " Ho, every 
 one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that 
 hath no money ; come ye, buy, and eat ; yea, come, 
 buy wine and milk without money and without 
 price." Isa. 55 : 1. We thus buy, by the asking ; 
 
492 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 buy, by throwing away the worthless baubles of earth, 
 and receiving priceless treasures in their stead ; buy, 
 by simply coming and receiving ; buy, giving noth- 
 ing in return. And what do we buy on these gra- 
 cious terms? Bread that perishes not, spotless rai- 
 ment that soils not, riches that corrupt not, and an 
 inheritance that fadeth not. Strange traffic, this ! 
 Yet thus the Lord condescends to deal with his peo- 
 ple. He might compel us to come in the manner and 
 with the mien of beggars ; but, instead of this, he 
 gives us. the treasures of his grace, and in return re- 
 ceives our worthlessness, that w T e may take the bless- 
 ings he has to bestow, not as pittances dealt out to 
 mendicants, but as the legitimate possessions of hon- 
 orable purchase. 
 
 The things to be obtained demand especial no- 
 tice. They are enumerated as follows : 
 
 1. Gold Tried in the Fire. Gold, literally con- 
 sidered, is the comprehensive name for all worldly 
 wealth and riches. Figuratively considered, it 
 must denote that which constitutes spiritual riches. 
 What grace, then, is represented by the gold ? or, 
 rather, what graces ? for, doubtless, no one single 
 grace can be said to answer to the full import of 
 that term. The Lord said to the church of Smyrna 
 that he knew their poverty, but they were rich ; 
 and the testimony shows that their riches consisted 
 of that which was finally to put them in possession 
 of a crown of life. Says James, " Hearken, my be- 
 loved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of 
 this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 14-22. 493 
 
 which he hath promised to them that love him ? " 
 "Faith," says Paul, "is the substance of things 
 hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." To be 
 " rich toward God," rich in the spiritual sense, is to 
 have a clear title to the promises, to be an heir of 
 that inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, 
 and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for 
 us. " If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, 
 and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29. 
 And how do we obtain this heirship ? In the 
 same way that Abraham obtained the promise ; 
 that is, through faith. Rom. 4:13, 14. No won- 
 der, then, that Paul should devote an entire chapter 
 in Hebrews (chap. 11) td this important subject, 
 setting forth the mighty achievements that have 
 been accomplished, and the precious promises that 
 have been obtained, through faith ; and that he 
 should, in the first verse of the next chapter, as the 
 grand conclusion to his argument, exhort Christians 
 to lay aside every weight, and the sin (of unbelief) 
 that so easily besets them. Nothing will sooner 
 dry up the springs of spirituality, and sink us into 
 utter poverty in reference to the things of the 
 kingdom of God, than to let faith go out and unbe- 
 lief come in. For faith must enter into every ac- 
 tion that is pleasing in his sight ; and in coming to 
 him, the first thing is, to believe that he is ; and it 
 is through faith, as the chief agent under the grace 
 which is the gift of God, that we are to be saved 
 Heb. 11:6; Eph. 2:8. 
 
 From this, it would seem that faith is a principal 
 
494 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 element of spiritual wealth. But if, as already re- 
 marked, no one grace can answer to the full import 
 of the term gold, so, doubtless, other things are in- 
 cluded with faith. "Faith is the substance of 
 things hoped for," says Paul. Hence hope is an 
 inseparable accompaniment of faith. Heb. 11:1; 
 Kom. 8 : 24, 25. And again Paul tells us that faith 
 works by love, and speaks in another place of being 
 " rich in good works." Gal. 5:6; 1 Tim. 6 : 18. 
 Hence love cannot be separated from faith. We 
 then have before us the three objects associated to- 
 gether by Paul in 1 Cor. 13, faith, hope, and char- 
 ity, or love ; and the greatest of these is charity. 
 Such is the gold tried by fire which we are coun- 
 seled to buy. 
 
 2. White Raiment. On this point there would 
 not seem to be much room for controversy. A few 
 texts will furnish a key to the understanding of 
 this expression. Says the prophet, Isa. 64 : 6, " All 
 our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." We are 
 counseled to buy the opposite of filthy rags, which 
 would be complete and spotless raiment. The same 
 figure is used in Zech. 3 : 3, 4. And John, in the 
 19th chapter of the Revelation, verse 8, says plainly 
 that "the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." 
 
 3. The Eye-salve. On this there is as little room 
 for a diversity of opinion as upon the white rai- 
 ment. The anointing of the eyes is certainly not 
 to be taken in a literal sense ; and, reference being 
 made to spiritual things, the eye-salve must denote 
 that by w hich our spiritual discernment is quickened. 
 
CHATTER III, VERSES 14-22. 495 
 
 There is but one agent revealed to us in the word 
 of God by which this is accomplished ; and that is 
 the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10 : 38, we read that 
 "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy 
 Ghost." And the same writer through whom came 
 this Revelation from Jesus Christ, wrote to the 
 church in his first epistle, 2 : 20, as follows : " But 
 ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye 
 know all things." In verse 27, he enlarges upon 
 this point thus : " But the anointing which ye have 
 received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not 
 that any man teach you ; but as the same anointing 
 teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no 
 lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide 
 in him." By referring to his gospel, it is found 
 that the work which he here sets forth as accom- 
 plished by the anointing, is exactly the same that 
 he there attributes to the Holy Spirit. John 14 : 
 26 : " But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, 
 whom the Father will send in my name, he shall 
 teach you all things, and bring all things to your 
 remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." 
 See also John 16 : 13. 
 
 Thus, in a formal and solemn manner, are we 
 counseled by the faithful and true Witness, under 
 the figures of gold, white raiment, and eye-salve, to 
 seek from him, speedily and earnestly, an increase 
 of the heavenly graces, of faith, hope, charity, that 
 righteousness which he alone can furnish, and an 
 unction from the Holy Spirit. But how is it possi- 
 ble that a people, lacking these things, should think 
 
496 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 themselves rich and increased with goods ? A plau- 
 sible inference may here be drawn, which is perhaps 
 also a necessary one, as there is room for no other. 
 It will be observed that no fault is found with the 
 Laodiceans on account of the doctrines they hold. 
 They are not accused of harboring any Jezebel in 
 their midst, or countenancing the doctrines of Ba- 
 laam or the Nicolaitanes. So far as we can learn 
 from the address to them, their belief is correct, and 
 their theory sound. The inference, therefore, is 
 that, having a correct theory, therewith they are 
 content. They are satisfied with a correct form of 
 doctrine without its power. Having received light 
 concerning the closing events of this dispensation, 
 and having a correct theoretical knowledge of the 
 truths that pertain to the last generation of men, 
 they are inclined to rest in this, to the neglect of 
 the spiritual part of religion. It is by their actions, 
 doubtless, not by their words, that they say they 
 are rich and increased with goods. Having so much 
 light and so much truth, what can tljey want be- 
 sides ? And if, with a commendable tenacity they 
 defend the theory, and in their outward life con- 
 form to the increasing light upon the command- 
 ments of God and the faith of Jesus, is not their 
 righteousness complete ? Rich and increased in 
 goods, and needing nothing ! Here is their failure. 
 Their whole being should cry out for the Spirit, the 
 zeal, the fervency, the life, the power, of a living 
 Christianity, and their righteousness should consist 
 in a swallowing up of self and all its works in the 
 merits of their Redeemer. 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES Ij-SS. 497 
 
 The Token of Love. This, strange as it may 
 seem, is chastisement. " As many as I love I re- 
 buke and chasten." If we are without chastise- 
 ment we are not sons. Heb. 12. "A general law," 
 says Thompson, "of his gracious economy is here 
 set forth. As all need chastisement in some meas- 
 ure, they in some measure receive it, and thus have 
 proof of the Saviour's attachment. This is a hard 
 lesson to learn, and believers are dull scholars ; yet 
 here and throughout God's word and providence it 
 stands, that trials are his benedictions, and that no 
 child escapes the rod. The incorrigibly misshapen 
 and coarse-grained blocks are rejected, whilst those 
 chosen for the glorious structure are subjected to 
 the chisel and the hammer. There is no cluster on 
 the true vine but must pass through the winepress. 
 'For myself/ said an old divine under affliction, 
 ' for myself, I bless God, I have observed and felt so 
 much mercy in this angry dispensation of God that 
 I am almost transported. I am, sure, highly pleased 
 with thinking how infinitely sweet his mercies are, 
 when his judgments are so gracious.' In view, 
 then, of the origin and design of the chastisements 
 you receive, ' Be zealous and repent.' Lose no time ; 
 lose not a blow of the rod, but repent at once. Be 
 fervent in spirit. Such is the first appliance of en- 
 couragement." 
 
 Be Zealous and Repent. Although, as we have 
 seen, the state represented by coldness is preferable 
 to one of lukewarmness, yet that is not a state in 
 
 which our Lord ever desires to find us. We are 
 32 
 
498 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 never exhorted to seek that state. There is a far 
 better one which we are counseled to attain; and 
 that is, to be zealous ; to be fervent ; and to have 
 our hearts all aglow in the service of our Master. 
 Christ Knocking at the Door. Let us listen again 
 to the author above quoted : " Here is the heart of 
 hearts. Notwithstanding their offensive attitude, 
 their unlovely character, such is his love to their 
 souls that he humbles himself to solicit the privi- 
 lege of making them blessed. ' Behold, I stand at 
 the door, and knock.' Why does he ? Not because 
 he is without home elsewhere. Among the man- 
 sions in his Father's house there is not one en- 
 trance closed to him. He is the life of every heart, 
 the light in every eye, the song on every tongue in 
 glory. But he goes round from door to door in 
 Laodicea. He stands at each, and knocks, because 
 he came to seek and to save that which is lost, be- 
 cause he cannot give up the purpose of communi- 
 cating eternal life to as many as the Father has 
 given him, and because he cannot become known to 
 the inmate unless the door be opened and a wel- 
 come given him. Have you bought a piece of 
 ground ? have you bought five yoke of oxen ? is 
 your hat in your hand, and do you pray to be ex- 
 cused ? He knocks and knocks. But you cannot 
 receive company at present ; you are worn out with 
 labor ; you have wheeled round the sofa ; you are 
 making yourself comfortable, and send word that 
 
 you are engaged. He knocks and knocks 
 
 It is th hour for church prayer-meeting, or for 
 
CHAPTER III, VEIttiES 1^-22. 4,99 
 
 monthly concert; there is opportunity to pay a 
 Christian visit to an individual or a family; but 
 you move not. .... Oh, nauseous lukewarm- 
 ness! Oh, fatal worldliness! The Lord of glory 
 comes all the way from his celestial palace comes 
 in poverty, in sweat, in blood comes to the door of 
 a professed friend, who owes all to him, and cannot 
 get in ! comes to rescue a man whose house is on 
 fire, and he will not admit him ! Oh, the height, the 
 depth of Jesus Christ's forbearance! Even the 
 heathen Publius received Paul, and lodged him 
 three days courteously. Shall nominal Christians 
 tell the Lord of apostles that they have no room for 
 him ? " 
 
 If Any Man Hear My Voice. The Lord entreats, 
 then, as well as knocks. And the word if implies 
 that some will not hear. Though he stands and 
 knocks and entreats till his locks are wet with the 
 dews of night, yet some will close their ears to liis 
 tender entreaties. But it is not enough to simply 
 hear. It is to hear, and open the door. And many 
 who hear at first the voice, and for a time feel in- 
 clined to heed, will doubtless, alas! fail in the end to 
 do that which is necessary to secure to themselves the 
 communion of the heavenly guest. Reader, are your 
 ears open to the entreaties which the Saviour directs 
 to you ? Is the sound of his voice a welcome sound ? 
 Will you heed it ? Will you open the door and let 
 him in ? Or is the door of your heart held fast by 
 heaps of this world's rubbish which you are unwill- 
 ing to remove? Remember that the Lord of life 
 
500 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 never forces an entrance. He condescends to come 
 and knock, and seek admittance ; but he takes up 
 his abode in those hearts only, where he is then a 
 welcome and invited guest. 
 
 And then the promise ! " I will come in to him, and 
 will sup with him, and he with me." How forcible 
 and touching the figure ! Friend with friend, par- 
 taking of the cheerful and social meal ! Mind with 
 mind, holding free and intimate converse! And 
 what a festal scene must that be where the King of 
 glory is a guest ! No common degree of union, no 
 ordinary blessing, no usual privilege, is denoted by 
 this language. Who, under such tender entreaty and 
 so gracious a promise, can remain indifferent ? Nor 
 are we required to furnish the table for this exalted 
 guest. This he does himself, not with the gross nu- 
 triment of earth, but with viands from his own heav- 
 enly storehouse. Here he sets before us foretastes of 
 the glory soon to be revealed. Here he gives us ear- 
 nests of our future inheritance which is incorrupt- 
 ible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Verily, 
 when we shall comply with the conditions and receive 
 this promise, we shall experience the rising of the 
 day-star in our hearts, and behold the dawn of a glo- 
 rious morning for the church of God. 
 
 The Final Promise. The promise of supping with 
 his disciples is made by the Lord to them, before the 
 final promise to the overcomer. This shows that the 
 blessings included in that promise are to be enjoyed 
 in this probationary state. And now, superadded to 
 all these, is the promise to the overcomer. " To him 
 
CHAPTER III, VERSES 14-22. 5Q1 
 
 that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my 
 throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down 
 with my Father in his throne." Here the promises 
 of the Lord culminate. From being at first rebell- 
 ious, and then fallen, degraded, and polluted, man is 
 brought by the work of the Redeemer back into rec- 
 onciliation with God, cleansed from his pollutions, 
 redeemed from the fall, made immortal, and finally 
 raised to a seat upon the very throne of his Saviour. 
 Honor and exaltation could go no further. Human 
 minds cannot conceive that state, human language 
 cannot describe it. We can only labor on till, if 
 overcorners at last, we shall " know what it is to be 
 there." 
 
 But there is in this verse not only a glorious 
 promise, there is also an important doctrine. We 
 learn by this that Christ reigns consecutively upon 
 two thrones. One is the throne of his Father, the 
 other is his own throne. He declares in this verse 
 that he has overcome, and is now set down with 
 his Father in his throne. He is now associated 
 with the Father in the throne of universal domin- 
 ion, placed at his right hand, far above all princi- 
 pality, power, might, and dominion. Eph. 1 : 20- 
 22, etc. While in this position, he is a priest-King. 
 He is a priest, " a minister of the sanctuary ; " but 
 at the same time he is " on the right hand of the 
 throne of the Majesty in the Heavens." Heb. 8 : 1, 
 2. This position and work of our Lord was thus 
 predicted by the prophet Zechariah : " And speak 
 unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts 
 
502 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 [God], saying, Behold the man whose name is the 
 Branch [Christ] ; and he shall grow up out of his 
 place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. . . . 
 And he [Christ] shall sit and rule upon his [God's] 
 throne ; and he [Christ] shall be a priest upon his 
 [God's] throne ; and the counsel of peace [in the sac- 
 rifice and priestly work of Christ in behalf of re- 
 penting man] shall be between them both." Zech. 
 6 : 12, 13. But the time is coming when he is to 
 change his position, and, leaving the throne of his 
 Father, take his own throne; and this must be 
 when the time comes for the reward of the over- 
 comers; for when they enter upon their reward, 
 they are to sit with Christ on his throne as he has 
 overcome and is now seated with the Father upon 
 his throne. This change in the position of Christ 
 is set forth by Paul in 1 Cor. 15 : 24-28, as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 " Then cometh the end, when he shall have de- 
 livered up the kingdom to God, even the Father ; 
 when he shall have put down all rule and all au- 
 thority and power. For he must reign till he hath 
 put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy 
 that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put 
 all things under his feet. But when he saith, All 
 things are put under him, it is manifest that he is 
 excepted which did put all things under him. And 
 when all things shall be subdued unto him, then 
 shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that 
 put all things under him, that God may be all 
 in all." 
 
CHAP TEE III, * VERSES 14-22. 5 Q 3 
 
 The truths taught in this portion of Scripture 
 may perhaps be most briefly expressed by a slight 
 paraphrase, and by giving, in every instance, in- 
 stead of the pronouns, the nouns to which they re- 
 spectively refer. Thus : 
 
 " Then cometh the end (of the present dispensa- 
 tion), when Christ shall have delivered up the king- 
 dom (which he now holds conjointly with the Fa- 
 ther) to God, even the Father; when God shall 
 have put down all rule and all authority and power 
 (that is opposed to the work of the Son). For Christ 
 must reign (on the throne of his Father) till the 
 Father hath put all enemies under Christ's feet. 
 [See Ps. 110 : 1.] The last enemy that shall be de- 
 stroyed is death. For God (then) hath put all things 
 under Christ's feet. But when God saith, All things 
 are put under Christ (and he commences his reign 
 upon his own throne), it is manifest that God is ex- 
 cepted, who did put all things under Christ. And 
 when all things shall be subdued unto Christ, then 
 shall Christ also himself be subject unto God that 
 put all things under him, that God may be all in all." 
 
 That this is a correct version of this scripture 
 may be easily verified. The only question that can 
 be raised is concerning the persons to whom the 
 pronouns refer ; and any attempt to make the pro- 
 nouns refer to Christ, which in the foregoing para- 
 phrase are referred to God, will be found, when 
 traced through the quotation, to make poor sense of 
 the language of Paul. 
 
 From this it will be seen that the kingdom which 
 
504 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 Christ delivers up to the Father, is that which he 
 holds at the present time upon his Father's throne, 
 where he tells us he is now seated. He delivers up 
 this kingdom at the end of this dispensation when 
 the time comes for him to take his own throne. 
 After this, he reigns on the throne of his father 
 David, and is subject only to God, who still retains 
 his position upon the throne of universal dominion. 
 In this reign of Christ the saints participate. " To 
 him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me 
 upon my throne." " And they lived," says John, 
 dating from the first resurrection, chap. 20 : 4, " and 
 reigned with Christ a thousand years." This we 
 understand to be a special reign, or for a special 
 purpose, as will be noticed in that chapter ; for the 
 actual reign of the saints, is to be " forever and 
 ever." Dan. 7 : 18, 27. How can any earthly ob- 
 ject divert our gaze from this durable and heavenly 
 prospect ? 
 
 Thus close the messages to the seven churches. 
 How pointed and searching their testimony ! What 
 lessons do they contain for all Christians in all 
 ages ! It is as true with the last church as with 
 
 o 
 
 the first, that all their works are known to Him 
 who walks in the midst of the seven golden candle- 
 sticks. From his scrutinizing gaze nothing can be 
 hid. And while his threatenings to the hypocrites 
 and evil workers, as in justice they may be, are 
 awful, how ample, how comforting, how gracious, 
 how glorious, his promises to those who love and 
 follow him with singleness of heart. 
 
IV. 
 
 A NEW VISION. THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY. 
 
 VERSE 1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was 
 opened in Heaven ; and the first voice which I heard was as 
 it were of a trumpet talking with me ; which said, Come up 
 hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 
 
 After This. In the first three chapters John 
 presents the vision he had of the Son of man, com- 
 prising a description of his majestic person, and a 
 record of the words which, with a voice as the 
 sound of many waters, he was heard to utter. A 
 new scene and a new vision now open before us ; 
 and the expression, " after this," does not denote 
 that what is recorded in chapter 4, and onward, 
 was to take place after the fulfillment of every- 
 thing recorded in the three preceding chapters, but 
 only that after he had seen and heard what is there 
 recorded, he had the new view which he now in- 
 troduces. 
 
 A Door Was Opened in Heaven. Let it be no- 
 ticed that John says, " A door was opened in 
 Heaven," not into Heaven. It was not an opening 
 of Heaven itself before the mind of John, as in the 
 case of Stephen, Acts 7:56, but some place or apart- 
 ment in Heaven was opened before him, and he was 
 
 (505) 
 
506 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 permitted to behold what was transpiring within. 
 That this apartment which John saw opened was the 
 heavenly sanctuary, will plainly appear from other 
 portions of the book. 
 
 Things Which Must Be Hereafter. Compare with 
 this, chap. 1:1. The great object of the Revelation 
 seems to be the presentation of future events for the 
 purpose of informing, edifying, and comforting the 
 church. 
 
 VERSE 2. And immediately I was in the Spirit ; and, be- 
 hold, a throne was set in Heaven, and one sat on the throne. 
 3. And he that sat was, to look upon, like a jasper and a 
 sardine stone : and there was a rainbow round about the 
 throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 4 And round about 
 the throne were four and twenty seats : and upon the seats 
 I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment ; 
 and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 5. And out of 
 the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices : 
 and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the 
 throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 
 
 In the Spirit. Once before we have had this ex- 
 pression, namely in chap. 1 : 10, "I was in the Spirit 
 on the Lord's day," where it was taken to expreas the 
 fact that John had a vision upon the Sabbath or 
 Lord's day. If it there expressed the state of being 
 in vision, it would denote the same thing here ; and, 
 consequently, the first vision ended with chapter 3, 
 and a new one is here introduced. Nor is it any ob- 
 jection to this view that John, previous to this, as is 
 learned from the first verse of this chapter, was in 
 such a spiritual state as to be able to look up and see 
 a door opened in Heaven, and to hear a spiritual 
 
CHAPTER IV, VERSES 2~o. 507 
 
 voice like the mighty sound of a trumpet calling him 
 up to a nearer prospect of heavenly things. It is 
 evident that there may be such states of ecstasy in- 
 dependent of vision, just as Stephen, full of the Holy 
 Ghost, could look up and see the Heavens opened, 
 and the Son of man on the right hand of God. To 
 be in the Spirit denotes a still higher state of spirit- 
 ual elevation. On what day this vision was given 
 we are not informed. 
 
 Being fully wrapped again in heavenly vision, the 
 first object which he beholds is a throne set in 
 Heaven, and the Divine Being seated thereon. The 
 description of the appearance of this personage 
 clothed in the mingled colors of the jasper, frequently 
 a purple, and the blood-red sardine stone, is such as to 
 suggest at once to the mind a monarch vested with 
 his royal robes. And round about the throne there 
 was a rainbow, both adding to the grandeur of the 
 scene, and reminding us that though he who sits 
 upon the throne is an almighty and absolute ruler, he 
 is nevertheless the covenant-keeping God. 
 
 The Four and Twenty Elders. The question once 
 proposed to John concerning a certain company, has 
 frequently arisen concerning these four and twenty 
 elders : " Who are these ? and whence came they ? " 
 It will be observed that they are clothed with white 
 raiment, and have on their heads crowns of gold; 
 which are both tokens of a conflict completed and a 
 victory gained. From this we conclude that they 
 were once participants in the Christian warfare, once 
 trod, in common with all saints, this earthly pilgrim- 
 
508 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION, 
 
 age, but have overcome, and for some good purpose, 
 in advance of the great multitude of the redeemed, 
 are wearing their victor crowns in the heavenly 
 world. Indeed, they plainly tell us as much as this, 
 in the song of praise which they, in connection with 
 the four beasts, ascribe to the Lamb, in the 9th verse 
 of the following chapter : " And they sung a new 
 song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and 
 to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and 
 hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every 
 kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." This 
 song is sung before any of the events in the prophecy 
 of the seven seals transpire ; for it is sung to set forth 
 the worthiness of the Lamb to take the book and 
 open the seals, on the ground of what he had already 
 accomplished, which was their redemption. It is not, 
 therefore, thrown in here by anticipation, having its 
 application in the future ; but it expresses an abso- 
 lute and finished fact in the history of those who sung 
 it. These, then, were a class of redeemed persons, re- 
 deemed from this earth, redeemed as all others must 
 be redeemed, by the precious blood of Christ. 
 
 Do we in any other place read of such a class of 
 redeemed ones ? We think Paul refers to the same 
 company when he writes to the Ephesians thus: 
 " Wherefore he saith, when he [Christ] ascended up 
 on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto 
 men." The margin says, he led a " multitude of 
 captives." Eph. 4 : 8. Going back to the events 
 that occurred in connection with the crucifixion and 
 resurrection of Christ, we read, "And the graves 
 
CHAPTER IV, VERSES 2-5. 509 
 
 were opened. And many bodies of the saints which 
 slept arose, and came out of the graves after his res- 
 urrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared 
 unto many." Matt. 27 : 52. Thus the answer to 
 our question comes back, gathered unmistakably 
 from the sacred page. These are some of those who 
 came out of their graves at the resurrection of Christ, 
 and who were numbered with the illustrious multi- 
 tude which he led up from the captivity of Death's 
 dark domain, when he ascended in triumph on high. 
 Matthew records their resurrection ; Paul, their as- 
 cension ; and John beholds them in Heaven perform- 
 ing the sacred duties which they were raised up to 
 accomplish. 
 
 In this view we are not alone. Wesley speaks as 
 follows concerning the four and twenty elders : 
 " Clothed in white raiment.] This and their golden 
 crowns, show that they had already finished their 
 course, and taken their places among the citizens of 
 Heaven. They are never termed souls, and hence it 
 is probable that they had glorified bodies already. 
 Compare Matt. 27:52." 
 
 The Seven Lamps of Fire. In these lamps of fire 
 we have an appropriate antitype of the golden can- 
 dlestick of the typical sanctuary, with its seven ever- 
 burning lamps. This candlestick was placed by di- 
 vine direction, in the first apartment of the earthly 
 sanctuary. Ex. 25 : 31, 32, 37 ; 26 : 35 ; 27 : 20 ; 
 etc. And now when John tells us that a door was 
 opened in Heaven, and in the apartment thus dis- 
 closed to view he sees the antitype of the candlestick 
 
510 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 of the earthly sanctuary, it is good proof that he 
 is looking into the first apartment of the sanctuary 
 above. 
 
 VERSE 6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass 
 like unto crystal ; and in the midst of the throne, and round 
 about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and 
 behind. 7. And the first beast was like a lion, and the sec- 
 ond beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, 
 and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8. And the 
 four beasts had each of them six wings about him ; and they 
 were full of eyes within : and they rest not day and night, 
 saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, 
 and is, and is to come. 9. And'Avhen those beasts give glory, 
 and honor, and thanks to Him that sat on the tbrone, who 
 livcth forever and ever, 10, The four and twenty elders fall 
 down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him 
 that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the 
 throne, saying, 11, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive 
 glory, and honor, and power ; for thou hast created all 
 things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. 
 
 The Sea of Glass. Not composed of glass, but a 
 broad expanse, resembling glass ; that is, says Green- 
 field, transparent, brilliant. This idea is further 
 carried out by its being likened to crystal, which is 
 defined to mean " anything concreted and pellucid, 
 like ice, or glass." The position of this sea is such 
 as to show that it bears no analogy to the laver of 
 the ancient typical service. 
 
 It may extend under, and be the foundation of, 
 the throne, and even further, of the city itself. It 
 is again brought to view in chap. 15 : 2, as the place 
 where the overcomers, in the ecstatic joy of final 
 victory, will soon stand. 
 
CHAPTER JF, VERSES 6-11. 511 
 
 The Four Beasts. It is a very unhappy transla- 
 lation which has given us the term " beasts " in this 
 verse. The word Cov, denotes properly a living 
 creature. Bloomfield says, " ' Four living creatures ' 
 (not beasts). So Heinr. renders it The pro- 
 priety of this correction, is now, I believe, gener- 
 ally agreed upon by commentators. The word is 
 very different from i9?p>f, used to designate the pro- 
 phetic beasts in the 13th and following chapters. 
 (Scholefield.) It may be added that Bulkeley ad- 
 duces several examples of Cwof, to denote not only 
 creature, but even a human being ; especially one 
 from Origen who uses it of our Lord Jesus." 
 
 Similar imagery is used in the first chapter of 
 Ezekiel. The qualities which would seem to be sig- 
 nified by the emblems, are strength, perseverance, 
 reason, and swiftness, strength, of affection ; per- 
 severance, in carrying out the requirements of duty ; 
 reason, in comprehending the divine will ; and swift- 
 ness, in obeying. These living beings are even more 
 intimately connected with the throne than the four 
 and twenty elders, being represented as in the midst 
 of, and round about, it. Like the elders, these, too, 
 in their song to the Lamb, ascribe to him praise for 
 having redeemed them from the earth. They there- 
 fore belong to the same company, and represent a 
 part of the great multitude who, as already de- 
 scribed (see remarks on verse 4), have been led up 
 on high from the captivity of death. Concerning 
 the object of their redemption, see remarks on chap- 
 ter 5 : 8. 
 
512 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 They Rest Not. " Oh ! happy unrest ! " beauti- 
 fully exclaims John Wesley ; and the theme of their 
 constant worship is, " Holy, holy, holy, Lord God 
 Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." No 
 sublimer strain ever issued from created lips. And 
 they repeat it " day and night ; " or, continually ; 
 these terms only denoting the manner in which 
 time is reckoned here ; for there can be no night 
 where the throne of God is. 
 
 We mortals are apt to tire of the repetition of 
 the simple testimony we bear here to the goodness 
 and mercy of God ; and we are sometimes tempted 
 to say nothing, because we cannot continually say 
 something new. But may we not learn a profitable 
 lesson from the course of these holy beings above, 
 who never grow weary of the ceaseless repetition 
 of these words, " Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Al- 
 mighty ; " and to whom these words never grow 
 old; because their hearts ever glow with a sense of 
 his holiness, goodness, and love ? Their praise does 
 not become to them monotonous ; for with every 
 utterance they gain a new view of the attributes of 
 the Almighty ; they reach a greater hight of com- 
 prehension in their vision of his perfections; the 
 horizon expands before them ; their hearts enlarge ; 
 and the new emotions of adoration, from their new 
 stand-point, draw from them a fresh utterance of 
 their holy salutation, new even to themselves, " Holy, 
 holy, holy, Lord God Almighty ! " 
 
 So, even with us here, though remarks are often 
 repeated in reference to the goodness, the mercy, 
 
CHAPTER IV, VERSES 6-11. 513 
 
 and the lore of God, the value of his truth, and the 
 attractions of the world to come, these should not 
 grow stale upon the ear; for we should all our 
 lives be rising to new conceptions of the blessings 
 embraced in these glorious themes. 
 
 Concerning the expression, "which was, and is, 
 and is to come'," see remarks on chap. 1 : 4. 
 
 " Thou Art Worthy, Lord, to receive glory and 
 honor and power." How worthy, we never shall 
 be able to realize, till, like the holy beings who utter 
 this language, changed to immortality, we are pre- 
 sented faultless before the presence of his glory. 
 Jude 24. 
 
 Thou Hast Created All Things. The works of 
 creation furnish the foundation for the honor, glory, 
 and power ascribed to God. " And for thy pleas- 
 ure," or through thy will, 6ta r6 defyfia cov, they are, 
 and were created. God willed, and all things came 
 into existence ; and by the same power they are 
 preserved and sustained. 
 
 33 
 
V. 
 
 THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY CONTINUED. 
 
 VERSE 1. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on 
 the throne a book written within and on the back side, 
 sealed with seven seals. 
 
 A new chapter here opens, but not a new scene. 
 The same view is still before the mind .of the apos- 
 tle. By the words, " him that sat on the throne," 
 is evidently meant the Father, as the Son is subse- 
 quently introduced as "a Lamb as it had been 
 slain." The book which John here saw, contained 
 a revelation of scenes that were to transpire in the 
 history of the church to the end of time. Its being 
 held in the right hand of Him that sat on the 
 throne may signify that a knowledge of the future 
 rests with God alone, only so far as he sees fit to 
 reveal it to others. 
 
 The Book. The books in use at the time the 
 Revelation was given, were not in the form of 
 books as now made. They did not consist of a 
 series of leaves bound together ; but were composed 
 of strips of parchment, or other material, longer or 
 shorter, one or more, and rolled up. On this point, 
 Wesley remarks : 
 
 " The usual books of the ancients were not like 
 
 (514) 
 
CHAPTER F, VERSE 1. 
 
 515 
 
 ours, but were volumes or long pieces of parch- 
 ment, rolled upon a long stick as we frequently roll 
 silks. Such was this represented, which was sealed 
 with seven seals. Not as if the apostle saw all 
 the seals at once ; for there were seven volumes 
 wrapped up one within another, each of which was 
 sealed; so that upon opening and unrolling the 
 first, the second appeared to be sealed up till that 
 was opened, and so on to the seventh." 
 
 On the same point, Scott remarks : "It appeared 
 as a roll, consisting of several parchments, accord- 
 ing to the custom of those times ; and though it 
 was supposed to be written within, yet nothing 
 could be read till the seals were loosed. It was 
 afterward found to contain seven parchments, or 
 small volumes, each of which was separately 
 sealed ; but if all the seals had been on the outside, 
 nothing could have been read till they had all been 
 loosed ; whereas the loosing of each seal was fol- 
 lowed by some discovery of the contents of the roll. 
 Yet the appearance on the outside seems to have 
 indicated that it consisted of seven, or at least of 
 several, parts." 
 
 Bloomfield says, " The long rolls of parchment 
 used by the ancients, which we call books, were 
 seldom written but on one side; namely, that 
 which was, in rolling, turned inward." So, doubt- 
 less, this book was not written within and on the 
 backside, as the punctuation of our common ver- 
 sion makes it read. " Grotius, Lowman, Fuller, 
 &c.," says the Cottage Bible, " remove the comma 
 
516 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 thus : ' Written within, and on the back (or out- 
 side) sealed,' &c." How these seals were placed, 
 is sufficiently explained in the notes from Wesley 
 and Scott, given above. 
 
 VERSE 2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a 
 loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the 
 seals thereof? 3. And no man in Heaven, nor in earth, 
 neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither 
 to look thereon. 4. And I wept much, because no man was 
 found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look 
 thereon. 
 
 The Challenge. God, as it were, holds forth this 
 book to the view of the universe, and a strong angel, 
 one doubtless of great eminence and power, comes 
 forth as a crier, and with a mighty voice challenges 
 all creatures in the universe to try the strength of 
 their wisdom in opening the counsels of God. Who 
 can be found worthy to open the book and loose the 
 seals thereof ? A pause ensues. In silence the uni- 
 verse owns its inabilhty and unworthiness to enter 
 into the counsels of the Creator. " And no man in 
 Heaven," 6wJf, not merely no man, but no one, no be- 
 ing in Heaven. Is not here proof that the faculties 
 of angels are limited, like those of man, in respect to 
 penetrating the future and disclosing what is to come? 
 And when the apostle saw that no one came forward 
 to open the book, he greatly feared that the counsels 
 of God which it contained, in reference to his people, 
 would never be disclosed, and in the natural tender- 
 ness of his feelings, and concern for the church, he 
 wept much. "How far are they," says Wesley, 
 
CHAPTER F, VERSES 5-7. 517 
 
 " from the temper of St. John, who inquire after any- 
 thing rather than the contents of this book ! " 
 
 Upon the phrase " I wept much," Benson offers the 
 following beautiful remarks : " Being greatly affected 
 with the thought that no being whatsoever was to 
 be found able to understand, reveal, and accomplish 
 the divine counsels, fearing they would still remain 
 concealed from the church. This weeping of the 
 apostle sprang from greatness of mind. The tender- 
 ness of heart, which he always had, appeared more 
 clearly now he was out of his own power. The Rev- 
 elation was not written without tears, neither with- 
 out tears will it be understood." 
 
 VERSE 5. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not : 
 behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, 
 hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals 
 thereof. 6. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the 
 throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, 
 stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and 
 seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth in- 
 to all the earth. 7. And he came and took the book out of 
 the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne. 
 
 Not long is John permitted to weep. God is not 
 willing that any knowledge which can be of bene- 
 fit to his people, shall be withheld. Provision is 
 made for the opening of the book. Hence, one of 
 the elders says to him, " Weep not ; behold the Lion 
 of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath 
 prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven 
 .seals thereof." Why one of the elders should im- 
 part this information to John, in preference to some 
 other being, does not appear, unless it is that hav- 
 
518 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 ing been redeemed, they would be especially inter- 
 ested in all that pertained to the welfare of the 
 church on earth. Christ is here called the " Lion 
 of the tribe of Judah." Why called a lion ? and 
 why of the tribe of Judah ? As to the first, it is 
 probably to denote his strength. As the lion is the 
 king of beasts, the monarch of the forest, he thus 
 becomes a fit emblem of kingly authority and 
 power. " Of the tribe of Judah." Doubtless he 
 receives this appellation from the prophecy in Gen. 
 49 : 9, 10. 
 
 The Root of David. The source and sustainer 
 of David as to his position and power. That 
 David's position was specially ordained of Christ, 
 and that he was specially sustained by him, there 
 can be no doubt. David was the type, Christ the 
 antitype. David's throne and reign over Israel 
 was a type of Christ's reign over his people. He 
 shall reign upon the throne of his father David. 
 Luke 1 : 32, 33. As Christ appeared in the line of 
 David's descendants when he took upon himself 
 our nature, he is also called the offspring of David, 
 and a root out of the stem of Jesse. Isa. 11 : 1, 10 ; 
 Rev. 22 : 16. His connection with the throne of 
 David being thus set forth, and his right thus 
 shown to rule over the people of God, there was a 
 propriety in entrusting to him the opening of the 
 seals. 
 
 Hath Prevailed. These words indicate that the 
 right to open the book was acquired by a victory 
 gained in some previous conflict. And so we find 
 
CHAPTER F, VERSES 5-7. 519 
 
 it set forth in subsequent portions of this chapter. 
 The very next scene introduces us to the great 
 work of Christ as the Redeemer of the world, the 
 shedding of his blood for the remission of sin, and 
 the salvation of man. In this work he was sub- 
 jected to the fiercest assaults of Satan. But he en- 
 dured his temptations, bore the agonies of the cross, 
 rose a victor over death and the grave, made the 
 way of redemption sure, triumphed ! Hence the 
 four living beings and the four and twenty elders 
 sing, " Thou art worthy to take the book and to 
 open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and 
 hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." 
 
 John looks to see the Lion of the tribe of Judah, 
 and beholds a Lamb in the midst of the throne and 
 of the four living beings and the elders, as it had 
 been slain. 
 
 In the Midst of the Throne. Doddridge trans- 
 lates thus : " And I beheld in the middle space be- 
 tween the throne and the four living creatures, and 
 in the midst of the elders, there stood a Lamb," &c. 
 In the center of the scene was the throne of the 
 Father, and standing in the open space which sur- 
 rounded it, was the Son, set forth under the sym- 
 bol of a slain lamb. Around these there stood 
 those saints who had been redeemed : first, those 
 represented by the four living creatures, then the 
 elders forming the second circle, and the angels, 
 verse 11, forming a third circle. The worthiness 
 of Christ as he thus stands forth under the figure 
 of a slain lamb, is the admiration of all the holy 
 throng. 
 
520 THOUGHTS ON THE ME DELATION. 
 
 As It Had Been Slain. Woodhouse, as quoted in 
 the Comprehensive Commentary, says : " The Greek 
 implies that the Lamb appeared with a wounded 
 neck and throat, as if smitten at the altar as a vic- 
 tim." On this phrase Clarke says : " As if now in the 
 act of being offered. This is very remarkable ; so 
 important is the sacrificial offering of Christ in the 
 sight of God, that he is still represented as being- in 
 the very act of pouring out his blood for the offenses 
 of man. This gives great advantage to faith ; when 
 any soul comes to the throne of grace, he finds a sac- 
 rifice there provided for him to offer to God." 
 
 Seven Horns and Seven Eyes. Horns are sym- 
 bols of power, eyes of wisdom ; and seven is a num- 
 ber denoting completion or perfection. We are thus 
 taught that perfect power and perfect wisdom inhere 
 in the Lamb, through the operation of the Spirit of 
 God, called the seven spirits of God, to denote the 
 fullness and perfection of its operation. 
 
 He Came and Took the Book. Commentators 
 have found an incongruity in the idea of a lamb's 
 taking the book, etc., and have had recourse to sev- 
 eral expedients to avoid the difficulty. But is it not 
 a well-established principle that any action may be 
 attributed to a symbol, which could be appropriately 
 performed by the person or being represented, by the 
 symbol ? And is not this all the explanation that 
 the passage needs ? The lamb, we know, is a sym- 
 bol of Christ. We know there is nothing incongru- 
 ous in Christ's taking a book; and when we read 
 that the book was taken, we think of the action not 
 
CHAPTER V, VEltSES 8-10. 521 
 
 as performed by the lamb, but by the one of whom 
 the lamb is a symbol. 
 
 VERSE 8. And when he had taken the book, the four 
 beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the 
 Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full 
 of odors, which are the prayers of saints. 9. And they sung 
 a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and 
 to open the seals thereof ; for thou wast slain, and hast re- 
 deemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and 
 tongue, and people, and nation ; 10 ; and hast made us unto 
 our God kings and priests ; and we shall reign on the earth. 
 
 Vials Full of Odors. From this expression we 
 get an idea of the employment of those redeemed 
 ones represented by the four living creatures and the 
 four and twenty elders. They have golden vials or 
 vessels full of odors, or, as the margin reads, incense, 
 which are the prayers of saints. This is a work of 
 ministry such as pertains to priests. 
 
 Says Scott : " It is indisputably manifest that the 
 four living creatures join in, or rather lead, the wor- 
 ship of the Lamb as having redeemed them to God ; 
 and this proves beyond controversy tbat part of the 
 redeemed church is meant by this emblem, and not 
 angels whose worship is next described, but in lan- 
 guage evidently different." 
 
 A. Barnes, in his notes on this passage, remarks : 
 " The idea here is, therefore, that the representatives 
 of the church in Heaven the elders spoken of as 
 'priests' are described as officiating in the temple 
 above, in behalf of the church still below, and as of- 
 fering incense while the church is engaged in prayer." 
 
 The reader will remember that in the ancient typ- 
 
522 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 ical service, the high priest had many assistants ; and 
 when we consider that we are now looking into the 
 sanctuary in Heaven, the conclusion at once follows 
 that these redeemed ones are the assistants of our 
 great High Priest above. For this purpose they 
 were doubtless redeemed. And what could be more 
 appropriate than that our Lord in his priestly work 
 for the human race, should be assisted by noble mem- 
 bers of that race whose holiness of life and purity of 
 character had fitted them to be raised up for that 
 purpose. See remarks on chapter 4 : 4. 
 
 We are aware that many entertain a great aver- 
 sion to the idea of there being anything real and 
 tangible in Heaven ; and we can easily anticipate 
 that the views here presented will be altogether 
 too literal for such. To sustain themselves in 
 their position they dwell much on the fact that 
 the language is highly figurative; and that we 
 cannot suppose there are or were any such things 
 in Heaven as John describes. We reply that, 
 though the Revelation deals largely in figures, it 
 does not deal in fictions. There is reality in all 
 the scenes described ; and we gain an understand- 
 ing of the reality, when we get a correct inter- 
 pretation of the figures. Thus in this vision, we 
 know that the One upon the throne is God. He 
 is really there. We know the Lamb symbolizes 
 Christ. He too is really there. He ascended with 
 a literal, tangible body ; and who can say that he 
 does not still retain it ? If, then, our great High 
 Priest is a literal being, he must have a literal place 
 
CHAPTER V, VERSES 8-10. 523 
 
 in which to minister. And if the four living creat- 
 ures and the four and twenty elders represent those 
 whom Christ led up from the captivity of death at 
 the time of his resurrection and ascension, why are 
 they not just as literal beings while there in Heaven 
 as they were when they ascended ? 
 
 The Song. It is called " a new song," new prob- 
 ably in respect to the occasion and the composi- 
 tion. They were the first that could sing it, be- 
 ing the first that were redeemed. They call them- 
 selves kings and priests. In what sense they are 
 priests has already been noticed, they being the as- 
 sistants of Christ in his priestly work. In the 
 same sense probably they are also kings ; for Christ 
 is set down with his Father on his throne, and 
 doubtless these, as ministers of his, have some part 
 to act in connection with the government of Heaven 
 in reference to this world. 
 
 The Anticipation. " We shall reign on the earth." 
 Thus, notwithstanding they are redeemed, and 
 surround the throne of God, and are in the presence 
 of the Lamb that redeemed them, and are sur- 
 rounded with the angelic hosts of Heaven, where 
 all is glory ineffable, their song contemplates a still 
 higher state, when the great work of redemption 
 shall be completed, and they, with the whole re- 
 deemed family of God of every age, shall reign on 
 the earth, which is the promised inheritance, and is 
 to be the final and eternal residence of the saints. 
 Rom. 4:13; Gal. 3 : 29 ; Ps. 37 : 11 ; Matt. 5:5; 
 2 Pet. 3:13; Isa. G5 : 17-25 ; Rev. 21 : 1-5. 
 
524 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 VERSE 11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many 
 angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the eld- 
 ers ; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten 
 thousand, and thousands of thousands ; 12 ; Saying with a 
 loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive 
 power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and 
 glory, and blessing. 
 
 The Heavenly Sanctuary. How little concep- 
 tion have we of the magnitude and glory of the 
 heavenly temple ! Into that temple John was in- 
 troduced at the opening of chapter 4, by the door 
 which was opened in Heaven. Into the same tem- 
 ple, be it remembered, he is still looking in verses 
 11 and 12. And now he beholds the heavenly 
 hosts. 1. Round about the throne are those repre- 
 sented by the four living creatures. 2. Next come 
 the four and twenty elders. 3. Then John views, 
 surrounding the whole, a multitude of the heavenly 
 angels. How many ? How many would we be 
 likely to suppose could convene within the heav- 
 enly temple ? " Ten thousand times ten thousand," 
 exclaims the seer. In this expression alone we 
 have one hundred millions ! And then, as if no 
 arithmetical expression was adequate to embrace 
 the countless throng, he further adds, " And thou- 
 sands of thousands ! " Well might Paul call this, 
 in Heb. 11 : 22, "an innumerable company of an- 
 gels." And these were in the sanctuary above. 
 Such was the company that John saw assembled at 
 the place where the worship of a universe centers, 
 and where the wondrous plan of human redemption 
 is being carried forward to completion. And the 
 
CKAJ>TER V, VJZlttiJEti 13, 14. 525 
 
 central object in this innumerable and holy throng, 
 was the Lamb of God ; and the central act of his 
 life, which claimed their admiration, was the shed- 
 ding of his blood for the salvation of fallen man ; 
 for every voice in all that heavenly host joined in 
 the ascription which was raised, "Worthy is the 
 Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, 
 and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, 
 and blessing." Fitting assemblage for such a 
 place ! Fitting song of adoration to be raised to 
 Him who by the shedding of his blood became a 
 ransom for many, and who, as our great High 
 Priest, still pleads its merits in the sanctuary above 
 in our behalf. And here, before such an august 
 assemblage, must our characters soon come up in 
 final review. What shall fit us for the searching 
 ordeal ? And what shall enable us to rise and 
 stand at last with the sinless throng above ? Oh, 
 infinite merit of the blood of Christ ! which can 
 cleanse us from all our pollutions, and make us 
 meet to tread the holy hill of Zion ! Oh, infinite 
 grace of God ! which can prepare us to endure the 
 glory, and give us boldness to enter into his pres- 
 ence, even with exceeding joy. 
 
 VERSE 13. And every creature which is in Heaven, and 
 on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the 
 sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing and 
 honor, and glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon 
 the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. 14. And 
 the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders 
 fell down and worshiped Him that liveth forever and ever. 
 
 A Clean Universe. In verse 13 we have an in- 
 
596 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 stance of what very frequently occurs in the Script- 
 ures, namely, a declaration thrown in out of its 
 chronological order, for the purpose of following out 
 to its completion some previous statement or allu- 
 sion. In this instance the time is anticipated when 
 redemption is finished. In verse 10, the four living 
 creatures and four and twenty elders had declared, 
 " We shall reign on the earth." Now the prophet's 
 mind is caught right forward to that time. The 
 greatest act of Christ's inter \ en tion for man, the 
 shedding of his blood having been introduced, noth- 
 ing could be more natural than that the vision should, 
 for a moment, look over to the time when the grand 
 result of the work then introduced, should be accom- 
 plished, the number of the redeemed be made up, the 
 universe be freed from sin and sinners, and a uni- 
 versal song of adoration go up to God and the Lamb. 
 
 It is futile to attempt to apply this to the church 
 in its present state, as most commentators do, or to 
 any time in the past since sin entered the world, or 
 even since Satan fell from his high position as an 
 angel of light and love in Heaven. For at the time 
 of which John speaks, every creature in Heaven and 
 on earth, without any exception, was sending up its 
 anthem of blessings to God. But to speak only of 
 this world since the fall, cursings instead of bless- 
 ings have been breathed out against God and his 
 throne, from the great majority of our apostate 
 race. And so it will ever be while sin reigns. 
 
 We find, then, no place for this scene which John 
 describes, unless we do go forward, according to the 
 
CHAPTER F, VERSES IS, 14. 527 
 
 position above taken, to the time when the whole 
 scheme of redemption is completed, and the saints 
 enter upon their promised reign on the earth, to 
 which the living creatures and elders looked for- 
 ward in their song in verse 10. With this view, all 
 is harmonious and plain. That reign on the earth 
 commences after the second resurrection. Dan 7 : 
 27 ; 2 Pet. 3 : 13 ; Rev. 21 : 1. At that resurrection, 
 which takes place a thousand years subsequently to 
 the first resurrection, Rev. 20 : 4, 5, occurs the per- 
 dition of ungodly men. 2 Pet. 3 : 7. Then fire 
 comes down from God out of Heaven and devours 
 them. Rev. 20 : 9 ; and this fire that causes the 
 perdition of ungodly men, is the fire that melts and 
 purifies the earth, as we learn from 2 Pet. 3 : 7-13. 
 Then sin and sinners are destroyed, the earth is pu- 
 rified, the curse with all its ills is forever wiped 
 away, the righteous " shine forth as the sun in the 
 kingdom of their Father," and from a clean uni- 
 verse, an anthem of praise and thanksgiving as- 
 cends to God. In all the fair domain of the great 
 Creator, there is then no room for a vast receptacle 
 of fire and brimstone, where myriads, preserved by 
 the direct power of a God of mercy, shall burn and 
 writhe in unspeakable and eternal torment. In 
 this glad anthem of jubilee there is no room for the 
 discordant and hopeless wailings of the damned, 
 and the curses and blasphemies of those who are 
 sinning and suffering beyond the pale of hope. 
 Every rebel voice has been hushed in death. 
 They have been burned up root and branch, Satan 
 
528 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 and all his followers, deceiver and deceived. Mai. 
 4:1; Heb. 2 : 14. Into smoke have they consumed 
 away. Ps. 37 : 20. Like the perishable chaff have 
 they vanished in the flames. Matt. 3 : 12. They 
 have been annihilated, not as matter, but as con- 
 scious and intelligent beings ; for they have become 
 as though they had not been. Obad. 16. 
 
 To the Lamb, equally with the Father who sits 
 upon the throne, praise is ascribed in this song of 
 adoration. Commentators, with great unanimity, 
 have seized upon this as proof that Christ must be 
 co- existent with the Father ; for otherwise, say 
 they, here would be worship paid to the creature 
 which belongs only to the Creator. How does it 
 prove this ? We read that Christ is the beginning 
 of the creation of God, Rev. 3 : 14, where see note, 
 and that all subsequent creations of conscious intel- 
 ligences or inanimate things, were made through 
 him. John 1:3; Heb. 1:2. The word "by" in 
 both these instances is from the Greek &a. To all 
 beings, therefore, of a lower order than himself, 
 Christ holds the relation of joint-creator. Could 
 not the Father ordain that to such a being, worship 
 should be rendered equally with himself, without 
 its being idolatry on the part of the worshiper? 
 He has raised him to positions which make it 
 proper that he should be worshipped, and has even 
 commanded that it should be done; neither of 
 which acts would have been necessary, had he been 
 equal with the Father in eternity of existence. 
 Christ himself declares that " as the Father hath life 
 
CHAPTER F, VERSES 13, 14- 529 
 
 in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life 
 in himself." John 5 : 26. On another occasion he 
 says, All power is given unto me in Heaven and 
 in earth. Matt. 28:18. Paul declares of Christ 
 that the Father has highly exalted him and given 
 him a name above every name. Phil. 2 : 9. And 
 the Father himself says, " Let all the angels of God 
 worship him." Heb 1 : 6. These testimonies show 
 that Christ is now an object of worship equally 
 with the Father ; but they do not prove that with 
 him he holds an eternity of past existence. 
 
 Coming back from the glorious scene anticipated 
 in verse 13, to events transpiring in the Heavenly 
 sanctuary before him, the prophet hears the four 
 living creatures exclaim, Amen. Their exclamation 
 thus comes in as a response to what is said in verses 
 12 and 13. And the four and twenty elders then 
 fell down and worshipped Him that liveth forever 
 and ever. - 
 
Cfl^ptef VI. 
 
 THE SEVEN SEALS. 
 
 VERSE 1. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the 
 seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of 
 the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2. And I saw, and 
 behold a white horse ; and he that sat on him had a bow ; 
 and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquer- 
 ing and to conquer. 
 
 Having taken the book, the Lamb proceeds at 
 once to open the seals ; and the attention of the 
 apostle is called to the scenes that transpire under 
 each seal. The number seven has already been 
 noticed as denoting in the Scriptures completion 
 and perfection. The seven seals, therefore, em- 
 brace the whole of a certain class of events, reach- 
 ing down to the close of probationary time. 
 Hence to say, as some do, that the seals denote a 
 series of events, reaching down perhaps to the time 
 of Constantine, and the seven trumpets another 
 series from that time further on, cannot be correct. 
 The trumpets denote a series of events which trans- 
 pire contemporaneously with the events of the 
 seals, but of an entirely different character. A 
 trumpet is a symbol of war. Hence the trumpets 
 denote great political commotions to take place 
 
 (530) 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 1, 2. 531 
 
 among the nations during the gospel age. The 
 seals denote events of a religious character, and 
 contain the history of the church from' the opening 
 of the Christian era to the coming of Christ. 
 
 Commentators have raised a question concerning 
 the manner in which these scenes were represented 
 before the apostle. Was it merely a written de- 
 j scription of the events, which was read to him as 
 each successive seal was opened ? or was it a pic- 
 torial illustration of the events which the book con- 
 tained, and which was presented before him as the 
 seals were broken ? or was it a scenic representa- 
 tion which passed before him, the different actors 
 coming forth and performing their parts ? Barnes 
 decides in favor of calling them pictorial illustra- 
 tions. For he thinks a merely written description 
 would not answer to the language of the apostle, 
 setting forth what he saw ; and a mere scenic 
 representation could have no connection with the 
 opening of the seals. But to this view of Barnes' 
 there are at least two serious objections: 1. The 
 book was said to contain only writing within, not 
 pictorial illustrations ; and 2. John saw the char- 
 acters which made up the various scenes, not fixed 
 and motionless upon canvass, but living and mov- 
 ing, and engaging actively in the parts assigned 
 them. The view which seems most consistent to 
 us, is, that the book contained a record of events 
 which were to transpire ; and when the seals were 
 broken and the record- was brought to light, the 
 scenes were presented before John, not by the de- 
 
532 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 scription being read, but by a representation of 
 what was described in the book, being made to pass 
 before his mind in living characters, in the place 
 where the reality was to transpire, namely, on the 
 earth. 
 
 The first symbol, a white horse, and the rider 
 who bears a bow and to whom a crown is given, 
 and who goes forth conquering and to conquer, is a 
 fit emblem of the triumphs of the gospel in the 
 first century of this dispensation; the whiteness 
 of the horse denoting the purity of faith in that 
 age, and the crown which was given to the rider, 
 and his going forth conquering and to make still 
 further conquests, the zeal and success with which 
 the truth was promulgated by its earliest ministers. 
 To this it is objected that the ministers of Christ 
 and the progress of the gospel could not be prop- 
 erly represented by such warlike symbols. But we 
 ask, By what symbols could the work of Chris- 
 tianity better be represented when it went forth as 
 an aggressive principle against the huge systems of 
 error with which it had at first to contend ? The 
 rider upon this horse went forth. Where ? His 
 commission was unlimited. The gospel was to all 
 the world. 
 
 VERSE 3. And when he had opened the second seal, I 
 heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4. And there 
 went out another horse that was red ; and power was given 
 to him that sat thereon to take 'peace from the earth, and 
 that they should kill one another ; and there was given unto 
 him a great sword. 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 5, 4- 533 
 
 Perhaps the first noticeable feature in these sym- 
 bols, is the contrast in the color of the horses. This 
 is doubtless designed to be significant. If the 
 whiteness of the first horse denoted the purity of 
 the gospel in the period which that symbol covers, 
 the redness of the second horse would denote that 
 in this period that original purity began to be cor- 
 rupted. The mystery of iniquity already worked 
 in Paul's day ; and the professed church of Christ, 
 it would seem, was now so far corrupted by it as 
 to require this change in the color of the symbol. 
 Errors began to arise. Worldliness came in. The 
 ecclesiastical power sought the alliance of the secu- 
 lar. Troubles and commotions were the result. 
 The spirit of this period perhaps reached its climax 
 as we come down to the days of Constantine, the 
 first so-called Christian Emperor, whose conversion 
 to Christianity is dated by Mosheim in A. D. 323. 
 
 Of this period Dr. Rice remarks : " It represents 
 a secular period or union of church and State. 
 Constantine aided the clergy and put them under 
 obligations to him. He legislated for the church, 
 called the Council of Nicsea, and was most promi- 
 nent in that Council. Constantine, not the gospel, 
 had the glory of tearing down the heathen temples. 
 The State had the glory instead of the church. 
 Constantine made decrees against some errors, and 
 was praised, and suffered to go on and introduce 
 many other errors, and oppose some important 
 truths. Controversies arose, and when a new em- 
 peror took the throne, there was a rush of the 
 
534 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 clergy to get him on the side of their peculiar ten- 
 ets. Mosheim says of this period, ' There was con- 
 tinual war and trouble/ " 
 
 This state of things answers well to the declara- 
 tion of the prophet, that power was given to him 
 that sat on the horse "to take peace from the 
 earth, and that they should kill one another; and 
 there was given unto him a great sword." The 
 Christianity of that time had mounted the throne, 
 and bore the emblem of the civil power. 
 
 VERSE 5. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard 
 the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo, a 
 black horse ; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances 
 in his hand. 6. And I heard a voice in the midst of the 
 four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three 
 measures of barley for a penny ; and see theu hurt not the 
 oil and the wine. 
 
 How rapidly the work of corruption progresses ! 
 What a contrast between this symbol and the first 
 one ! A black horse ; the very opposite of the first. 
 A period of great darkness and moral corruption in 
 the church must be denoted by this symbol. By 
 the events of the second seal, the way was fully 
 opened for that state of things to be brought about 
 which is here presented. The time that intervened 
 between the reign of Constantine and the establish- 
 ment of the papacy in A. D. 538, may be justly 
 noted as the time when the darkest errors and 
 grossest superstitions sprung up in the church. Of 
 a period immediately succeeding the days of Con- 
 stantine, Mosheim says : 
 
CHAPTER VI, VE RISES 5, 6. 
 
 535 
 
 " Those vain fictions which an attachment to the 
 Platonic philosophy, and to popular opinions, had en- 
 gaged the greatest part of the Christian doctors to 
 adopt, before the time of Constantine, were now 
 confirmed, enlarged, and embellished in various ways. 
 Hence arose that extravagant veneration for de- 
 parted saints, and those absurd notions of a certain 
 fire destined to purify separate souls, that now pre- 
 vailed, and of which the public marks were every- 
 where to be seen. Hence also the celibacy of priests, 
 the worship of images and relics, which, in process of 
 time, almost utterly destroyed the Christian religion, 
 or at least eclipsed its luster, and corrupted its very 
 essence in the most deplorable manner. An enor- 
 mous train of superstitions was gradually substituted 
 for true religion and genuine piety. This odious 
 revolution proceeded from a variety of causes. A 
 ridiculous precipitation in receiving new opinions, a 
 preposterous desire of imitating the pagan rites, and 
 of blending them with the Christian worship, and 
 that idle propensity which the generality of mankind 
 have toward a gaudy and ostentatious religion, all 
 contributed to establish the reign of superstition upon 
 the ruins of Christianity. Accordingly, frequent 
 pilgrimages were undertaken to Palestine, and to the 
 tombs of the martyrs, as if there alone the sacred 
 principles of virtue, and the certain hope of salva- 
 tion, were to be acquired. The reins being once let 
 loose to superstition which knows no bounds, absurd 
 notions and idle ceremonies multiplied almost every 
 day. Quantities of dust and earth brought from 
 
536 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 Palestine, and other places remarkable for their sup- 
 posed sanctity, were handed about as the most power- 
 ful remedies against the violence of wicked spirits, 
 and were sold and bought everywhere at enormous 
 prices. The public processions and supplications by 
 which the pagans endeavored to appease their gods, 
 were now adopted into the Christian worship, and 
 celebrated in many places with great pomp and mag- 
 nificence. The virtues which had formerly been as- 
 cribed to the heathen temples, to their lustrations, to 
 the statues of their gods and heroes, were now at- 
 tributed to Christian churches, to water consecrated 
 by certain forms of prayer, and to the images of holy 
 men. And the same privileges that the former en- 
 joyed under the darkness of paganism, were con- 
 ferred upon the latter under the light of the gospel, 
 or, rather, under that cloud of superstition which 
 was obscuring its glory. It is true that, as yet, im- 
 ages were not very common ; nor were there any 
 statues at all. But it is at the same time as un- 
 doubtedly certain as it is extravagant and mon- 
 strous, that the worship of the martyrs was modeled, 
 by degrees, according to the religious services that 
 were paid to the gods before the coming of Christ. 
 
 " From these facts, which are but small specimens 
 of the state of Christianity at this time, the discern- 
 ing reader will easily perceive what detriment the 
 church received from the peace and prosperity pro- 
 cured by Constantine, and from the imprudent meth- 
 ods employed to allure the different nations to em- 
 brace the gospel. The brevity we have proposed to 
 
CHAPTER VI, VEMSES J, 6. 537 
 
 observe in this history prevents our entering into an 
 ample detail of the dismal effects that arose from the 
 progress and the baneful influence of superstition, 
 which had now become universal." 
 
 Again he says, " A whole volume would be requi- 
 site to contain an enumeration of the various frauds 
 which artful knaves practiced, with success, to delude 
 the ignorant, when true religion was almost entirely 
 superseded by horrid superstition." Eccl. Hist. 4th 
 Cent., part ii., chap. 3. 
 
 This extract from Mosheim contains a description 
 of the period covered by the black horse of the third 
 seal that answers accurately to the prophecy. It is 
 seen by this how paganism was incorporated into 
 Christianity, and how, during this period, the false 
 system which resulted in the establishment of the 
 papacy, rapidly rounded out to its full outlines, and 
 ripened into all its deplorable perfection of strength 
 and stature. 
 
 The Balances. " The balances denoted that relig- 
 ion and civil power would be united in the person 
 who would administer the executive power in the 
 government, and that he would claim the judicial 
 authority both in church and State. This was true 
 among the Roman emperors from the days of Con- 
 stantine until the reign of Justinian, when he gave 
 the same judicial power to the bishop of Rome." 
 Millers Lectures, p. 181. 
 
 The Wheat and Barley. " The measures of wheat 
 and barley for a penny denote that the members of 
 the church would be eagerly engaged after worldly 
 
53S THOUGHTS OX TliE REVELATION. 
 
 goods, and the love of money would be the prevail- 
 ing spirit of the times ; for they would dispose of 
 anything for money." Id. 
 
 The Oil and Wine. These " denote the graces of 
 the Spirit, faith and love, and there was great dan- 
 ger of hurting these, under the influence of so much 
 worldly spirit. And it is well attested by all his- 
 torians that the prosperity of the church in this age 
 produced the corruptions which finally terminated in 
 the falling away, and setting up the Antichristian- 
 abominations." Id. 
 
 It will be observed that the voice limiting the 
 amount of wheat for a penny, and saying, " Hurt 
 not the oil and the wine," is not spoken by any one 
 on earth, but comes from the midst of the four liv- 
 ing creatures ; signifying that, though the under shep- 
 herds, the professed ministers of Christ on earth, had 
 no are for the flock, yet the Lord was not unmind- 
 ful of them in this period of darkness. A voice 
 comes from Heaven. He takes care that the spirit 
 of worldliness does not prevail to such a degree that 
 Christianity should be entirely lost, or that the oil 
 and the wine, the graces of genuine piety, should en- 
 tirely perish from the earth. 
 
 VERSE 7. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I 
 heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8. 
 And I looked, and behold a pale horse ; and his name that 
 sat on him was death, and hell followed with him. And 
 power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, 
 to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and 
 with the beasts of the earth. 
 
CHAPTER VI, VEESEti 7, 8. 539 
 
 The color of this horse is remarkable. The colors 
 of the white, red, and black horses, mentioned in the 
 preceding verses, are natural ; but a pale color is un- 
 natural. The original word denotes the "pale or 
 yellowish color " that is seen in blighted or sickly 
 plants. A strange state of things in the professed 
 church must be denoted by this symbol. The rider 
 on this horse is named Death ; and Hell (dc%, the 
 grave) follows with him. The mortality is so great 
 during this period that it would seem as if " the pale 
 nations of the dead " had come upon earth, and were 
 following in the wake of this desolating power. 
 The period during which this seal applies can hardly 
 be mistaken. It must refer to the time in which the 
 papacy bore its unrebuked, unrestrained, and perse- 
 cuting rule, commencing about A. D. 538, and extend- 
 ing to the time when the reformers commenced their 
 work of exposing the corruptions of the papal sys- 
 tem. 
 
 " And power was given unto them " him, says 
 the margin ; that is, the power personified by Death 
 on the pale horse; namely, the papacy. By the 
 fourth part of the earth is doubtless meant the ter- 
 ritory over which this power had jurisdiction ; while 
 the terms, sword, hunger, death (that is, some inflic- 
 tion which causes death, as exposure, torture, etc.), 
 and beasts of the earth, are figures denoting the 
 means by which it has put to death its martyrs, fifty 
 millions of whom, according to the lowest estimate, 
 call for vengeance from beneath its bloody altar. 
 
540 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 VERSE 9. And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw 
 under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the 
 word of God, and for the testimony which they held ; 10 ; 
 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, 
 holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on 
 them that dwell on the earth ? 11. And white robes were 
 given unto every one of them ; and it was said unto them, 
 that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fel- 
 low-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as 
 they were, should be fulfilled. 
 
 The events set forth as transpiring under the 
 fifth seal, are, the crying of the martyrs for ven- 
 geance, and the giving to them of white robes. The 
 questions that at once suggest themselves for solu- 
 tion are, Does this seal cover a period of time ? arid 
 if so, what period ? Where is the altar under which 
 those souls were seen ? What are these souls ? and 
 what is their condition ? What is meant by their 
 cry for vengeance ? What is meant by white robes 
 being given to them ? When do they rest for a 
 little season ? and, What is signified by their breth- 
 ren being killed as they were ? To all these ques- 
 tions, we believe a satisfactory answer can be re- 
 turned. 
 
 1. The Fifth Seal Covers a Period of Time. It 
 seems consistent that this seal, like all the others, 
 should cover a period of time ; and the date of its 
 application cannot be mistaken, if the preceding 
 seals have been rightly located. Following the 
 period of the papal persecution, the time covered 
 by this seal would commence when the Reformation 
 began to undermine the Antichristian papal fabric, 
 
CHAP TEH VI, VERSES 9-11. 541 
 
 and restrain the persecuting power of the Romish 
 church. 
 
 2. The Altar. This cannot denote any altar in 
 Heaven; as it is evidently the place where these 
 victims had been slain, the altar of sacrifice. On 
 this point, Dr. A. Clarke says : "A symbolical vision 
 was exhibited in which he saw an altar. And 
 under it the souls of those who had been slain for 
 the word of God martyred for their attachment to 
 Christianity, are represented as being newly slain 
 as victims to idolatry and superstition. The altar 
 is upon earth, not in Heaven." A confirmation of 
 this view is found in the fact that John is behold- 
 ing scenes upon the earth. The souls are represented 
 under the altar, just as victims slain upon it would 
 pour out their blood beneath it, and fall by its side. 
 
 3. The Souls under the Altar. This representa- 
 tion is popularly regarded as a strong proof of the 
 doctrine of the disembodied and conscious state of 
 the dead. Here, it is claimed, are souls seen by 
 John in a disembodied state ; and they were con- 
 scious, and had knowledge of passing events ; for 
 they cried for vengeance on their persecutors. This 
 view of the passage is inadmissible, for several reasons : 
 1. The popular view places these souls in Heaven ; 
 but the altar of sacrifice on which they were slain, 
 and beneath which they were seen, cannot be there. 
 The only altar we read of in Heaven is the altar of 
 incense ; but it would not be correct to represent vic- 
 tims just slain as under the altar of incense, as that 
 altar was never devoted to such a use. 2. It would 
 
542 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION, 
 
 be repugnant to all our ideas of the heavenly state, 
 to represent souls in Heaven shut up under an altar. 
 3. Can we suppose that the idea of vengeance 
 would reign so supreme in the minds of souls in 
 Heaven as to render them, despite the joy and glory 
 of that ineffable state, dissatisfied and uneasy till 
 vengeance was inflicted upon their enemies ? Would 
 they not rather rejoice that persecution raised its 
 hand against them, and thus hastened them into the 
 presence of their Redeemer, at whose right hand 
 there is fullness of joy, and pleasures forevermore? 
 But, further, the popular view which puts these souls 
 in Heaven, puts the wicked at the same time in the 
 lake of fire, writhing in unutterable torment, and in 
 full view of the heavenly host. This, it is claim ed ? 
 is proved by the parable of the rich man and Laza- 
 rus. Now these souls, brought to view under the 
 fifth seal, were those who had been slain under the 
 preceding seal, scores of years, and most of them cent- 
 uries, before. Beyond any question, their persecu- 
 tors had all passed off' the stage of action, and accord- 
 ing to the view under consideration, were suffering 
 all the torments of hell right before their eyes. Yet, 
 as if not satisfied with this, they cry to God, as though 
 he was delaying vengeance on their murderers. 
 What greater vengeance could they want ? Or, if 
 their persecutors were still on the earth, they must 
 know that they would, in a few years at most, join 
 the vast multitude daily pouring through the gate of 
 death into the world of woe. Their amiability is put 
 in no better light even by this supposition. One 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 9-11. 543 
 
 thing, at least, is evident : The popular theory con- 
 cerning the condition of the dead, righteous and 
 wicked, cannot be correct, or the interpretation usu- 
 ally given to this passage is not correct ; for they de- 
 vour each other. 
 
 But it is urged that these souls must be conscious ; 
 for they cry to God. This argument would be of 
 weight were there no such figure of speech as per- 
 sonification. But while there is, it will be proper, 
 on certain conditions, to attribute life, action, and 
 intelligence, to inanimate objects. Thus the blood 
 of Abel is said to have cried to God from the ground. 
 Gen. 4 : 9, 10. The stone cried out of the wall, and 
 the beam out of the timber answered it. Hab. 2 : 
 11. The hire of the laborers kept back by fraud* 
 cried, and the cry entered into the ears of the Lord 
 of Sabaoth. Jas. 5:4. So the souls mentioned in 
 our text could cry, and not thereby be proved to be 
 conscious. 
 
 The incongruity of the popular view on this verse 
 is so apparent that Albert Barnes makes the follow- 
 ing concession : " We are not to suppose that this 
 literally occurred, and that John actually saw the 
 souls of the martyrs beneath the altars for the 
 whole representation is symbolical ; nor are we to 
 suppose that the injured and the wronged in Heav- 
 en actually pray for vengeance on those who 
 wronged them, or that the redeemed in Heaven will 
 continue to pray with reference to tilings on earth; 
 but it may be fairly inferred from this that there 
 will be as real a remembrance of the wrongs of the 
 
544 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 persecuted, the injured, and the oppressed, as if such 
 a prayer was offered there ; and that the oppressor 
 has as much to dread from the divine vengeance as 
 if those whom he has injured should cry in Heaven 
 to the God who hears prayer, and who takes ven- 
 geance." Notes on Rev. 6. 
 
 On such passages as this, the reader is misled by 
 the popular definition of the word soul. From that 
 definition, he is led to suppose that this text speaks 
 of an immaterial, invisible, immortal essence in man, 
 which soars into its coveted freedom on the death 
 of its hindrance and clog, the mortal body. No in- 
 stance of the occurrence of the word in the orig- 
 inal Hebrew or Greek will sustain such a definition. 
 It oftenest means life ; and is not unfrequently ren- 
 dered person. It applies to the dead as well as to 
 the living, as may be seen by reference to Gen. 2 : 
 7, where the word " living " need not have been ex- 
 pressed were life an inseparable attribute of the 
 soul ; and to Num. 19 : 13, where the Hebrew Con- 
 cordance reads, " Dead soul." Moreover these souls 
 pray that their blood may be avenged, an article 
 which the immaterial soul, as popularly understood, 
 is not supposed to possess. We regard the word 
 souls as here meaning simply the martyrs, those 
 who had been slain, the words " souls of them " be- 
 ing a periphrasis for the whole person. They were 
 represented to John as having been slain upon the 
 altar of papal sacrifice, on this earth, and lying 
 dead beneath it. They certainly were not alive 
 when John saw them under the fifth seal ; for he 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 9-11. 545 
 
 again brings to view the same company, in almost 
 the same language, and assures us that the first 
 time they live after their martyrdom is at the res- 
 urrection of the just. Rev. 20: 4-6. Lying there, 
 victims of papal blood-thirstiness and oppression, 
 they cried to God for vengeance, in the same man- 
 ner that Abel's blood cried to him from the ground. 
 
 The White Robes. These were given as a par- 
 tial answer to their cry, " How long, Lord, dost 
 thou not judge and avenge our blood ? " How was 
 it ? They had gone down to the grave in the most 
 ignominious manner. Their lives had been mis- 
 represented, their reputations tarnished, their names 
 defamed, their motives maligned, and their graves 
 covered with shame and reproach, as containing 
 the dishonored dust of the most vile and despicable 
 characters. Thus the church of Rome, which then 
 molded the sentiment of the principal nations of 
 the earth, spared no pains to make her victims an 
 abhorring unto all flesh. 
 
 But the Reformation begins to work. It begins 
 to be seen that the church is the corrupt and disrep- 
 utable party, and those against whom it vents its 
 rage are the good, the pure, and the true. The 
 work goes on among the most enlightened nations, 
 the reputation of the church going down, and that 
 of the martyrs coming up, until the corruptions of 
 the papal abominations are fully exposed, and that 
 huge system of iniquity stands forth before the 
 world in all its naked deformity ; while the mar- 
 tyrs are vindicated from all the aspersions under 
 35 
 
546 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 which that Antichristian church had sought to bury 
 them. Then it was seen that they had suffered, 
 not for being vile and criminal, but " for the word 
 of God, and for the testimony which they held." 
 Then their praises were sung, their virtues admired, 
 their fortitude applauded, their names honored, and 
 their memories cherished. White robes were thus 
 given unto every one of them. 
 
 The Little Season. The cruel work of Romanism 
 did not instantly cease as the light of the Reforma- 
 tion began to dawn. Not a few terrible outbursts of 
 Romish hate and persecution were yet to be felt 
 by the church. Multitudes more were to be pun- 
 ished as heretics and join the great army of mar- 
 tyrs. The full vindication of their cause was to be 
 delayed a little season. And during this time, 
 Rome added hundreds of thousands to the vast 
 throng of whose blood she had already become 
 guilty. See Buck's Theological Dictionary, Art. 
 Persecution. But the spirit of persecution was 
 finally restrained; the cause of the martyrs was 
 vindicated; and the little season of the fifth seal 
 came to a close. 
 
 VERSE 12. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth 
 seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake ; and the sun be- 
 came black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as 
 blood ; 13 ; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even 
 as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of 
 a mighty wind. 14. And the heaven departed as a scroll 
 when it is rolled together ; and every mountain and island 
 were moved out of their places. 15. And the kings of the 
 earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 12-17. 547 
 
 captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and 
 every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks 
 of the mountains ; 16 ; And said to the mountains and rocks, 
 Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on 
 "the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb ; 17 ; For the 
 great day of his wrath is come ; and who shalt be able to 
 stand '\ 
 
 Such are the solemn and sublime scenes that 
 transpire under the sixth seal. And a thought 
 well calculated to awaken in every heart an intense 
 interest in divine things, is the consideration that 
 we are now living amid the momentous events of 
 this seal. 
 
 Between the fifth and sixth seals there seems to 
 be a sudden and entire change in the language, 
 from the highly figurative to the strictly literal. 
 Whatever may be the cause of this change, the 
 change itself cannot well be denied. By no prin- 
 ciple of interpretation can the language of the pre- 
 ceding seals be made to be literal; nor can the 
 language of this any more easily be made to be 
 figurative. We must therefore accept the change, 
 even though we should be unable to explain it. 
 There is a great fact, however, to which we would 
 here call attention. It was to be in the period cov- 
 ered by this seal that the prophetic portions of 
 God's word were to be unsealed, and many run to 
 and fro, or "give their sedulous attention to the 
 understanding of these things," and thereby knowl- 
 edge on this part of God's word to be greatly in- 
 creased. And we suggest that it may be for this 
 
548 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 reason that the change in the language here occurs, 
 and that the events of this seal, transpiring at a 
 time when these things were to be fully understood, 
 are couched in no figures, but laid before us in 
 plain and unmistakable language. 
 
 The Great Earthquake. The first event under 
 this seal, perhaps the one which marks its opening, 
 is a great earthquake. As the more probable ful- 
 fillment of this prediction, we refer to the great 
 earthquake of Nov. 1, 1755. Of this earthquake, 
 Sears, in his " Wonders of the World," pp. 50, 58, 
 381, says : 
 
 "The great earthquake of Nov. 1, 1755, extended 
 over a tract of at least 4,000,000 of square miles. 
 Its effects were even extended to the waters in 
 many places where the shocks were not perceptible. 
 It pervaded the greater portion of Europe, Africa, 
 and America ; but its extreme violence was exer- 
 cised on the south- western part of the former. In 
 Africa, this earthquake was felt almost as severely 
 as it had been in Europe. A great part of Algiers 
 was destroyed. Many houses were thrown down 
 at Fay and Mequinez, and multitudes were buried 
 beneath the ruins. Similar effects were realized at 
 Morocco. Its effects were likewise felt at Tangiers, 
 at Tetuan, at Funchal in the island of Madeira. It 
 is probable that all Africa was shaken. At the 
 north, it extended to Norway and Sweden. Ger- 
 many, Holland, France, Great Britain, and Ireland, 
 were all more or less agitated by the same great 
 commotion of the elements. Lisbon (Portugal), 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 12-17. 549 
 
 previous to the earthquake in 1755, contained 
 150,000 inhabitants. Mr. Barretti says that 90,000 
 persons are supposed to have been lost on that fatal 
 day." 
 
 On page 200 of the same work, we again read : 
 " The terror of the people was beyond description. 
 Nobody wept it was beyond tears they ran 
 hither and thither, delirious with horror and as- 
 tonishment, beating their faces and breasts, crying, 
 ' Misericordia the world's at an end ! ' Mothers 
 forgot their children, and ran about loaded with 
 crucifixed images. Unfortunately many ran to the 
 churches for protection ; but in vain was the sac- 
 rament exposed; in vain did the poor creatures 
 embrace the altars; images, priests, and people, 
 were buried in one common ruin." 
 
 The Encyclopedia Americana states that this 
 earthquake extended also to Greenland, and of its 
 effects upon the city of Lisbon, further says : " The 
 city then contained about 150,000 inhabitants. 
 The shock was instantly followed by the fall of 
 every church and convent, almost all the large and 
 public buildings, and more than one-fourth of the 
 houses. In about two hours after the shock, fires 
 broke out in different quarters, and raged with 
 such violence for the space of nearly three days, 
 that the city was completely desolated. The earth- 
 quake happened on a holy day, when the churches 
 and convents were full of people, very few of whom 
 escaped." 
 
 If the reader will look on his atlas at the coun- 
 
550 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 tries above mentioned, he will see how large a por- 
 tion of the earth's surface was agitated by this 
 awful convulsion. Other earthquakes may have 
 been as severe in particular localities ; but no other 
 one combining so great an extent with such a de- 
 gree of severity, has ever been felt on this earth, of 
 which we have any record. 
 
 The Darkening of the Sun. Following the 
 earthquake, it is announced that " the sun became 
 black as sackcloth of hair." This portion of the 
 prediction has also been fulfilled. Into a detailed 
 account of the wonderful darkening of the sun, 
 May 19, 1780, we need not here enter. Most per- 
 sons of general reading, it is presumed, have seen 
 some account of it ; besides, many are living who 
 have no need of the written description, having 
 been eye-witnesses of the extraordinary scene. 
 The following detached declarations from different 
 testimonies will give an idea of its nature. 
 
 " In the month of May, 1780, there was a terrific 
 dark day in New England, when ' all faces seemed 
 to gather blackness/ and the people were filled with 
 fear. There was great distress in the village where 
 Edward Lee lived ; ' men's hearts failing them for 
 fear ' that the Judgment day was at hand ; and the 
 neighbors all flocked around the holy man," who 
 " spent the gloomy hours in earnest prayer for the 
 distressed multitude." Tract No. 379, Am. Tract 
 Society Life of Edward Lee. 
 
 " Candles were lighted in many houses. Birds 
 were silent and disappeared. Fowls retired to 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 12-17. 
 
 roost. It was the general opinion that the day of 
 Judgment was at hand." Pres. Dwight in Ct. His- 
 torical Collections. 
 
 " The darkness was such as to occasion farmefs 
 to leave their work in the field, and retire to their 
 dwellings. Lights became necessary to the trans- 
 action of business within doors. The darkness 
 continued through the day." Gages History of 
 Rowley, Mass. 
 
 " The cocks crew as at daybreak, and everything 
 bore the appearance and gloom of night. The 
 alarm produced by this unmsual aspect of the 
 heavens was very great." Portsmouth Journal, 
 May 20, 1843. 
 
 " It was midnight darkness at noon-day ...... 
 
 Thousands of people who could not account for it 
 from natural causes, were greatly terrified ; and, 
 indeed, it cast a universal gloom on the earth. The 
 frogs and night-hawks began their notes." Dr. 
 Adams. 
 
 " Similar days have occasionally been known, 
 though inferior in the degree or extent of their 
 darkness. The causes of these phenomena are un- 
 known. They certainly were not the result of 
 eclipses." Sears' Guide to Knowledge. 
 
 The Moon Became as Blood. The darkness of 
 the following night, May 19, 1780, was as unnatu- 
 ral as that of the day had been. 
 
 "The darkness of the following evening was 
 probably as gross as has ever been observed since 
 the Almighty first gave birth to light. I could not 
 
552 THOUGHTS ON THE UE DELATION. 
 
 help conceiving at the time, that if every luminous 
 body in the universe had been shrouded in impen- 
 etrable darkness, or struck out of existence, the 
 darkness could not have been more complete. A 
 sheet of white paper held within a few inches of 
 the eyes, was equally invisible with the blackest 
 velvet." Mr. Tenny of Exeter, N. H., quoted by 
 Mr. Gage to the " Historical Society. 1 ' 
 
 And whenever on this memorable night the 
 moon did appear, as at certain times it did, it had, 
 according to this prophecy, the appearance of blood. 
 
 And the Stars o/ Heaven Fell. The voice of 
 history still is, Fulfilled! Being a much later 
 event than the darkening of the sun, there are 
 multitudes in whose memories it is as fresh as 
 though it were but yesterday. We refer to the 
 great meteoric shower of Nov. 13, 1833. On this 
 point one extract will suffice. 
 
 " At the cry, ' Look out of the window,' I sprang 
 from a deep sleep, and with wonder saw the east 
 
 lighted up with the dawn and meteors I 
 
 called to my wife to behold; and, while robing, she 
 exclaimed, ' See how the stars fall ! ' I replied, 
 ' That is the wonder ; ' and we felt in our hearts 
 that it was a sign of the last days. For truly ' the 
 stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig- 
 tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken 
 of a mighty wind.' Rev. 6 : 13. This language of 
 the prophet has always been received as metaphor- 
 ical. Yesterday, it was literally fulfilled. The 
 ancients understood by aster in Greek and stella in 
 
PLATE VIII. FALLING OF THE STARS. 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 12-17. 553 
 
 Latin, the smaller lights of heaven. The refine- 
 ment of modern astronomy has made distinction 
 between stars of heaven and meteors of heaven. 
 Therefore, the idea of the prophet, as it is expressed 
 in the original Greek, was literally fulfilled in the 
 phenomenon of yesterday, so as no man before yes- 
 terday had conceived to be possible that it should 
 be fulfilled. The immense size and distance of the 
 planets and fixed stars forbid the idea of their fall- 
 ing unto the earth. Larger bodies cannot fall in 
 myriads unto a smaller body; but most of the 
 planets and all the fixed stars are many times 
 larger than our earth ; but these fell toward the 
 earth. And how did they fall ? Neither myself 
 nor one of the family heard any report ; and were 
 I to hunt through nature for a simile, I could not 
 find one so apt, to illustrate the appearance of the 
 heavens, as that which St. John uses in the proph- 
 ecy before quoted : ' The stars of heaven fell unto 
 the earth/ They were not sheets, or flakes, or 
 drops, of fire ; but they were what the world un- 
 derstands by falling stars ; and one speaking to his 
 fellow, in the midst of the scene, would say, ' See 
 how the stars fall ! ' And he who heard would not 
 stop to correct the astronomy of the speaker, any 
 more than he would reply, 'The sun does not 
 move,' to one who should tell him, ' The sun is ris- 
 ing.' The stars fell ' even as a fig-tree casteth her 
 untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty 
 wind.' Here is the exactness of the prophet. The 
 falling stars did not come as if from several trees 
 
554 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 shaken, but from one. Those which appeared in 
 the east, fell toward the east ; those which ap- 
 peared in the north, fell toward the north ; those 
 which appeared in the west, fell toward the west ; 
 and those which appeared in the south (for I went 
 out of my residence into the Park), fell toward the 
 south. And they fell not as ripe fruit falls ; far 
 from it ; but they flew, they were cast, like the un- 
 ripe, which at first refuses to leave the branch, and 
 when, under a violent pressure, it does break its 
 hold, it flies swiftly, straight off, descending ; and 
 in the multitude falling, some cross the track of 
 others, as they are thrown with more or less force, 
 but each one falls on its own side of the tree." 
 Henry Dana Ward. 
 
 These signs in the sun, moon, and stars, are the 
 same as those so strikingly predicted by our Lord 
 and recorded by the evangelists, Matt. 24, Mark 13, 
 and Luke 21. In these records not only the same 
 signs are given, but the same time is pointed out 
 for their fulfillment ; namely, a period commencing 
 just this side of the long and bloody persecution of 
 the papal power. In Matt. 24 : 21, 22, the 1260 
 years of papal supremacy are brought to view ; 
 and " immediately after the tribulation of those 
 days," verse 29, the sun was to be darkened, etc. 
 Mark is still more definite and says, "In those 
 days, after that tribulation." The days, commenc- 
 ing in A. D. 538, ended in 1798 ; but before they 
 ended, the spirit of persecution had been restrained 
 by the Reformation, and that tribulation of the 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 12-17. 555 
 
 church had ceased. And right in this period, ex- 
 actly at the time specified in the prophecy, the ful- 
 fillment of these signs commenced in the darkening 
 of the sun and moon. 
 
 The first instance of the falling of the stars, 
 worthy of any notice, though others of local and 
 minor importance may be mentioned before it, took 
 place in 1799. To the great display of 1833, by 
 far the most brilliant of any on record, we have 
 already referred. Of the extent of this shower, 
 Prof. Olmstead, of Yale College, a distinguished 
 meteorologist, says, " The extent of the shower of 
 1833, was such as to cover no inconsiderable part 
 of the earth's surface ; from the middle of the At- 
 lantic on the east, to the Pacific on the west ; and 
 from the northern coast of South America, to un- 
 defined regions among the British possessions on 
 the north, the exhibition was visible, and every- 
 where presented nearly the same appearance." 
 From this, it appears that this exhibition was con- 
 fined exclusively to the western world. But in the 
 year 1866, another remarkable occurrence of this 
 kind took place, this time in the East, nearly as 
 magnificent in some places as that of 1833, and vis- 
 ible, so far as ascertained, throughout the greater 
 part of Europe. Thus the principal portions of the 
 earth have now been warned by this sign. 
 
 Observation has shown that these meteoric dis- 
 plays occur at regular intervals of about thirty- 
 three years. The skeptic will doubtless seize upon 
 this as a pretext for throwing them out of the cat- 
 
556 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 alogue of signs. But if they are not more than 
 ordinary occurrences, the question is to be an- 
 swered why they have not occurred as regularly 
 and prominently centuries in the past as in the last 
 hundred years. This is a question science cannot 
 answer ; nor can it offer anything more than con- 
 jecture as to their cause. 
 
 One significant fact will be noticed in connection 
 with all the foregoing signs : They were each in- 
 stinctively associated in the minds of the people, at 
 the time of their occurrence, with the great day of 
 which they were the forerunners. And on each 
 occasion the cry was raised, "The Judgment has 
 come," " The world's at an end." 
 
 But the objector answers, These phenomena in 
 the sun, moon and stars cannot be signs of the end ; 
 because there have been many instances of such oc- 
 currences ; and pointing to some ten other periods 
 of remarkable darkness, besides that of 1780, and 
 to several occurrences of falling stars, or meteoric 
 showers, he asks with an air of triumph which one 
 we will take for the sign. That this is not a fan- 
 ciful representation of the objection the following 
 facts will demonstrate : 
 
 In 1878 we noticed in one of the leading dailies 
 of Chicago a question from a correspondent in Ver- 
 mont, and the reply given by the paper, as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 "Will you give the causes (and proof) of the 
 'dark day' in 1780, the 19th of May, I believe. 
 An ' Advent preacher ' has been preaching in this 
 
CHAP TEE TT, VERSES 12-17. 557 
 
 neighborhood, and alluded to it as a sign of the de- 
 struction of the world." 
 
 And the reply is given thus : 
 
 " The dark day of 1780 was produced by entirely 
 natural causes, and was about as much a sign of the 
 destruction of the world as of the advent of the po- 
 tato-beetle. The darkness, said Dr. Samuel Tenney, 
 of Exeter, N. EL, was produced by common clouds. 
 Between these common clouds and the earth inter- 
 vened another stratum of great thickness. As the 
 stratum advanced, the darkness commenced and in- 
 creased with its progress. The uncommon thickness 
 of this stratum was occasioned by two strong cur- 
 rents of wind from the southward and westward, 
 condensing the vapors and drawing them in a north- 
 west direction. The density of this stratum was 
 owing to the vapor and smoke it contained. These 
 so-called dark days have not been uncommon, being 
 known in 366 B. c.; 295 B. c.; 252 A. D.; 746, 775, 
 1732, 1762, 1780, 1783, 1807, 1816. The one was 
 as prophetic as any other and no more so." 
 
 It would have been a little more to the satisfac- 
 tion of any one who wishes to know the reasons of 
 his faith, if the writer of the reply had stated where 
 he found his evidence for all his assertions. And 
 we would like a little light on such points as this : 
 From what came that " stratum of great thickness " ? 
 Of what was it composed ? How was it formed ? 
 This fellow's explanation amounts to just this : It 
 was dark because there was great darkness. He 
 simply states the fact in another form, and calls 
 
558 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 that an explanation. His own statement needs 
 explaining as really as the one to which he refers. 
 " The uncommon thickness of the stratum was 
 caused by two strong currents of wind," etc. How 
 did those winds chance to come just then, and just 
 when there were vapors to condense ? And what 
 caused the vapors ? Then how could currents from 
 the west and. south draw the vapors in a north-west 
 direction ? Common philosophy w r ould assign them, 
 under such circumstances, a north-east direction. 
 Our friend must be careful or he will make the 
 dark day to be a greater phenomenon than we have 
 ever claimed. 
 
 But, further, we would ask how, according to the 
 reply above given, the words of our Lord can ever be 
 fulfilled. He says that the sun shall be darkened ; 
 and he means the literal sun; for he speaks of men 
 and things on the earth in contrast with it ; Luke 
 21 : 25 ; and he says that when it is thus darkened 
 it is a sign of the end ; for when we see these things 
 come to pass, he tells us that we are to know that 
 he is near, even at the doors. But according to the 
 writer of the foregoing, there never can be any sign 
 of this nature. He declares there never has been 
 in the past ; and suppose such a phenomenon should 
 occur again ; would it be a sign ? Not in his eyes ; 
 for the hypothesis of vapors, winds, natural laws, 
 and common occurrences, would instantly fly to his 
 scoffing lips. But something of this kind is to con- 
 stitute a sign; for the Lord himself has declared it; 
 and we would like to ask the objector how a dark- 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 12-17. 559 
 
 ening of the sun should differ from that of 1780, to 
 answer to the prophecy and constitute a sign ? 
 
 But, it is urged, there have been many such 
 events, hence it can be no sign ; and seven dark days 
 are mentioned by our writer before 1780, and three 
 since, for which, however, he forgot to give his au- 
 thority. But how does it happen that nobody has 
 seemed to pay any attention to these days, or make 
 any account of them ? and why is it that all fix 
 upon May 10, 1780, as the only one worthy of spe- 
 cial note, giving it by way of distinction, the title, 
 The Dark Day ? 
 
 The answer is obvious. It occupies a pre-emi- 
 nent position in this respect. It towers up far above 
 all others as the one alone remarkable and note- 
 worthy for its awful phenomena. 
 
 But we are not left to decide the matter from this 
 evidence alone ; for our Lord has not only told us 
 that such an event should occur as a sign of his com- 
 ing, but he has told us also when it should occur. 
 " Immediately after the tribulation of those days," 
 says Matthew. Mark is more definite and says, 
 " In those days after that tribulation, the sun shall 
 be darkened," etc. Mark 13 : 24. The " days " are 
 the days of papal supremacy, the 1260 years from 
 538 to 1798; the tribulation is the oppression 
 of Christians by the Catholic power till restrained 
 by the work of the Reformation. The tribulation 
 may be said to have ceased about the middle of the 
 18th century. The " days " ended within two years 
 of the close of that century. Thus by the fixed 
 
560 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 terms of the prophecy we are shut up to a period of 
 about fifty years in length, and ending in 1798, in 
 which to look for that darkening of the sun which 
 was to be a sign of the Lord's soon coming. 
 
 Again, the darkening of the sun was to be the 
 second great event to take place under the sixth 
 seal. Rev. 6 : 12. The first and the one which 
 marked the opening of that seal, was a great earth- 
 quake, shown to be, by comparison with the pre- 
 ceding seals, the great earthquake of Lisbon, Nov. 
 1, 1755. Between this point and the end of the 
 papal period in 1798, the sun was to be darkened 
 as a sign of the end. Here we are shut up to a 
 period of time positively only forty-three years in 
 length, in which to look for that darkening of the 
 sun which was the subject of the prediction. Now 
 it matters not if our opponents should claim seven 
 thousand dark days instead of seven, as notable as 
 the one of 1780, it would not affect the prediction 
 or the sign in the least degree. It matters not how 
 many nor what kind of dark days there may have 
 been in other ages, we look for one which was to 
 take place in that brief, specified period as the pre- 
 dicted sign. 
 
 We fix our eyes upon that time, and what do we 
 behold ? We find not only the darkening of the 
 sun, as foretold, but we find a dark day so much 
 more notable than all others, that it- is set forth by 
 way of pre-eminence as " the dark day," while in 
 general history all others are passed by in silence. 
 
 From one point it is very strange that people can 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 12-17. 
 
 overlook considerations of this nature which are 
 so decisive upon this question. From another, it is 
 not. What a man does n't want to see he can very 
 easily keep from seeing. But the lack both of in- 
 clination and ability we apprehend is accounted for 
 by the prophet Daniel, when he says, " the wicked 
 shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall un- 
 derstand." 
 
 Of the dark day, Webster's Unabridged Diction- 
 ary, editions of 1869 and 1870, page 1556, says: 
 
 "Dark Day, The. May 19, 1780 ; so-called on 
 account of a remarkable darkness on that day ex- 
 tending over all New England. In some places 
 persons could not see to read common print in the 
 open air for several hours together. Birds sang 
 their evening song, disappeared, and became silent ; 
 fowls went to roost ; cattle sought the barn-yard ; 
 and candles were lighted in the houses. The ob- 
 scuration began about ten o'clock in the morning, 
 and continued till the middle of the next night, but 
 with different degrees of duration in different 
 places. For several days previous, the wind had 
 been variable, but chiefly from the south-west and 
 the north-east. The true cause of this remarkable 
 phenomenon is not known." 
 
 While the learned editor of Webster's Dictionary 
 testifies so positively that " the true cause of the 
 phenomenon is not known" it is remarkable how 
 flippantly many smaller minds proceed to offer their 
 explanations, and account for it from natural causes. 
 
 Those who lived at the time, and had at least as 
 36 
 
562 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 good an opportunity to mark all its strange features 
 and unnatural manifestations as people of the pres- 
 ent time, were filled with awe at the occurrence, and 
 for years, so long as the memory of it lasted, were 
 unable to explain it ; but their degenerate sons, the 
 wondrously wise generation of the present, living 
 over a hundred years from the time of its occur- 
 rence, and having never seen anything of the kind, 
 assume to explain it with all the nonchalance with 
 which they would tell us that two and two make 
 four. 
 
 As the time when we were to look for the be- 
 ginning of the signs is so definitely located, it is 
 further objected that the falling of the stars in 
 1833 cannot be one of the signs, because, according 
 to Mark 13 : 24, 25, they also should have fallen 
 within those days, or previous to 1798, as this event 
 is immediately connected by the word " and " to the 
 signs in the sun and moon. 
 
 We reply by calling attention to the fact that 
 there are more events than simply the falling of 
 the stars that are linked to the series by the word 
 " and." Thus, " And " the stars of heaven shall fall, 
 "and" the powers that are in heaven shall be 
 shaken, " and " then shall they see the Son of man 
 coming, "and" then shall he send his angels to 
 gather the elect. Now the language certainly is 
 not designed to convey the idea that all these 
 things were to take place within those days ; for 
 in that case, we should have the coming of Christ 
 itself take place before the days ended. Verse 29, 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 12-17. 563 
 
 stating the conclusion of the argument, says, " So 
 ye in like manner when ye shall see these things 
 come to pass, know that it is nigh even at the 
 doors." Matthew puts it in still stronger language, 
 when he says, " So likewise ye, when ye shall see 
 all these things, know that it [margin, he, Christ] is 
 near, even at the doors." But it would be absurd 
 to say that we must wait till the coming of Christ 
 takes place before we can know that it is near, even 
 at the doors. 
 
 These facts, then, plainly appear : That a series 
 of associated events is given us, covering quite a 
 period of time, beginning at some point in the past, 
 and reaching down to, and including, the second 
 coming of Christ. The beginning of the series is 
 placed at a point before the close of a certain pro- 
 phetic period designated as " those days," namely, 
 the 1260 years of papal oppression upon the 
 church ; but the end of the series lies far outside of 
 that period, as already shown. Now, the question 
 to be decided is, How many events of the series 
 given us are to be looked for before the date by 
 which " those days " are limited, that is, before 
 1798, where the 1260 days, or years, terminated ? 
 The only data we have upon which to frame an 
 answer are the facts already noticed ; namely, that 
 the events begin within that period, but close out- 
 side of it ; and no specified number is given as be- 
 longing to that period. 
 
 The conclusion is therefore inevitable that if the 
 first one of the events designated comes to pass 
 
564 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 within the specified time, the prophecy is fulfilled, 
 though all the others lie outside of that time. Had 
 the sun alone been darkened before 1798, it would 
 have been sufficient to fulfill the prophecy. The 
 moon, even, might have been darkened this side of 
 1798 without vitiating the prophecy in the least 
 degree. The sun and moon were darkened together 
 in 1780, eighteen years before the days ended ; the 
 stars fell in 1833, thirty-five years after the end of 
 the days. We have reached the year 1880, eighty- 
 two years this side the ending of the days, and the 
 shaking of the powers of heaven is yet future, but 
 not far distant, as other prophecies show ; and in 
 immediate connection with that, as Joel and John 
 plainly declare, the coming of the Lord is to take 
 place. 
 
 If the objector still insists that according to our 
 application the stars should have fallen before 1798, 
 because it says, " And the stars of heaven shall fall," 
 we reply that then all the other events should also 
 have taken place before 1798 ; for they are con- 
 nected in the same way. But this we have shown 
 to be absurd. 
 
 And the Heaven Departed as a Scroll. In this 
 event our minds are turned to the future. From 
 looking at the past and beholding the word of 
 God fulfilled, we are now called to look at events 
 before us, which are no less sure to come. Here is 
 our position unmistakably defined. We stand be- 
 tween the 13th and 14th verses of this chapter. 
 We wait for the heavens to depart as a scroll when 
 
CHAPTER VI, VERSES 12-17. 565 
 
 it is rolled together. And these are times of un- 
 paralleled solemnity and importance ; for how near 
 we may be to the fulfillment of these things we 
 know not. 
 
 This departing of the heaven as a scroll is what 
 the evangelists call in the same series of events, 
 the shaking of the powers of the heavens. Other 
 scriptures give us further particulars concerning 
 this prediction. From Heb. 12:25-27, Joel 3:16, 
 Jer. 25 : 30-33, Rev. l(i : 17, we learn that it is the 
 voice of God as he speaks in terrible majesty from 
 his throne in Heaven, that causes this fearful com- 
 motion in earth and sky. Once the Lord spoke, 
 when, with an audible voice, he declared to his creat- 
 ures the precepts of his eternal law; and the 
 earth shook. He is to speak again, and not only 
 the earth will shake, but the heavens also. Then 
 will the earth " reel to and fro like a drunkard ; " 
 it will be " disolved," and " clean broken down ; " 
 Isa. 24; mountains will move from their firm 
 bases; islands will suddenly change their loca- 
 tion in the midst of the sea ; from the level plain 
 will arise the precipitous mountain ; and rocks will 
 thrust up their ragged forms from earth's broken 
 surface ; and while the voice of God is reverberating 
 through the earth, the direst confusion will reign 
 over the face of nature. 
 
 Then will the world's dream of carnal security 
 be effectually broken. Kings who, intoxicated 
 with their own earthly authority, have never 
 dreamed of a higher power than themselves, now 
 
566 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 realize that there is One who reigns King of 
 kings; and the great men behold the vanity of 
 all earthly pomp, for there is a greatness above 
 that of earth ; and the rich men throw their silver 
 and gold to the moles and bats, for it cannot save 
 them in that day; and the chief captains forget 
 their little brief authority and the mighty men 
 their might; and every bondman, who is in the 
 still worse bondage of sin, and every freeman, all 
 classes of the wicked, from the highest to the low- 
 est, join in the general wail of consternation and 
 despair. They who never prayed to Him whose 
 arm could bring salvation, now raise an agonizing 
 prayer to rocks and mountains to bury them forever 
 from his presence. Fain would they now avoid 
 reaping what they by a life of lust and sin had sown. 
 Fain would they now shun the fearful treasure 
 of wrath which they have been heaping up for 
 themselves against this day. Fain would they 
 bury themselves and their catalogue of crimes in 
 everlasting darkness. And so they fly to the rocks, 
 caves, caverns, and fissures which the broken sur- 
 face of the earth now presents before them. But 
 it is too late. They cannot conceal their guilt nor 
 escape the long-delayed vengeance. 
 
 " It will be in vain to call, 
 
 Rocks and mountains on us fall, 
 For His hand will find out all, 
 In that day." 
 
 The day which they thought never would come, 
 has at last taken them as in a snare ; and the in- 
 
CHAPTER TY, VERSES 12-17. 567 
 
 voluntary language of their anguished hearts, is, 
 " The great day of his wrath has come, and who shall 
 be able to stand ? " Before it is called out by the 
 fearful scenes of this time, we pray you. reader, give 
 your most serious and candid attention to this sub- 
 ject. 
 
 Many now affect to despise the institution of 
 prayer. But at one time or another all men will 
 pray. Those who will not now pray to God in peni- 
 tence, will then pray to the rocks and mountains in 
 despair. And this will be the largest prayer-meeting 
 ever held. As you read these lines think whether 
 you would like to have a part therein. 
 
 Adventists are now in the minority; but they 
 will then be in the majoiity ; for all the world will 
 be Adventists. But alas ! with the great mass their 
 belief will come too late to do them any good. 
 
 Ah ! better far 
 To cease the unequal war, 
 
 While pardon, hope, and peace may yet be found; 
 Nor longer rush upon the embossed shield 
 Of the Almighty; but repentant yield, 
 And all your weapons of rebellion ground. 
 Better pray now in love, than pray ere long in fear. 
 Call ye upon Him, while He waits to hear; 
 So in the coming end 
 
 When down the parted sky 
 The angelic hosts attend 
 
 The Lord of Heaven, most high, 
 Before whose face the solid earth is rent, 
 You may behold in him a friend omnipotent, 
 And safely rest beneath his sheltering wings, 
 Amid the ruin of all earthly things. 
 
VII. 
 
 THE SEALING OF THE 144,000. 
 
 VERSE 1. And after these, things I saw four angels stand- 
 ing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds 
 of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, 
 nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2. And I saw another an- 
 gel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God ; 
 and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom 
 it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3, Saying, Hurt 
 not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have 
 sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 
 
 The chronology of the work here introduced, is 
 established beyond mistake. The sixth chapter 
 closed with the events of the sixth seal ; and the 
 seventh seal is not mentioned until we reach the 
 opening of chapter 8. The whole* of chapter 7 is 
 therefore thrown in here parenthetically. Why is 
 it thus thrown in at this point ? Evidently for the 
 purpose of stating additional particulars concerning 
 the sixth seal. The expression, "after these 
 things," does not mean after the fulfillment of all 
 the events previously described; but after the 
 prophet had been carried down in vision to the 
 close of the. sixth seal, in order not to break the 
 consecutive order of events, as given in chapter 6, 
 (568) 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 1-3. 569 
 
 then his mind is called to what is mentioned in 
 chapter 7, as further particulars to transpire in con- 
 nection with that seal. Then we inquire, Between 
 what events in that seal does this work come in ? 
 It must transpire before the departing of the heav- 
 ens as a scroll; for after that event there is no 
 place for such a work as this. And it must take 
 place subsequently to the signs in the sun, moon, 
 and stars ; for these signs have been fulfilled, and 
 such a work has not yet been accomplished. It 
 comes in, therefore, between the 13th and 14th 
 verses of Rev. 6. But there, as already shown, is 
 just where we now stand. Hence the first part of 
 Rev. 7 relates to a work, the accomplishment of 
 which may be looked for at the present time. 
 
 Four Angels. Angels are ever-present agents in 
 the affairs of earth; and why may not these be 
 four of those heavenly beings into whose hands 
 God has committed the work here described: to 
 hold the winds while it is God's purpose that they 
 should not blow, and to hurt the earth with them 
 when the time comes that they should be loosed ; 
 for it will be noticed, verse 3, that the " hurting " 
 is a work committed to their hands equally with 
 the " holding," so that they do not merely let the 
 winds go, when they are to blow ; but they cause 
 them to blow; they impel forward the work of 
 destruction with their own supernatural energy. 
 But the hurting process here brought to view does 
 not include the seven last plagues. That work is 
 given into the hands of seven special angels ; this, 
 into the hands of four. 
 
570 THOUGHTS ON THE HE V ELATION. 
 
 Four Comers of the Earth. An expression de- 
 noting the four quarters, or the four points of the 
 compass, and signifying that these angels, in their 
 particular sphere had charge of the whole earth. 
 
 The Four Winds. Winds, in the Bible, symbol- 
 ize political commotion, strife, and war. Dan. 7:2; 
 Jer. 25 : 32. The four winds, held by four angels 
 standing in the four quarters of the earth, must de- 
 note all the elements of strife and commotion that 
 exist in the world ; and when they are all loosed, 
 and all blow together, it will constitute the great 
 whirlwind just referred to in Jeremiah. 
 
 The Angel Ascending from the East. Another 
 literal angel, having charge of another specific 
 work. Instead of the words " ascending from the 
 east," some translations read, " ascending from the 
 sun rising," which is a more literal translation. 
 We understand the expression to signify manner 
 rather than locality; that as the sun arises with 
 rays at first oblique, and comparatively powerless, 
 but increases in strength until it shines in all its 
 meridian power and splendor, so the work of this 
 angel would commence in weakness, move onward 
 with ever-accumulating influence, and close in 
 strength and power. 
 
 The Seal of the Living God. This is the distin- 
 guishing characteristic of the ascending angel. He 
 bears with him the seal of the living God. From 
 this fact and the chronology of his work, we are to 
 determine, if possible, what movement is symbol- 
 ized by his mission. 
 
CHAPTER Vll, VERSES 1-S. 
 
 571 
 
 The nature of his work is evidently embraced in 
 his having the seal of the living God ; and to ascer- 
 tain what this work is, we therefore inquire what 
 this seal of the living God is, which he bears with 
 him. 
 
 1. Definition of the term. A seal is defined to 
 be an instrument of sealing, that which " is used 
 by individuals, corporate bodies, and States, for 
 making impressions on wax, upon instruments of 
 writing, as an evidence of their authenticity." The 
 original word in this passage is defined, " A seal, 
 i. <?., a signet ring ; a mark, stamp, badge ; a token, 
 a pledge." Among the significations of the verb 
 are the following : " To secure to any one, to make 
 sure ; to set a seal or mark upon anything in token 
 of its being genuine or approved ; to attest, to con- 
 firm, to establish, to distinguish by a mark." By a 
 comparison of Gen. 17 : 11, with Rom. 4 : 11, and 
 Rev. 7:3, with Eze. 9:4, in connection with the 
 above definition, the reader will see that the words 
 token, sign, seal, and mark, are used in the Bible as 
 synonymous terms. The seal of God as brought to 
 view in our text is to be applied to the servants 
 of God. We are not, of course, to suppose that in 
 this case it is some literal mark to be made in the 
 flesh, but that it is some institution or observance 
 having special reference to God, which will serve 
 as a " mark of distinction " between the worshipers 
 of God, and the wicked around them. 
 
 2. The use of a seal. A seal is used to render 
 valid or authentic any enactments or laws which a 
 
572 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 person or power may promulgate. Frequent in- 
 stances of its use occur in the Scriptures : In 1 Kings 
 21 : 8, we read that Jezebel " wrote letters in Ahab's 
 name, and sealed them with his seal." These let- 
 ters then had all the authority of king Ahab. 
 Again, in Esth. 3:12, "In the name of king Ahas- 
 uerus was it written, and sealed with the king's 
 ring." So also in chap. 8:8," The writing which is 
 written in the king's name, and sealed with the 
 king's ring, may no man reverse." 
 
 3. Where a seal is used. Always in connection 
 with some law or enactment that demands obedi- 
 ence, or upon documents that are to be made legal 
 or subject to the provisions of law. The idea of 
 law is inseparable from a seal. 
 
 4. As applied to God. We are not to suppose 
 that to the enactments and laws of God binding 
 upon men, there must be attached a literal seal, 
 made with literal instruments. But from the 
 definition of the term, and the purpose for which a 
 seal is used, as shown above, we must understand a 
 seal to be strictly that which gives validity and 
 authenticity to enactments and laws. This is 
 found, though a literal seal may not be used, in the 
 name or signature of the law-making power, ex- 
 pressed in such terms as to show what the power 
 is, and its right to make laws and demand obedi- 
 ence. Even with a literal seal, the name must al- 
 ways be used. See the references above given. 
 An instance of the use of the name alone seems to 
 occur in Dan. 6:8: " Now, O king, establish the 
 
CHAPTER VII y VERSES 1-3. 573 
 
 decree, and sign the writing, that it be not 
 changed, according to the law of the Medes and 
 Persians, which altereth not;" that is, affix the 
 signature of royalty, showing who it is that de- 
 mands obedience, and his right to demand it. 
 
 In a gospel prophecy found in Isa. 8, we read: 
 " Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my 
 disciples." Yerse 16. This must refer to a work 
 of reviving some of the claims of the law in the 
 minds of the disciples, which had been overlooked, 
 or perverted from their true meaning. And this, 
 in the prophecy, is called sealing the law, or restor- 
 ing to it its seal, which had been taken from it. 
 
 Again, the 144,000, who, in the chapter before 
 us, are said to be sealed with the seal of God in 
 their foreheads, are again brought to view in Rev. 
 14:1, where they are said to have the Father's 
 name written in their foreheads. 
 
 From the foregoing reasoning, facts, and declara- 
 tions of Scriptures two conclusions inevitably fol- 
 low : 
 
 1. The seal of God is found in connection with 
 the law of God. 
 
 2. The seal of God is that part of his law which 
 contains his name or descriptive title, showing who 
 he is, the extent of his dominion, and his right to 
 rule. 
 
 The law of God is admitted by all disinterested 
 evangelical denominations to be summarily con- 
 tained in the decalogue, or ten commandments. We 
 have, then, but to examine these commandments, to 
 
574 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 see which one it is that constitutes the seal of the 
 law, or, in other words, makes known the true God, 
 the law-making power. The first three command- 
 ments mention the word God ; but we cannot tell 
 from these, who is meant ; for there are multitudes 
 of objects to which this term is applied. There are 
 "gods many and lords many," as the apostle says. 
 1 Cor. 8:5. Passing over the fourth commandment 
 for the time being, the fifth contains the words Lord 
 and God, but does not define them ; and the remain- 
 ing five precepts do not contain the name of God at 
 all. Now what shall be done ? With that portion of 
 the law which we have examined, it would be impos- 
 sible to convict the grossest idolater of sin. The wor- 
 shiper of images could say, This idol before me is my 
 god, his name is god, and these are his precepts. 
 The worshiper of the heavenly bodies could also say, 
 The sun is my god, and I worship him according to 
 this law. Thus, without the fourth commandment, 
 the decalogue is null and void so far as it pertains to 
 enforcing the worship of the true God. But let us 
 now add the fourth commandment, restore to the 
 law this precept, which many are ready to contend 
 has been expunged, and see how the case will then 
 stand. As we examine this commandment which 
 contains the declaration, " For in six days the Lord 
 made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them 
 is," etc., we see at once that we are reading the 
 requirements of Him who created all things. The 
 sun, then, is not the God of the decalogue, V.it He 
 who made the sun. No object in Heaven or earth 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 1-3. 575 
 
 is the being who here demands obedience ; for the 
 God of this law is the one who made all created 
 things. Now we have a weapon against idolatry. 
 No~v this law can no longer be applied to false gods, 
 who "have not made the heavens and the earth." 
 Jer. 10:11. Now the author of this law has de- 
 clared who he is, the extent of his dominion,. and his 
 right to rule ; for every created intelligence must at 
 once assent that He who is the Creator of all, has a 
 right to demand obedience from all his creatures. 
 Thus, with the fourth commandment in its place, 
 this wonderful document, the decalogue, the only 
 document among men which God ever wrote with 
 his own finger, has a signature ; it has that which 
 renders it intelligible and authentic ; it has a seal. 
 But without the fourth commandment, it lacks all 
 these things. 
 
 From the foregoing reasoning it is evident that 
 the fourth commandment constitutes the seal of 
 the law of God, or the seal of God. But the Scrip- 
 tures do not leave us without direct testimony on 
 this point. 
 
 We have seen above that in Scripture usage, sign, 
 seal, token, and mark, are synonymous terms. 
 Now the Lord expressly says that the Sabbath is a 
 sign between him and his people. "Verily my 
 Sabbaths ye shall keep ; for it is a sign between 
 me and you throughout your generations ; that ye 
 may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify 
 you." Ex. 31 : 13. The same fact is again stated 
 by the prophet Ezekiel, 20 : 12, 20. Here the Lord 
 
576 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 told his people that the very object of their keep- 
 ing the Sabbath, that is, observing the fourth com- 
 mandment, was that they might know that he was 
 the true God. It may be said that the Sabbath 
 was only a sign between God and the Jews. True, 
 when this was spoken, the Jews had been separated 
 from all other nations, to be God's people and the 
 depositaries of all divine truth in the earth. But 
 when they through disobedience were broken off, 
 and the Gentiles grafted in through Christ, becom- 
 ing "Israelites indeed" and "Jews inwardly," 
 would not the declaration apply equally to them ? 
 
 Thus the fourth commandment, or the Sabbath, 
 is taken by the Lord as a sign between him and 
 his people, or the seal of his law in both dispensa- 
 tions ; the people by that commandment signifying 
 that they are the worshipers of the true God, and 
 God by the same commandment making himself 
 known as the great Creator of all things. 
 
 In harmony with this we notice the significant 
 fact that whenever the sacred writer wishes to 
 point out the true God in distinction from false 
 gods of every description, an appeal is made to the 
 great facts of creation upon which the fourth com- 
 mandment is based. See 2 Kings 19 :15 ; 2 Chron. 
 2:12; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 115:15; 121:2; 124:8; 
 134 : 3 ; 146 : 6 ; Isa. 37 : 16 ; 42 : 5 ; 44 : 24 ; 45 : 12 ; 
 Job. 9:8; Isa. 51:13; Jer. 10:10-12; Ps. 96:5. 
 Jer. 32:17; 51:15; Acts 4:24; 14:15; 17:23^ 
 etc. 
 
 We refer again to the fact that the same com- 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 1-3. 577 
 
 pany, who in Rev. 7 have the seal of the living 
 God in their foreheads, are brought to view again 
 in Rev. 14:1, having the Father's name in their 
 foreheads. This is good proof that the " seal of the 
 living God" and the "Father's name" are used 
 synonymously. The chain of evidence on this 
 point is rendered complete, when it is ascertained 
 that the fourth commandment, which has been 
 shown to be the seal of the law, is spoken of by the 
 Lord as that which contains his name. The proof 
 of this will be seen by referring to Deut. 16:6 : 
 " But at the place which the Lord thy God shall 
 choose to place his name in, there shalt thou sacri- 
 fice the passover," etc. What was there where they 
 sacrificed the passover ? There was the sanctuary, 
 having in its holiest apartment the ark with the 
 ten commandments, the fourth of which declared 
 the true God, and contained his name. Wherever 
 this was, there God's name was placed ; and this 
 was the only object to which the language could be 
 applied. 
 
 Having ascertained what the seal of God is, we 
 are prepared to proceed with the application of the 
 prophecy. By the scenes introduced in the verses 
 before us, namely, the four winds apparently about 
 to blow, bringing war and trouble upon the land, 
 and this work restrained till the servants of God 
 should be sealed, as though a preparatory work 
 must be done for them to save them from this 
 trouble, we are reminded of the houses of the Is- 
 raelites marked with the blood of the paschal lamb, 
 37 
 
578 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 and spared as the destroying angel passed over to 
 slay the first-born of the Egyptians, Ex. 12, also of 
 the mark made by the man with a writer's ink- 
 horn, Eze. 9, upon all those who were to be spared 
 by the men with the slaughtering weapons who 
 followed after ; and we conclude that the seal of 
 God, here placed upon his servants, is some dis- 
 tinguishing mark or religious characteristic, through 
 which they will be exempted from the judgments 
 of God that fall on the wicked around them. 
 
 As we have found the seal of God in the fourth 
 commandment, the inquiry follows, Does the ob- 
 servance of that commandment involve any pecul- 
 iarity in religious practice ? Yes, a very marked 
 and striking one. It is one of the most singular 
 facts to be met with in religious history that, in 
 an age of such boasted gospel light as the present, 
 when the influence of Christianity is so powerful 
 and wide-spread, one of the most striking pecul- 
 iarities in practice which a person can adopt, and 
 one of the greatest crosses he can take up, even in 
 the most enlightened and Christian lands, is the 
 simple observance of the law of God. For the 
 fourth commandment requires the observance of 
 the seventh day of each week as the Sabbath of 
 the Lord ; but almost all Christendom, through the 
 combined influence of paganism and the papacy, 
 have been beguiled into the keeping of the first 
 day. A person has but to commence the observ- 
 ance of the day enjoined in the commandment, and 
 a mark of peculiarity is upon him at once. He is 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 1-5. 579 
 
 distinct alike from the professedly religious and the 
 unconverted world. 
 
 We conclude, then, that the angel ascending 
 from the east, having the seal of the living God, is 
 a divine messenger in charge of a work of reform 
 to be carried on among men in reference to the 
 Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The agents 
 of this work on the earth are of course ministers of 
 Christ ; for to men is given the commission of in- 
 structing their fellow-men in Bible truth ; but, as 
 there is order in the execution of all the divine 
 counsels, why may not a literal angel have the 
 charge and oversight of this work ? 
 
 We have already noticed the chronology of this 
 work as locating it in our own time. This is 
 further evident from the fact that, as the next 
 event after the sealing of these servants of God, 
 we behold them before the throne, with palms of 
 victory in their hands. The sealing is, therefore, 
 the last work to be accomplished for them prior to 
 their redemption. 
 
 In Rev. 14, we find the same work again brought 
 to view under the symbol of an angel flying in the 
 midst of heaven with the most terrific warning 
 that ever fell upon the ears of men. W^e shall speak 
 of this more fully when we reach that chapter. 
 We refer to it now, as it is the last work to be ac- 
 complished for the world before the coming of 
 Christ, which is the next event in the order of that, 
 prophecy, and hence must synchronize with the 
 work here brought to view in Rev. 7 : 1-3. The 
 
580 THOUGHTS OX THE REVELATION. 
 
 angel with the seal of the living God, in chapter 7, 
 is therefore the same as the third angel of chapter 
 14. *And this view gives additional strength to 
 our view of the seal. For while as the result of 
 the work in chapter 7, a certain company are sealed 
 with the seal of the living God, as the result of the 
 third message of chapter 14, a company are brought 
 out rendering scriptural obedience to all the " com- 
 mandments of God!' Verse 12. But there is no 
 commandment of the decalogue except the fourth, 
 upon which the Christian world theoretically needs 
 reforming ; and that this is the representative ques- 
 tion in this message is evident from the fact that 
 the keeping of the commandments, observing, with 
 all the other moral precepts, the Lord's Sabbath, is 
 what distinguishes the servants of God from those 
 who worship the beast and receive his mark, which 
 is, as will be hereafter shown, the observance of a 
 counterfeit Sabbath. 
 
 Having thus briefly noticed the main points of 
 the subject, we now come to the most striking feat- 
 ure of all. In exact accordance with the foregoing 
 chronological argument, we find this work already 
 being fulfilled before our eyes. The third angel's 
 message is being proclaimed ; the angel ascending 
 from the east is on his mission ; the reform on the 
 Sabbath question has commenced ; it is surely, 
 though yet in comparative silence, working its way 
 through the land ; it is destined to agitate every 
 country entitled to the light of the gospel ; and it 
 will result in bringing out a people prepared for 
 
CHAI'TER VII, VERSES 1-3. 581 
 
 the soon coming of the Saviour, and sealed for h 
 everlasting kingdom. 
 
 With one more question, we leave these -verses 
 upon which we have so lengthily dwelt. Have we 
 seen among the nations any movements which 
 would indicate that the cry of the ascending angel, 
 " Hurt not," etc., by the blowing of the winds, " till 
 we have sealed the servants of God," has in any 
 manner been answered ? The time during which 
 the winds are held could not, from the nature of 
 the case, be a time of profound peace. This would 
 not answer to the prophecy. For, in order for it 
 to be manifest that the winds were being held, 
 there must be disturbance, agitation, anger, and 
 jealousy among the nations, with an occasional out- 
 burst of strife, like a fitful gust breaking away 
 from the imprisoned and struggling tempest. And 
 these outbursts must be suddenly and unexpectedly 
 checked. Then, but not otherwise, would it be evi- 
 dent to him who looked at events in the light of 
 prophecy, that the restraining hand of Omnipotence 
 was laid, for some good purpose, upon the surging 
 elements of strife and war. And such has been 
 the aspect of our times for more than thirty years. 
 Commencing with the great revolution of 1848, 
 when so many European thrones toppled into the 
 dust, what a state of anger and political unrest has 
 existed among all the nations of the earth ! New 
 and unlooked-for complications have suddenly 
 sprung up, throwing matters into apparently in- 
 extricable confusion, and threatening immediate 
 
582 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 and direful war. And now and then the conflict 
 has burst forth in fury, and a thousand voices have 
 been raised to predict that the great crisis had 
 come, that universal war must result, and the ter- 
 mination no man could foretell; when suddenly 
 and unaccountably it has been extinguished, and 
 all subsided into quiet again. The terrible rebellion 
 in our own land of 1861 to 1865 is a notable in- 
 stance. By the spring of the latter year, so great 
 had become the pressure upon the nation for men 
 and means to continue the war that it began 
 seriously to impede the progress of the work 
 symbolized by the ascending angel, even threat- 
 ening to arrest it entirely. Those interested 
 in these truths, believing that the time had 
 come for the application of the prophecy, and 
 that the words of the angel, " Hurt not," etc., indi- 
 cated a movement on the part of the church, ac- 
 cordingly raised their petitions to the Ruler of na- 
 tions to restrain the cruel work of tumult and war. 
 Days of fasting and prayer were set apart for 
 this purpose. The time at which this occurred was 
 a dark and gloomy period of the war ; and not a 
 few high in political life predicted its indefinite 
 continuance, and an appalling intensity of all its 
 evils. But suddenly a change came ; and not three 
 months had elapsed from the time of which we 
 speak, ere the last rebel army had surrendered, and 
 the last organized rebel had laid down his arms. 
 So sudden and entire was the collapse, and so grate- 
 ful were all hearts at relief from the pressure of the 
 
UHAl'TER VII, VERSES 4~$- . 583 
 
 terrible strife, that the nation broke forth into a 
 song of Jubilee, and these words were conspicuously 
 displayed at the national capitol : " This is the 
 Lord's doing ; it is marvelous in our eyes" There 
 are those who believe there was a definite cause for 
 this sudden cessation of the strife, of which, of 
 course, the world is but little aware. The sudden 
 conclusion of the German-French war of 1870 and 
 the recent war between Turkey and Russia may be 
 cited as still later examples. Perhaps further 
 events of this kind are yet to be witnessed to ful- 
 fil more completely this feature of the prophecy. 
 
 VERSE 4. And I heard the number of them which were 
 sealed ; and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four 
 thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5. Of 
 the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the 
 tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe 
 of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6. Of the tribe of 
 Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepth- 
 alim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of 
 Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand. 7. Of the tribe of 
 Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi 
 were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were 
 sealed twelve thousand. 8. Of the tribe of Zebulun were 
 sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed 
 twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed 
 twelve thousand. 
 
 The number sealed is here stated to be one hun- 
 dred and forty-four thousand ; and from the fact 
 that twelve thousand are sealed from each of the 
 twelve tribes, many suppose that this work must 
 have been accomplished as far back at least as about 
 the beginning of the Christian era, when these tribes 
 
584 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 were literally in existence. They do not see how it 
 can apply to our own time when every trace of dis- 
 tinction between these tribes has been so long and 
 so completely obliterated. We refer such to the 
 opening language of the epistle of James : " James, 
 a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to 
 the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greet- 
 ing: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall 
 into divers temptations," etc. Those whom James 
 here addresses, are, 1. Christians; for they are 
 his brethren. 2. They are not the converts to 
 Christianity from the Jews, the twelve tribes of 
 his own day ; for he addresses them in view of the 
 coming. of the Lord. See chapter 5. He is thus 
 addressing the last generation of Christians, the 
 Christians of our own day ; and he calls them the 
 twelve tribes scattered abroad. How can this be ? 
 Paul explains in Rom. 11 : 17-24. In the striking 
 figure of grafting which he there introduces, the 
 tame olive tree represents Israel. Some of the 
 branches, the natural descendants of Abraham, were 
 broken off* because of unbelief (in Christ). Through 
 faith in Christ the wild olive scions, the Gentiles, 
 are grafted into the tame olive stock, and thus the 
 twelve tribes are perpetuated. And here we rind 
 an explanation of the language of the same apostle : 
 "They are not all Israel which are of Israel," and 
 " he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, . . . but 
 he is a Jew which is one inwardly." Rom. 9 : 6-8 ; 
 2 : 28, 29. So we find on the gates of the New 
 Jerusalem, which is a New-Testament or Christian, 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 4-8. 585 
 
 not a Jewish, city, the names of the twelve tribes 
 of the children of Israel. On the foundations of 
 this city are inscribed the names of the twelve 
 apostles of the Lamb, and on the gates the names 
 of the twelve tribes of Israel. Rev. 21 : 12-14. If 
 the twelve tribes belong exclusively to the former 
 dispensation, the more natural order would have 
 been to have their names on the foundations, and 
 those of the twelve apostles on the gates ; but no, 
 the names of the twelve tribes are on the gates. 
 And as through these gates, so inscribed, all the 
 redeemed hosts will go in and out, so, as belonging 
 to these twelve tribes will all the redeemed be reck- 
 oned, whether on earth they were Jews or Gentiles. 
 Of course we look in vain for any marks of dis- 
 tinction between the tribes here on earth ; for since 
 Christ has appeared in the flesh, the preservation of 
 the genealogy of the tribes is not necessary. But 
 in Heaven, where the names of the church of the 
 first-born are being enrolled, we may be sure there 
 is order, and that each name is enrolled in its proper 
 tribe. 
 
 It will be observed that the enumeration of the 
 tribes here differs from that given in other places. 
 The twelve sons of Jacob who became the heads of 
 great families, called tribes, were, Reuben, Simeon, 
 Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, 
 Naphtali, Gad, Aser, and Joseph. But Jacob, on 
 his dying bed, adopted the sons of Joseph, Ephraim 
 and Manasseh, to constitute two of the tribes of 
 Israel. Gen. 48:45. This divided the tribe of 
 
586 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 Joseph, making thirteen tribes in all. But in the 
 distribution of the land of Canaan by lot, they num- 
 bered but twelve tribes, and made but twelve lots ; 
 for the tribe of Levi was left out, being appointed 
 to the service of the tabernacle, and having no 
 inheritance. But in the passage before us, Ephraim 
 and Dan are omitted, and Levi and Joseph put in 
 their places. The omission of Dan is accounted for 
 by commentators on the ground that that tribe was 
 the one chiefly addicted to idolatry. See Judges 
 18, etc. The tribe of Levi here takes its place with 
 the rest, as in the heavenly Canaan the reasons for 
 their not having an inheritance, as in the earthly, 
 will not exist; and Joseph is probably put for 
 Ephraim, it being a name which appears to have 
 been applied to either of the tribes of Ephraim or 
 Manasseh. Num. 13:11. 
 
 Twelve thousand were sealed "out of" each of 
 the twelve tribes, showing that not all who in the 
 records of Heaven had a place among these tribes 
 when this sealing work commenced, stood the test, 
 and were overcomers at last. For the names of 
 those already in the book of life will be blotted out, 
 unless they overcome. Rev. 3 : 5. 
 
 VERSE 9. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, 
 which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, 
 and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before 
 the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their 
 hands, 10, And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to 
 our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 
 11. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and 
 about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the 
 
CHAPTER VII, VEKSES 9-12. 587 
 
 throne on their faces, and worshiped God, 12, Saying, 
 Amen ; Blessing and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, 
 and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God forever 
 and ever. Amen. 
 
 The sealing having been accomplished, John .be- 
 holds a countless multitude worshiping God in rap- 
 ture before his throne. This vast throng are un- 
 doubtedly the saved out of every nation, kindred, 
 tribe, and tongue, raised from the dead at the second 
 coming of Christ, showing that the sealing is the 
 last work accomplished for the people of God, prior 
 to translation. 
 
 VERSE 13. And one of the elders answered, saying unto 
 me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes 1 and 
 whence came they? 14. And I said unto him, Sir, thou 
 knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which came 
 out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and 
 made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15. Therefore 
 are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and 
 night in his temple ; and He that sitteth on the throne shall 
 dwell among them. 16. They shall hunger no more, neither 
 thirst any more ; neither shall the sun light on them, nor 
 any heat. 17. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the 
 throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fount- 
 ains of waters ; and God shall wipe away all tears from 
 their eyes. 
 
 The questions proposed by one of the elders to 
 John, What are these which are arrayed in white 
 robes? and whence came they ? taken in connection 
 with John's answer, Sir, thou knowest, implying 
 that he did not know, would seem to be devoid of 
 all point, if they had reference to the whole of the 
 
588 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 great multitude now before him. For John did 
 know who they were, and from whence they came ; 
 inasmuch as he had just said that they were people^ 
 redeemed of course, out of all nations, kindreds, 
 people and tongues ; and John could have answered, 
 These are the redeemed ones from all the nations 
 of the earth. But if a special company in this vast 
 throng were referred to, distinguished by some 
 special mark or position, then it might not be so 
 evident who they were, and what had given them 
 their peculiarity; and the questions as applied to 
 them would be appropriate and pertinent. We there- 
 fore incline to the view that attention is called to a 
 special company by the questions which were pro- 
 posed by one of the elders; and no company is 
 brought to vie\\ to which special allusion would 
 more naturally be made, than to the company spok- 
 en of in the first part of the chapter, namely, the 
 144,000. John had indeed seen this company in 
 their mortal state as they were receiving the seal 
 of the living God amid the troublous scenes of the 
 last days ; but as they here stand among the re- 
 deemed throng, the transition is so great, and the 
 condition in which they now appear so different, 
 that he does not recognize them as the special com- 
 pany which he saw sealed upon the earth. And to 
 this company, the language that follows seems to 
 be specially applicable : 
 
 1. They came out of great tribulation. While 
 it is true in some degree of all Christians that they 
 must "through much tribulation enter into the 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 13-17. 589 
 
 kingdom of God," it is true in a very emphatic 
 sense of the 144,000. They pass through the great 
 time of trouble such as never was since there was 
 a nation. Dan. 12 : 1. They experienced the men- 
 tal anguish of the time of Jacob's trouble. Jer. 30 : 
 4-7. They stand without a mediator through the 
 terrific scenes of the seven last plagues, those exhi- 
 bitions of God's unmingled wrath in the earth. 
 Rev. 15: 16. They pass through the severest time 
 of trouble the world has ever known, although they 
 are delivered out of it. 
 
 2. They wash their robes and make them white 
 in the blood of the Lamb. To the last generation 
 the testimony is very emphatic on the subject of 
 obtaining the white raiment. Rev. 3 : 5, 18. And 
 though the 144,000 are accused of rejecting Christ 
 and trusting to their own works for salvation, 
 because they refuse to violate the commandments 
 of God, Rev. 14 : 1, 12, in the great day that cal- 
 umny will be wiped off. It will be seen that they 
 have rested their hope of life on the merits of the 
 shed blood of their divine Redeemer, making him 
 their source of righteousness. There is peculiar 
 force in saying of these that they have washed 
 their robes and made them white in the blood of 
 the Lamb. 
 
 3. Verse 15 describes the post of honor they 
 occupy in the kingdom, and their nearness to God. 
 In another place they are called "the first-fruits 
 unto God and the Lamb." Rev. 14 : 4. 
 
 4. In verse 16, it is said, "They shall hunger no 
 
590 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 more, neither thirst any more." This shows that 
 they have once suffered hunger and thirst. To what 
 can this refer? As it doubtless has reference to 
 some special experience, may it not refer to their 
 experience in the time of trouble, more especially 
 during the plagues ? In this time the righteous 
 will be reduced to bread and water; and though 
 that "will be sure," Isa. 33: 16, enough for suste- 
 nance, yet may it not be that, when the pastures, 
 with all fruits and vegetation, are dried up, Joel 1 : 
 18-20, and the rivers and fountains are turned to 
 blood, Rev. 16:4-0, to reduce their connection 
 with earth and earthly things to the lowest limit, 
 the saints who pass through that time will be 
 brought occasionally to the extreme degrees of hun- 
 ger and thirst ? But the kingdom, once gained, 
 "they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any 
 more." And the prophet continues in reference to 
 this company, "Neither shall the sun light on them 
 nor any heat." We remember that the 144,000 live 
 through the time when power is given unto the sun 
 "to scorch men with fire." Rev. 16 : 8, 9. And 
 though they are shielded from the deadly effect 
 which it has upon the wicked around them, we 
 cannot suppose that their sensibilities will be so 
 blunted that they will feel no unpleasant sensations 
 from the terrific heat. No, as they enter the fields 
 of the heavenly Canaan, they will be prepared to 
 appreciate the divine assurance, that the sun shall 
 not light upon, or injure them, nor any heat. 
 5. And the Lamb shall lead them. Another tes- 
 
CHAPTER VII, VERSES 13-17. 591 
 
 timony concerning the same company, and applying 
 at the same time, says, "These are they which follow 
 the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev. 14:4. 
 Both expressions denote the state of intimate and 
 divine companionship to which the blessed Re- 
 deemer admits them in reference to himself. 
 
 The psalmist in the following beautiful passage 
 seems to allude to the same promise : " They shall 
 be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy 
 house; and thou shalt make them drink of the 
 river of thy pleasures." Ps. 36 : 8. The phrase- 
 ology of this promise to the one hundred and forty- 
 four thousand is also partially found in the follow- 
 ing glowing prophecy from the pen of Isaiah : " He 
 will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord 
 God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and 
 the rebuke of his people shall he take away from 
 oiT all the earth ; for the Lord hath spoken it." Isa. 
 25:8. 
 
VIII. 
 
 THE SEVEN TRUMPETS. 
 
 WE name as the subject of this chapter the seven 
 trumpets, as these constitute the main theme of the 
 chapter, although there are other matters intro- 
 duced before the opening of that series of events. 
 The first verse of this chapter relates to the events 
 of the preceding chapters, and should not, we think, 
 have been separated from them by the division of 
 the chapter. 
 
 VERSE 1. And when he had opened the seventh seal, 
 there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour. 
 
 The series of the seven seals is here resumed and 
 concluded. The sixth chapter closed with the events 
 of the sixth seal, the eighth commences with the 
 opening of the seventh seal, causing the seventh 
 chapter to stand parenthetically, between the sixth 
 and seventh seals, thereby showing that the sealing 
 work of that chapter belongs to the sixth seal. 
 
 Silence in Heaven. Concerning the cause of this 
 silence only conjecture can be offered a conject- 
 ure, however, which is supported by the events of 
 the sixth seal. That seal does not bring us to the 
 
 (592) 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 1-5. 593 
 
 second advent, although it embraces events that 
 transpire in close connection therewith. It intro- 
 duces the fearful commotions of the elements de- 
 scribed as the rolling of the heavens together as a 
 scroll, caused by the voice of God, the breaking up 
 of the surface of the earth, and the confession at 
 last on the part of the wicked that the great day 
 of God's wrath is come. They are doubtless in mo- 
 mentary expectation of seeing the King appear, in, 
 to them, unendurable glory. But the seal stops just 
 short of that event. The personal appearing of 
 Christ must therefore be allotted to the next seal. 
 But when the Lord appears, he comes with all the 
 holy angels with him. Matt. 25: 31. And when 
 all the heavenly harpers- leave the courts above to 
 come down with their divine Lord as he descends 
 to gather the fruit of his redeeming work, will there 
 not be silence in Heaven ? 
 
 The length of this period of silence, if we con- 
 sider it prophetic time, would be about seven days. 
 
 VERSE 2. And I saw the seven angels which stood before 
 God ; and to them were given seven trumpets. 
 
 This verse introduces a new and distinct series 
 of events. In the seals, we have had the history of 
 the church during what is called the gospel dispen- 
 sation. In the seven trumpets, now introduced, we 
 have the principal political and warlike events 
 which were to transpire during the same time. 
 
 TERSE 3. And another angel came and stood at the altar, 
 having a golden censer ; and there was given unto him much 
 38 
 
594 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints 
 upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4. And 
 the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of 
 the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 
 5. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of 
 the altar, and cast it into the earth ; and there were voices, 
 and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 
 
 Having, as it were, in verse 2, brought out the 
 seven angels, and introduced them before us upon 
 the stage of action, John for a moment, in the three 
 verses last quoted, directs attention to an entirely 
 different scene. The angel which approaches the 
 altar is not one of the seven trumpet angels. The 
 altar is the altar of incense, which in the earthly 
 sanctuary was placed in the first apartment. Here, 
 then, is another proof that there exists in Heaven a 
 sanctuary with its corresponding vessels of service, 
 of which the earthly was the figure, and that we 
 are taken into that sanctuary by the visions of John. 
 A work of ministration in the sanctuary above, for 
 all the saints, is thus brought to view. Doubtless 
 the entire work of mediation for the people of God 
 during the gospel dispensation, is here presented. 
 This is apparent from the fact that the angel offers 
 his incense with the prayers of all saints ; and that 
 we are here carried forward to the end, is evident 
 from the act of the angel in filling the censer with 
 fire and casting it unto the earth ; for his work is 
 then done ; no more prayers are to be offered up 
 mingled with incense; and this can have its appli- 
 cation only at the time when the ministration of 
 Christ in the sanctuary in behalf of mankind has 
 
CHATTER VIII, VERSES 3-6. 595 
 
 forever ceased. And the events that follow this 
 act of the angel, namely, voices, thunderings, light- 
 nings, and an earthquake, are exactly such as we 
 are elsewhere informed transpire at the close of 
 human probation. See Rev. 11 : 19 ; 16 : 17, 18. 
 
 But why are .these verses thus thrown in here? 
 Answer. As a message of hope and comfort for the 
 church. The seven angels with their warlike trum- 
 pets had been introduced ; terrible scenes were to 
 transpire under their sounding; but, before they 
 commence, the church is pointed to the work of 
 mediation in their behalf above, and their source of 
 help and strength during this time. Though they 
 should be tossed like feathers upon the tumultuous 
 waves of strife and war, they were to know that 
 their great High Priest still ministered for them 
 in the sanctuary in Heaven, and that thither they 
 could direct their prayers, and have them offered 
 with incense to their Father in Heaven. Thus could 
 they gain strength and support in all their calam- 
 ities. 
 
 VERSE 6. And the seven angels which had. the seven 
 trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 
 
 The subject of the seven trumpets is here resumed 
 and occupies the remainder of this chapter and all 
 of chapter 9. The seven angels prepare themselves 
 to sound. Their sounding comes in as a comple- 
 ment to the prophecy of Dan. 2 and 7, commencing 
 with the breaking up of the old Roman empire into 
 its ten divisions, of which, in the first four trumpets, 
 we have a description. 
 
596 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 VERSE 7. The first angel sounded, and there followed 
 hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon 
 the earth ; and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all 
 green grass was burnt up. 
 
 A full exposition of the seven trumpets is given 
 in a work entitled " An Exposition of the Seven 
 Trumpets of Rev. 8 and 9," published at the RE- 
 VIEW AND HERALD Office, Battle Creek, Mich., to 
 which the reader is referred for a more extended 
 examination of the subject. To that work we are 
 chiefly indebted for the extracts given below. 
 
 Mr. Keith has very justly remarked on the sub- 
 ject of this prophecy : 
 
 " None could elucidate the texts more clearly, or 
 expound them more fully, than the task has been 
 performed by Gibbon. The chapters of the skeptical 
 philosopher, that treat directly of the matter, need 
 but a text to be prefixed, and a few unholy words 
 to be blotted out, to form a series of expository lec- 
 tures on the eighth and ninth chapters of Revelation." 
 "Little or nothing is left for the professed inter- 
 preter to do but to point to the pages of Gibbon." 
 
 The first sore and heavy judgment which fell on 
 Western Rome in its downward course, was the war 
 with the Goths under Alaric, who opened the way 
 for later inroads. After the death of Theodosius, 
 the Roman emperor, in January 395, before the end 
 of the winter, the Goths, under Alaric, were in arms 
 against the empire. 
 
 "Hail and fire, mingled with blood, were cast 
 upon the earth." The terrible effects of this Gothic 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSE 7. 597 
 
 invasion, are represented as "hail," from the fact 
 of the northern origin of the invaders ; " fire," from 
 the destruction by flame of both city and country ; 
 and "blood," from the terrible slaughter of the 
 citizens of the empire by the bold and intrepid 
 warriors. 
 
 The blast of the first trumpet has its location at 
 the close of the fourth century, and onward, and 
 refers to these desolating invasions of the Roman 
 empire by the Goths. 
 
 I know not how the history of the sounding of 
 the first trumpet can be more impressively set forth 
 than by presenting the graphic rehearsal of the facts 
 stated in Gibbon's history, by Mr. Keith, in his 
 Signs of the Times, Vol. I, pp. 221-233. 
 
 " Large extracts show how amply and well Gib- 
 bon has expounded his text, in the history of the 
 first trumpet, the first storm that pervaded the Ro- 
 man earth, and the first fall of Rome. To use his 
 words in more direct comment, we read thus the 
 sum of the matter : The Gothic nation was in arms 
 at the first sound of the trumpet, and in the uncom- 
 mon severity of the winter, they rolled their pon- 
 derous wagons over the broad and icy back of the 
 river. The fertile fields of Phocis and Boeotia were 
 crowded with a 'deluge of barbarians; the males 
 were massacred; the females and cattle of the 
 flaming villages were driven away. The deep and 
 bloody traces of the march of the Goths could easily 
 be discovered after several years. The whole ter- 
 ritory of Attica was blasted by the baneful presence 
 
598 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 of Alaric. The most fortunate of the inhabitants 
 of Corinth, Argos, Sparta, were saved by death 
 from beholding the conflagration of their cities. In 
 a season of such extreme heat that the beds of the 
 rivers were dry, Alaric invaded the dominion of the 
 West. A secluded ' old man of Verona/ the poet 
 Claudian, pathetically lamented the fate of his con- 
 temporary trees, which must blaze in the conflagra- 
 tion of the whole country : [note the words of the 
 prophecy, 'the third part of the trees was burnt 
 up] and the emperor of the Romans fled before the 
 king of the Goths. 
 
 " A furious tempest was excited among the na- 
 tions of Germany; from the northern extremity of 
 which the barbarians marched almost to the gates 
 of Rome. They achieved the destruction of the 
 West. The dark cloud which was collected along 
 the coasts of the Baltic, burst in thunder upon the 
 banks of the Upper Danube. The pastures of Gaul, 
 in which flocks and herds grazed, and the banks of 
 the Rhine, which were covered with elegant houses 
 and well-cultivated farms, formed a scene of peace 
 and plenty, which was suddenly changed into a 
 desert, distinguished from the solitude of nature 
 only by smoking ruins. Many cities were cruelly 
 oppressed or destroyed. Many thousands were in- 
 humanly massacred. And the consuming flames of 
 war spread over the greatest part of the seventeen 
 provinces of Gaul. 
 
 "Alaric again stretched his ravages over Italy. 
 During four years, the Goths ravaged and reigned 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSE 8. 599 
 
 over it without control. And, in the pillage and 
 fire of Rome, the streets of the city were filled with 
 dead bodies ; the flames consumed many public and 
 private buildings; and the ruins of a palace re- 
 mained (after a century and a half), a stately mon- 
 ument of the Gothic conflagration. 
 
 " The concluding sentence of the thirty-third 
 chapter of Gibbon's History, is, of itself, a clear and 
 comprehensive commentary ; for, in winding up his 
 own description of the brief, but most eventful 
 period, he concentrates, as in a parallel reading, trie 
 sum of the history, and the substance of the predic- 
 tion. But the words which precede it are not with- 
 out their meaning: ' The public devotion of the age 
 was impatient to exalt the saints and martyrs of 
 the Catholic church on the altars of Diana, and Her- 
 cules. The union of the Roman empire was dis- 
 solved; its genius was humbled in the dust; and 
 armies of unknown barbarians, issuing from the 
 frozen regions of the North, had established their 
 victorious reign over the fairest provinces of Europe 
 and Africa.' 
 
 "The last word, Africa, is the signal for the 
 sounding of the second trumpet. The scene changes 
 from the shores of the Baltic to the southern coast 
 of the Mediterranean, or from the frozen regions of 
 the North to the borders of burning Africa. And 
 instead of a storm of hail being cast upon the earth, 
 a burning mountain was cast into the sea." 
 
 VERSE 8. And the second angel sounded, and as it were 
 a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea ; 
 
600 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 and the third part of the sea became blood ; 9 ; And the 
 third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had 
 life, died ; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. 
 
 The Roman empire, after Constantine, was divid- 
 ed into three parts ; and hence the frequent remark, , 
 "a third part of men," etc., in allusion to the third 
 part of the empire which was under the scourge. 
 This division of the Roman kingdom was made at 
 the death of Constantine, between his three sons, 
 Constantius, Constantine II, and Constans. Con- 
 stantius possessed the East, and fixed his residence 
 at Constantinople, the new metropolis of the em- 
 pire. Constantine the Second held Britain, Gaul, 
 and Spain. Constans held Illyrica, Africa, and 
 Italy. (See Saline s Eccl. Hist, p. 155.) Of this 
 well-known historical fact, Albert Barnes, in his 
 notes on Rev. 12 : 4, says: "Twice, at least, before 
 the Roman empire became divided permanently into 
 the two parts, ^the Eastern and the Western, there 
 was a tripartite division of the empire. The first 
 occurred A. D. 311, when it was divided between 
 Constantine, Licinius, and Maxirnin ; the other A. 
 D. 337, on the death of Constantine, when it was 
 divided between his three sons, Constantine, Con- 
 stans, and Constantius." 
 
 The history illustrative of the sounding of the 
 second trumpet evidently relates to the invasion 
 and conquest of Africa, and afterward of Italy, by 
 the terrible Genseric. His conquests were, for the 
 most part, NAVAL ; and his triumphs were " as it 
 were a great mountain burning with fire, cast into 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 8, 9. 601 
 
 the sea." What figure would better, or so well, 
 illustrate the collision of navies, and the general 
 havoc of war on the maritime coasts ? In explain- 
 ing this trumpet, we are to look for some events 
 which will have a particular bearing on the com- 
 mercial world. The symbol used, naturally leads 
 us to look for agitation and commotion. Nothing 
 but a fierce maritime warfare would fulfill the pre- 
 diction. If the sounding of the first four trumpets 
 relates to four remarkable events which contributed 
 to the downfall of the Roman empire, and the first 
 trumpet refers to the ravages of the Goths under 
 Alaric, in this we naturally look for the next suc- 
 ceeding act of invasion which shook the Roman 
 power and conduced to its fall. The next great 
 invasion was that of " the terrible Genseric," at the 
 head of the Vandals. His career was marked by 
 the years A. D. 428-468. This great Vandal chief 
 had his headquarters m Africa. But, as Gibbon 
 states, " The discovery and conquest of the Black 
 nations (in Africa), that might dwell beneath the 
 torrid zone, could not tempt the rational ambition 
 of Genseric ; but he cast his eyes TOWARD THE SEA ; 
 he resolved to create a naval power, and his bold 
 resolution was executed with steady and active 
 perseverance." From the port of Carthage he repeat- 
 edly made piratical sallies, and preyed on the Ro- 
 man commerce, and waged war with that empire. 
 To cope with this sea monarch, the Roman emperor, 
 Majorian, made extensive naval preparation. Three 
 hundred long galleys, with an adequate proportion 
 
602 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 of transports and smaller vessels, were collected in 
 the secure and capacious harbor of Carthagena, in 
 Spain. But Genseric was saved from impending 
 and inevitable ruin by the treachery of some pow- 
 erful subjects, envious or apprehensive of their mas- 
 ter's success. Guided by their secret intelligence, 
 he surprised the unguarded fleet in the bay of Car- 
 thagena; many of the ships were sunk, or taken, 
 or burnt, and the preparations of three years were 
 destroyed in a single day. 
 
 Italy continued to be long afflicted by the inces- 
 sant depredations of the Vandal pirates. In the 
 spring of each year they equipped a formidable 
 navy in the port of Carthage, and Genseric himself, 
 though at a very advanced age, still commanded in 
 person the most important expeditions. 
 
 The Vandals repeatedly visited the coasts of Spain, 
 Liguria, Tuscany, Campania, Leucania, Brutium, 
 Apulia, Calabria, Venetia, Dalmatia, Epirus, Greece, 
 and Sicily. 
 
 The celerity of their motion enabled them, almost 
 at the same time, to threaten and to attack the 
 most distant objects which attracted their desires ; 
 and as they always embarked a sufficient number 
 of horses, they had no sooner landed than they 
 swept the dismayed country with a body of light 
 cavalry. 
 
 A last and desperate attempt to dispossess Gen- 
 seric of the sovereignty of the seas, was made in the 
 year 4G8, by LEO, the emperor of the East, Gibbon 
 bears witness to this as follows : 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES <?, 9. 603 
 
 "The whole expense of the African campaign 
 amounted to the sum of one hundred and thirty 
 thousand pounds of gold, about five million two 
 hundred thousand pounds sterling. The fleet that 
 sailed from Constantinople to Carthage, consisted 
 of eleven hundred and thirteen ships, and the num- 
 ber of soldiers and mariners exceeded one hundred 
 thousand men. The army of Heraclius, and the 
 fleet of Marcellinus, either joined or seconded the 
 Imperial Lieutenant. The wind became favorable 
 to the designs of Genseric. He manned his largest 
 ships of war with the bravest of the Moors and Van- 
 dals, and they towed after them many large barks 
 filled with combustible materials. In the obscurity 
 of the night, these destructive vessels were impelled 
 against the unguarded and unsuspecting fleet of the 
 Romans, who were awakened by a sense of their 
 instant danger. Their close and crowded order 
 assisted the progress of the fire, which was commu- 
 nicated with rapid and irresistible violence, and the 
 noise of the wind, the crackling of the flames, the 
 dissonant cries of the soldiers and mariners, who 
 could neither command nor obey, increased the hor- 
 ror of the nocturnal tumult. Whilst they labored 
 to extricate themselves from the fire-ships, and to 
 save at least a part of the navy, the galleys of Gen- 
 seric assaulted them with temperate and disciplined 
 valor ; and many of the Romans who escaped the 
 fury of the flames, were destroyed or taken by the 
 victorious Vandals. After the failure of this great 
 expedition, Genseric again became the tyrant of the 
 
604 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 sea; the coasts of Italy, Greece, and Asia, were 
 again exposed to his revenge and avarice. Tripoli 
 and Sardinia returned to his obedience; he added 
 Sicily to the number of his provinces ; and before 
 he died, in the fullness of years and of glory, he 
 beheld the FINAL EXTINCTION of the empire of the 
 West" Gibbon, Vol. Ill, pp. 495-498. 
 
 Concerning the important part which this bold 
 corsair acted in the downfall of Rome, Mr. Gibbon 
 uses this significant language : " Genseric, a name 
 which, in the destruction of the Roman empire, has 
 deserved an equal rank with the names of Alaric 
 and Attila." 
 
 VERSE 10. And the third angel sounded, and there fell 
 a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it 
 fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains 
 of waters ; 11 ; And the name of the star is called Worm- 
 wood ; and the third part of the waters became wormwood ; 
 and many men died of the waters, because they were made 
 bitter. 
 
 In the interpretation and application of this pas- 
 sage, we are brought to the third important event 
 which resulted in the subversion of the Roman 
 empire. And in finding a historical fulfillment of 
 this third trumpet, we shall be indebted to the 
 Notes of Mr. Albert Barnes for a few extracts. In 
 explaining this scripture, it is necessary, as this 
 commentator says, 
 
 " That there should be some chieftain, or warrior, 
 who might be compared to a blazing meteor ; whose 
 course would be singularly brilliant; who would 
 appear suddenly LIKE a blazing star, and then dis- 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSES 10, 11. (595 
 
 appear like a star whose light was quenched in the 
 waters. That the desolating course of that meteor 
 would be mainly on those portions of the world 
 that abounded with springs of water and running 
 streams. That an effect would be produced as if 
 those streams and fountains were made bitter; that 
 is, that many persons would perish, and that wild 
 desolations would be caused in the vicinity of those 
 rivers and streams, as if a baleful star should fall 
 into the waters, and death should spread over lands 
 adjacent to them and watered by them." Notes on 
 Rev. 8. 
 
 It is here premised that this trumpet has allu- 
 sion to the desolating wars and furious invasions of 
 Attila against the Eoman power, which he carried 
 on at the head of his hordes of Huns. Speaking of 
 this warrior, particularly of his personal appear- 
 ance, Mr. Barnes, on Rev. 8, says : 
 
 "In the manner of his appearance, he strongly 
 resembled a brilliant meteor flashing in the sky. 
 He came from the east, gathering his Huns, and 
 poured them down, as we shall see, with the rapid- 
 ity of a flashing meteor, suddenly on the empire. 
 He regarded himself also as devoted to MARS, the 
 god of war, and was accustomed to array himself 
 in a peculiarly brilliant manner, so that his appear- 
 ance, in the language of his flatterers, was such as 
 to dazzle the eyes of the beholders." 
 
 In speaking of the locality of the events pre- 
 dicted by this trumpet, Mr. Barnes has this note : 
 
 " It is said particularly that the effect would be 
 
606 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 on ' the rivers ' and on ' the fountains of waters.' If 
 this has a literal application, or if, as was supposed 
 in the case of the second trumpet, the language was 
 such as had reference to the portion of the empire 
 that would be particularly affected by the hostile 
 invasion, then we may suppose that this refers to 
 those portions of the empire that abounded in rivers 
 and streams, and more particularly those in which 
 the rivers and streams had their origin, for the 
 effect was permanently in the 'fountains of the 
 waters.' As a matter of fact, the principal opera- 
 tions of Attila were on the regions of the Alps, and 
 on the portions of the empire whence the rivers 
 flow down into Italy. The invasion of Attila is 
 described by Mr. Gibbon in this general language : 
 ' The whole breadth of Europe, as it extends above 
 five hundred miles from the Euxine to the Adriatic, 
 was at once invaded, and occupied, and desolated, 
 by the myriads of barbarians whom Attila led into 
 the field.'" 
 
 " And the name of the star is called Wormwood 
 [denoting the bitter consequences]. These words 
 which are more intimately connected with the pre- 
 ceding verse, as even the punctuation in our version 
 denotes recall us for a moment to the character of 
 Attila, to the misery of which he was the author, 
 or the instrument, and to the terror that was in- 
 spired by his name. 
 
 " ' Total extirpation and erasure,' are terms which 
 best denote the calamities he inflicted." He styled 
 himself, " The Scourge of God." 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSE 12. 
 
 "One of his lieutenants chastised and almost ex- 
 terminated the Burgundians of the Rhine. They 
 traversed, both in their march and in their return, 
 the territories of the Franks ; and they massacred 
 their hostages as well as their captives. Two hun- 
 dred young maidens were tortured with exquisite 
 and unrelenting rage ; their bodies were torn asun- 
 der by wild horses, or were crushed under the 
 weight of rolling wagons ; and their unbtiried limbs 
 were abandoned on public roads, as a prey to dogs 
 and vultures. 
 
 " It was the boast of Attila that the grass never 
 grew on the spot which his horse had trod. The 
 , Western Emperor, with the senate and people oi 
 Rome, humbly and fearfully deprecated the wrath 
 of Attila. And the concluding paragraph of the 
 chapters which recorded his history, is entitled, 
 1 Symptoms of the decay and ruin of the Roman 
 'government.' The name of the star is called Worm- 
 
 O 
 
 wood." Keith. 
 
 VERSE 12. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third 
 part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, 
 and the third part of the stars ; so as the third part of them 
 was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, 
 and the night likewise. 
 
 We understand that this trumpet symbolizes the 
 career of Odoacer, the barbarian monarch, who was 
 so intimately connected with the downfall of West- 
 ern Rome. The symbols sun, moon, and stars 
 evidently denote the great luminaries of the Roman 
 government, its Emperors, Senators, and Consuls. 
 
608- THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 Bishop Newton remarks that the last emperor of 
 Western Rome was Momyllus, who in derision was 
 called Augustulus, or the " diminutive Augustus." 
 Western Rome fell A. D. 476. Still, however, though 
 the Roman sun was extinguished, its subordinate 
 luminaries shone faintly while the senate and con- 
 suls continued. But after many civil reverses, and 
 changes of political fortune, at length, A. D. 566, the 
 whole form of the ancient government was sub- 
 verted, arid Rome itself was reduced from being the 
 empress of the world, to a poor dukedom, tributary 
 to the Exarch of Ravenna. 
 
 " EXTINCTION of the Western empire, A. D. 476, 
 or A. D. 479. The unfortunate Augustulus was 
 made the instrument of his own disgrace ; and he 
 signified his resignation to the senate; and that 
 assembly, in their last act of obedience to a Roman 
 prince, still affected the spirit of freedom and the 
 forms of the constitution. An epistle was addressed, 
 by their unanimous decree, to the Emperor Zeno, 
 the son-in-law and successor of Leo, who had lately 
 been restored, after a short rebellion, to the Byzan- 
 tine throne. They solemnly disclaim the necessity 
 or even the wish of continuing any longer the im- 
 perial succession in Italy; since in their opinion 
 the majesty of a sole monarch is sufficient to per- 
 vade and to protect, at the same time, both the East 
 and the West. In their own name, and in the name 
 of the people, they consent that the seat of univer- 
 sal empire shall be transferred from Rome to Con- 
 stantinople ; and they basely renounced the right 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSE 12. 609 
 
 of choosing their master, the only remaining vestige 
 which yet remained of the authority which .had 
 given laws to the world. 
 
 " The power and glory of Rome, as bearing rule 
 over any nation, became extinct. The name alone 
 remained to the queen of nations. Every token of 
 royalty disappeared from the imperial city. She 
 who had ruled over the nations, sat in the dust, like 
 a second Babylon, and there was no throne where 
 the Caesars had reigned. The last act of obedience 
 to a Roman prince, which that once august assembly 
 performed, was the acceptance of the resignation of 
 the last emperor of the West, and the abolition of 
 the imperial succession in Italy. The sun of Rome 
 was smitten. 
 
 " A new conqueror of Italy, Theodoric, the Os- 
 trogoth, speedily arose, who unscrupulously assumed 
 the purple, and reigned by the right of conquest. 
 ' The royalty of Theodoric was proclaimed by the 
 Goths (March 5, A. D. 493), with the tardy, reluc- 
 tant, ambiguous consent of the emperor of the East.' 
 The imperial Roman power, of which either Rome 
 or Constantinople had been jointly or singly the 
 seat, whether in the "West or the East, was no 
 longer recognized in Italy, and the third part of the 
 sun was smitten, till it emitted no longer the faint- 
 est rays. The power of the Caesars was unknown 
 in Italy ; and a Gothic king reigned over Rome. 
 
 " But though the third part of the sun was smit- 
 ten, and the Roman Imperial power was at an end 
 
 in the city of the Caesars, yet the moon and the 
 39 
 
610 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 stars still shone, or glimmered, for a little longer in 
 the western hemisphere, even in the midst of Gothic 
 darkness. The consulship and the senate ('the 
 moon and the stars') were not abolished by Theo- 
 doric. 'A Gothic historian applauds the consul- 
 ship of Theodoric as the hight of all temporal power 
 and greatness ;' as the moon reigns by night, after- 
 the setting of the sun. And, instead of abolishing 
 that office, Theodoric himself * congratulates those 
 annual favorites of fortune, who, without the cares, 
 enjoyed the splendor of the throne/ 
 
 " But in their prophetic order, the consulship and 
 the senate of Rome met their fate, though they fell 
 not by the hands of Vandals or of Goths. The next 
 revolution in Italy was in subjection to Belisarius, 
 the general of Justinian, emperor of the East. He 
 did not spare what barbarians had allowed. ' The 
 Roman consulship extinguished by Justinian, A. D. 
 541,' is the title of the last paragraph of the forti- 
 eth, chapter of Gibbon's History of the Decline and 
 Fall of Rome.. ' The succession of the consuls finally 
 ceased in the thirteenth year of Justinian, whose 
 despotic temper might be gratified by the silent 
 extinction of a title which admonished the Romans 
 of their ancient freedom.' The third part of the sun 
 was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and 
 the third part of the stars. In the political firma- 
 ment of the ancient world, while under the reign of 
 imperial Rome, the emperorship, the consulate, and 
 the senate, shone like the sun, the moon, and the 
 stars. The history of their decline and fall is 
 
CHAPTER VIII, VERSE IS. 611 
 
 brought down till the two former were 'extin- 
 guished,' in reference to Rome and Italy, which so 
 long had ranked as the first of cities and of coun- 
 tries ; and finally, as the fourth trumpet closes, we 
 see the ' extinction of that illustrious assembly,' the 
 Roman senate. The city that had ruled the world, 
 as if in mockery of human greatness, was conquered 
 by the eunuch Narses, the successor of Belisarius. 
 He defeated the Goths (A. D. 552), achieved 'the 
 conquest of Rome,' and the fate of the senate was 
 sealed." 
 
 VERSE 13. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying 
 through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, 
 woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the 
 other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are 
 yet to sound. 
 
 This angel is not one of the series of the seven 
 trumpet angels, but simply one who announces that 
 the three remaining trumpets are woe trumpets, on 
 account of the more terrible events to transpire 
 under their sounding. Thus the next, or fifth, 
 trumpet is the first woe, the sixth trumpet, the 
 second woe ; and the seventh, the last one in this 
 series of seven trumpets, is the third woe. 
 
IX. 
 
 THE SEVEN TRUMPETS CONTINUED. 
 
 VERSE 1. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star 
 fall from heaven unto the earth : and to him was given the 
 key of the bottomless pit. 
 
 For an exposition of this trumpet we shall again 
 draw from the writings of Mr. Keith. This writer 
 truthfully says: 
 
 "There is scarcely so uniform an agreement 
 among interpreters concerning any part of the 
 apocalypse as respecting the application of the fifth 
 and sixth trumpets, or the first and second woes, to 
 the Saracens and Turks. It is so obvious that it 
 can scarcely be misunderstood. Instead of a verse 
 or two designating each, the whole of the ninth 
 chapter of the Revelation, in equal portions, is occu- 
 pied with a description of both. 
 
 " The Roman empire declined, as it arose, by con- 
 quest; but the Saracens and the Turks were the 
 instruments by which a false religion became the 
 scourge of an apostate church ; and hence, instead 
 of the fifth and sixth trumpets, like the former, 
 being marked by that name alone, they are called 
 woes. 
 
 (612) 
 
THE WOE TRUMPET 
 
 SARACENS. 
 
 THE TURKS WITH FIREARMS. 
 
 PLATE IX. SYMBOLS OF REVELATION 7 IX. 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSE 1. 613 
 
 " Constantinople was besieged for the first time 
 after the extinction of the Western empire, by 
 Chosroes, the king of Persia." 
 
 " A star fell from heaven unto the earth : and to 
 him was given the key of the bottomless pit." 
 
 "While the Persian monarch contemplated the 
 wonders of his art and power, he received an epistle 
 from an obscure citizen of Mecca, inviting him to 
 acknowledge Mohammed as the apostle of God. He 
 rejected the invitation, and tore the epistle. ' It is 
 thus,' exclaimed the Arabian prophet, 'that God 
 will tear the kingdom, and reject the supplication 
 of Chosroes. Placed on the verge of these two em- 
 pires of the East, Mohammed observed with secret 
 joy the progress of mutual destruction; and in the 
 midst of the Persian triumphs he ventured to fore- 
 tell, that before many years should elapse, victory 
 should again return to the banners of the Romans/ 
 ' At the time when this prediction is said to have 
 been delivered, no prophecy could be more distant 
 from its accomplishment (!) since the first twelve 
 years of Heraclius announced the approaching dis- 
 solution of the empire/ 
 
 " It was not, like that designation of Attila, on a 
 single spot that the star fell, but UPON THE EARTH. 
 
 "Chosroes subjugated the Roman possessions in 
 Asia and Africa. And 'the Roman empire/ at that 
 period, 'was reduced to the walls of Constantinople, 
 with the remnant of Greece, Italy, and Africa, and 
 some maritime cities, from Tyre to Trebizond, of 
 the Asiatic coast. The experience of six years at 
 
614 THOUGHTS ON THE BEVELATION. 
 
 length persuaded the Persian monarch to renounce 
 the conquest of Constantinople, and to specify the 
 annual tribune of the ransom of the Roman empire : 
 a thousand talents of gold, a thousand talents of 
 silver, a thousand silk robes, a thousand horses, and 
 a thousand virgins. Heraclius subscribed to these 
 ignominious terms. But the time and space which 
 he obtained to collect those treasures from the pov- 
 erty of the East, were industriously employed in 
 the preparation of a bold and desperate attack.' 
 
 " The king of Persia despised the obscure Saracen, 
 and derided the message of the pretended prophet 
 of Mecca. Even the overthrow of the Roman em- 
 pire would not have opened a door for Mohammed- 
 anism, or for the progress of the Saracenic armed 
 propagators of an imposture, though the monarch of 
 the Persians and chagan of the Avars (the successor 
 of Attila) had divided between them the remains of 
 the kingdom of the Caesars. Chosroes himself fell. 
 The Persian and Roman monarchies exhausted each 
 other's strength. And before a sword was put into 
 the hands of the false prophet, it was smitten from 
 the hands of those who would have checked his 
 career, and crushed his power. 
 
 "Since the days of Scipio and Hannibal, no 
 bolder enterprise has been attempted than that 
 which Heraclius achieved for the deliverance of the 
 empire. He explored his perilous way through the 
 Black Sea and the mountains of Armenia, pene- 
 trated into the heart of Persia, and recalled the 
 armies of the great king to the defense of their 
 bleeding country." 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSE 1. 615 
 
 "In the battle of Nineveh, which was fiercely 
 fought from daybreak to the eleventh hour, twenty- 
 eight standards, besides those which might be bro- 
 ken or torn, were taken from the Persians; the 
 greatest part of their army was cut in pieces, and 
 the victors, concealing their own loss, passed the 
 night on the field. The cities and palaces of Assyria 
 were opened for the first time to the Romans. 
 
 " The Roman emperor was not strengthened by 
 the conquests which he achieved; and a way was 
 prepared at the same time, and by the same means, 
 for the multitude of Saracens from Arabia, like 
 locusts from the same region, who, propagating in 
 their course the dark and delusive Mohammedan 
 creed, speedily overspread both the Persian and 
 Roman empires. 
 
 " More complete illustration of this fact could not 
 be desired than is supplied in the concluding words 
 of the chapter from Gibbon, from which the preced- 
 ing extracts are taken." "Although a victorious 
 army had been formed under the standard of Her- 
 aclius, the unnatural effort seems to have exhausted 
 rather than exercised their strength. While the 
 emperor triumphed at Constantinople or Jerusalem, 
 an obscure town on the confines of Syria was pil- 
 laged by the Saracens, and they cut in pieces some 
 troops who advanced to its relief, an ordinary and 
 trifling occurrence, had it not been the prelude of a 
 mighty revolution. These robbers were the apostles 
 of Mohammed; their fanatic valor had emerged 
 from the desert ; and in the last eight years of his 
 
616 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 reign, Heraclius lost to the Arabs the same prov- 
 inces which he had rescued from the Persians." 
 
 "' The spirit of fraud and enthusiasm, whose 
 abode is not in the heavens,' was let loose on earth. 
 The bottomless pit needed but a key to open it; 
 and that key was the fall of Chosroes. He had con- 
 temptuously torn the letter of an obscure citizen of 
 Mecca. But when from his 'blaze of glory,' he 
 sunk into the 'tower of darkness/ which no eye could 
 penetrate, the name of Chosroes was suddenly to 
 pass into oblivion before that of Mohammed ; and 
 the crescent seemed but to wait its rising till the 
 falling of the star. Chosroes, after his entire dis- 
 comfiture and loss of empire, was murdered in the 
 year 628; and the year 629 is marked by 'the con- 
 quest of Arabia,' ' and the first war of the Moham- 
 medans against the Roman empire.' And the fifth 
 angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven 
 unto the earth ; and to him was given the key of 
 the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless 
 pit. He fell unto the earth. When the strength of 
 the Roman empire was exhausted, and the great 
 king of the East lay dead in his tower of darkness, 
 the pillage of an obscure town on the borders of 
 Syria was 'the prelude of a mighty revolution.' 
 ' The robbers were the apostles of Mohammed, and 
 their fanatic valor emerged from the desert.' " 
 
 The Bottomless Pit. The meaning of this term 
 may be learned from the Greek dfiwffo?, which is 
 defined " deep, bottomless, profound," and may refer 
 to any waste, desolate, and uncultivated place. It 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES f, 5. 617 
 
 is applied to the earth in its original state of 
 chaos. Gen. 1:2. In this instance it may appropri- 
 ately refer to the unknown wastes of the Arabian 
 desert, from the borders of which issued the hordes 
 of Saracens like swarms of locusts. And the fall of 
 Chosroes, the Persian king, may well be represented 
 as the opening of the bottomless pit, inasmuch as 
 it prepared the way for the followers of Moham- 
 med to issue from their obscure country, and prop- 
 agate their delusive doctrines with fire and sword, 
 till they had spread their darkness over all the 
 Eastern empire. 
 
 VERSE 2. And he opened the bottomless pit ; and there 
 arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great fur- 
 nace ; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of 
 the smoke of the pit 
 
 " Like the noxious and even deadly vapor which 
 the winds, particularly from the south-west, diffuse 
 in Arabia, Mohammedanism spread from thence 
 its pestilential influence, arose as suddenly, and 
 spread as widely, as smoke arising out of the pit, 
 the smoke of a great furnace. Such is a suitable 
 symbol of the religion of Mohammed, of itself, or as 
 compared with the pure light of the gospel of Jesus. 
 It was not like the latter, a light from Heaven, 
 but a smoke out of the bottomless pit." 
 
 VERSE 3. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon 
 the earth ; and unto them was given power, as the scorpions 
 of the earth have power. 
 
 " A false religion was set up, which, although the 
 scourge of transgressions and idolatry, filled the 
 
618 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 world with darkness and delusion ; and swarms of 
 Saracens, like locusts, overspread the earth, and 
 speedily extended their ravages over the Roman 
 empire, from east to west. The hail descended 
 from the frozen shores of the Baltic; the burn- 
 ing mountaiii fell upon the sea from Africa ; and 
 the locusts (the lit symbol of the Arabs) issued from 
 Arabia, their native region. They came as destroy- 
 ers, propagating a new doctrine, and stirred up to 
 rapine and violence by motives of interest and re- 
 ligion. 
 
 " A still more specific illustration may be given 
 of the power, like unto that of scorpions, which was 
 given them. Not only was their attack speedy 
 and vigorous, but 'the nice sensibility of honor, 
 which weighs the insult rather than the injury, 
 sheds its deadly venom on the quarrels of the 
 Arabs : an indecent action, a contemptuous word, 
 can be expiated only by the blood of the offender ; 
 and such is their patient inveteracy that they ex- 
 pect whole months and years the opportunity of 
 revenge.' " 
 
 VERSE 4. And it was commanded them that they should 
 not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, 
 neither any tree ; but only those men which have not the 
 seal of God in their foreheads. 
 
 After the death of Mohammed, he was succeeded 
 in the command by Abubeker, A. D. 632, who, as 
 soon as he had fairly established his authority and 
 government, dispatched a circular letter to the 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSE 4. 019 
 
 Arabian tribes, from which the following is an ex- 
 tract : 
 
 " ' When you fight the battles of the Lord, acquit 
 yourselves like men, without turning your backs ; 
 but let not your victory be stained with the blood 
 of women and children. Destroy no palm-trees, 
 nor burn any fields of corn. Cut down no fruit- 
 trees, nor do any mischief to cattle, only such as 
 you kill to eat. When you make any covenant or 
 article, stand to it, and be as good as your word. As 
 you go on, you will find some religious persons who 
 live retired in monasteries, and propose to them- 
 selves to serve God that way ; let them alone, and 
 neither kill them nor destroy their monasteries; and 
 you will find another sort of people that belong to 
 the synagogue of Satan, who have shaven crowns ; 
 be sure you cleave their skulls, and give them no 
 quarter till they either turn Mohammedans 'or pay 
 tribute.' 
 
 " It is not said in prophecy or in history that the 
 more humane injunctions were %s scrupulously 
 obeyed as the ferocious mandate. But it was so 
 commanded them. And the preceding are the only 
 instructions recorded by Gibbon, as given by Abu- 
 beker to the chiefs whose duty it was to issue the 
 commands to all the Saracen hosts. The commands 
 are alike discriminating with the prediction ; as if 
 the caliph himself had been acting in known, as 
 well as direct, obedience to a higher mandate than 
 that of mortal man and in the very act of going 
 forth to fight against the religion of Jesus, and to 
 
620 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 propagate Mohammedanism in its stead, he repeated 
 the words which it was foretold in the Revelation 
 of Jesus Christ that he would say." 
 
 The Seal of God in their Foreheads. In remarks 
 upon chapter 7 : 1-3, we have shown that the seal 
 of God is the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. 
 And history is not silent upon the fact that there 
 have been observers of the true Sabbath all through 
 the present dispensation. But the question has here 
 arisen with many, Who were those men which, at 
 this time, had the seal of God in their foreheads, 
 and who thereby became exempt from Mohammed- 
 an oppression? Let the reader bear in mind the 
 fact already alluded to, that there have been those 
 all through this dispensation, who have had the seal 
 of God in their foreheads, or have been intelligent 
 observers of the true Sabbath ; and let him consider 
 further that what the prophecy asserts is that the 
 attacks of this desolating Turkish power are not 
 directed against them, but against another class. 
 The subject is Jhus freed from all difficulty; for 
 this is all that the prophecy really asserts. Only 
 one class of persons is directly brought to view in 
 the text ; namely, those who have not the seal of 
 God in their foreheads; and the preservation of 
 those who have the seal of God is brought in only 
 by implication. Accordingly, we do not learn from 
 history that any of these were involved in any of 
 the calamities inflicted by the Saracens upon the 
 objects of their hate. They were commissioned 
 against another class of men. And the destruction 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSE 4. 621 
 
 to come upon this class of men is not put in contrast 
 with the preservation of other men, bit only with 
 that of the fruits and verdure of the earth; thus, 
 hurt not the grass, trees, nor any green thing, but 
 only a certain class of men. And in fulfillment, we 
 have the strange spectacle of an army of invaders 
 sparing those things which such armies usually 
 destroy, namely, the face and productions of nature, 
 and, in pursuance of their permission to hurt those 
 men who had not the seal of God in their foreheads, 
 cleaving the skulls of a class of religionists with 
 shaven crowns, who belonged to the synagogue of 
 Satan. 
 
 These were doubtless a class of monks, or some 
 other division of the Roman Catholic church. 
 Against these the arms of the Mohammedans were 
 directed. And it seems to us that there is a pecul- 
 iar fitness, if not design, in describing them as those 
 who had not the seal of God in their foreheads, in- 
 asmuch as that is the very church which has robbed 
 the law of God of its seal, by tearing away the true 
 Sabbath, and erecting a counterfeit in its place. 
 And we do not understand, either from the prophe- 
 cy or from history, that those persons whom Abu- 
 beker charged his followers not to molest were in 
 possession of the seal of God, or necessarily consti- 
 tuted the people of God. Who they were, and for 
 what reason they were spared, the meager testi- 
 mony of Gibbon does not inform us, and we have 
 no other means of knowing. But we have every 
 reason to believe that none of those who had the 
 
622 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 seal of God were molested, while another class, who 
 emphatically had it not, were put to the sword. 
 And thus the specifications of the prophecy are 
 amply met. 
 
 VERSE 5. And to them ijb was given that they should not 
 kill them, but that they should be tormented five months ; 
 and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he 
 striketh a man. 
 
 " Their constant incursions into the Roman ter- 
 ritory, and frequent assaults on Constantinople 
 itself, were an unceasing torment throughout the 
 empire, which yet they were not able effectually to 
 subdue, notwithstanding the long period, afterward 
 more directly alluded to, during which they con- 
 tinued, by unremitting attacks, grievously to afflict 
 an idolatrous church, of which the pope was the 
 head. Their charge was to torment, and then to 
 hurt, but not to kill, or utterly destroy. The mar- 
 vel was that they did not." In reference to the five 
 months, see on verse 10. 
 
 YERSE 6. And in those days shall men seek death, and 
 shall not find it ; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee 
 from them. 
 
 " Men were weary of life, when life was spared 
 only for a renewal of woe, and when all that they 
 accounted sacred was violated, and all that they 
 held dear constantly endangered, and the savage 
 Saracens domineered over them, or left them only 
 to a momentary repose, ever liable to be suddenly 
 or violently interrupted, as if by the sting of a 
 scorpion." 
 
CHAJ'TEM IX, VfiKSES 7, 8. (53 
 
 VERSE 7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto 
 horses prepared unto battle ; and on their heads were, as it 
 were, crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of 
 men. 
 
 "The Arabian horse takes the lead throughout, 
 the world ; and skill in horsemanship is the art and 
 science of Arabia. And the barbed Arabs, swift ay 
 locusts and armed like scorpions, ready to dart away 
 in a moment, were ever prepared unto battle. 
 
 "And on their heads were, as it were, crowns like 
 gold. When Mohammed entered Medina (A. D. 622), 
 and was first received as its prince, ' a turban was 
 unfurled before him to supply the deficiency of a 
 standard.' The turbans of the Saracens, like unto 
 a coronet, were their ornament and their boast. The 
 rich booty abundantly supplied and frequently re- 
 newed them. To assume the turban, is proverbially 
 to turn Mussulman. And the Arabs were anciently 
 distinguished by the mitres which they wore. 
 
 "And their faces were as the faces of men. 'The 
 gravity and firmness of the mind of the Arab is 
 conspicuous in his outward demeanor, his only 
 gesture is that of stroking his beard, the venerable 
 symbol of manhood/ ' The honor of their beards is 
 most easily wounded.' " 
 
 VERSE 8. And they had hair as the hair of women, and 
 their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 
 
 " Long hair" is esteemed an ornament by women. 
 The Arabs, unlike to other men, had their hair as 
 the hair of women, or uncut, as their practice is 
 recorded by Pliny and others. But there was nothing 
 
(524 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 effeminate in their character ; for, as denoting their 
 ferocity and strength to devour, their teeth were as 
 the teeth of lions. 
 
 VERSE 9. And they had breastplates, as it were breast- 
 plates of iron ; and the sound of their wings was as the 
 sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 
 
 The Breastplate. "The cuirass (or breastplate) 
 was in use among the Arabs in the days of Moham- 
 med. In the battle of Ohud (the second which Mo- 
 hammed fought) with the Koreish of Mecca (A. D. 
 624), 'seven hundred of them were armed with 
 cuirasses.' " 
 
 The Sound of their Wings. " The charge of the 
 Arabs was not like that of the Greeks and Romans, 
 the efforts of a firm and compact infantry : their 
 military force was chiefly formed of cavalry and 
 archers. With a touch of the hand, the Arab horses 
 darted away with the swiftness of the wind. The 
 sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots 
 of many horses running to battle. Their conquests 
 were marvelous, both in rapidity and extent, and 
 their attack was instantaneous. Nor was it less 
 successful against the Romans than the Persians. 
 
 VERSE 10. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and 
 there were stings in their tails : and their power was to hurt 
 men five months. 11. And they had a king over them, 
 which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the 
 Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath 
 his name Apollyon. 
 
 Thus far Keith has furnished us with illustra- 
 tions of the sounding of the first five trumpets. But 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 10, 11. 625 
 
 we must now take leave of him, and proceed to the 
 application of the new feature of the prophecy here 
 introduced, namely, the prophetic periods. 
 
 Their Power was to Hurt Men Five Months. 1. 
 The question arises, What men were they to hurt 
 five months ? Undoubtedly, the same they were 
 afterward to slay (see verse 15); "the third part 
 of men," or third of the Roman empire, the Greek 
 division of it. 
 
 2. When were they to begin their work of tor- 
 ment ? The llth verse answers the question : 
 
 1. "They had a king over them." From the 
 death of Mohammed until near the close of the 13th 
 century, the Mohammedans were divided into vari- 
 ous factions, under several leaders, with no general 
 civil government extending over them all. Near 
 the close of the 13th century, Othman founded a 
 government, which has since been known as the 
 Ottoman government, or empire, extending over all 
 the principal Mohammedan tribes, consolidating 
 them into one grand monarchy. 
 
 2. The character of the king. "Which is the 
 angel of the bottomless pit." An angel signifies a 
 messenger, or minister, either good or bad; not 
 always a spiritual being. " The angel of the bot- 
 tomless pit," or chief minister of the religion which 
 came from thence when it was opened. That re- 
 ligion is Mohammedanism, and the Sultan is its 
 chief minister. " The Sultan, or Grand Signior, as 
 he is indifferently called, is also Supreme Caliph, or 
 
 high priest, uniting in his person the highest spirit- 
 40 
 
626 THOUGHTS ON THE BEVELATION. 
 
 ual dignity with the supreme secular authority." 
 World as It Is, p. 361. 
 
 3. His name. In Hebrew, "Abaddon," the de- 
 stroyer; in Greek, "Apollyon," one that extermi- 
 nates or destroys. Having two different names in 
 two languages, it is evident that the character, 
 rather than the name of the power, is intended to 
 be represented. If so, in both languages he is a 
 destroyer. Such has always been the character of 
 the Ottoman government. 
 
 But when did Othman make his first assault on 
 the Greek empire ? According to Gibbon (" De- 
 cline and Fall," etc.), " Othman first entered the ter- 
 ritory of Nicomedia on the 27th day of July, 1299." 
 
 The calculations of some writers have gone upon 
 the supposition that the period should begin with 
 the foundation of the Ottoman empire ; but this is 
 evidently an error ; for they not only were to have 
 a king over them, but were to torment men five 
 months. But the period of torment could not begin 
 before the first attack of the tormentors, which was 
 as above, July 27, 1299. 
 
 The calculation which follows, founded on this 
 starting point, was made and published in a work 
 entitled, " Christ's Second Coming," etci, by J. 
 Litch, in 1838. 
 
 " And their power was to hurt men five months." 
 Thus far their commission extended, to torment, by 
 constant depredations, but not politically to kill 
 them. "Five months," thirty days to a month, give 
 us one hundred and fifty days; and these being 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 12-15. 627 
 
 prophetic, signify one hundred and fifty years. 
 Commencing July 27, 1299, the one hundred and 
 fifty years reach to 1449. During that whole pe- 
 riod the Turks were engaged in an almost perpet- 
 ual warfare with the Greek empire, but yet without 
 conquering it. They seized upon and held several 
 of the Greek provinces, but still Greek independ- 
 ence was maintained in Constantinople. But in 
 1449, the termination of the one hundred and fifty 
 years, a change came, the history of which will be 
 found under the succeeding trumpet. 
 
 VERSE 12. One woe is past ; and, behold, there coine two 
 woes more hereafter. 13. And the sixth angel sounded, 
 and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar 
 which is before God, 14, Saying to the sixth angel which had 
 the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the 
 great river Euphrates. 15. And the four angels were loosed, 
 which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, 
 and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 
 
 The first woe was to continue from the rise of 
 Mohammedanism until the end of the five months. 
 Then the first woe was to end, and the second to 
 begin. And when the sixth angel sounded, it was 
 commanded to take off the restraints which had 
 been imposed on the nation, by which they were 
 restricted to the work of tormenting men, and their 
 commission was enlarged so as to permit them to 
 slay the third part of men. This command came 
 from the four horns of the golden altar. 
 
 The Four Angels. These were the four principal 
 sultanies of which the Ottoman empire was com- 
 
628 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 posed, located in the country watered by the great 
 river Euphrates. These sultanies were situated at 
 Aleppo, Iconium, Damascus, and Bagdad. Previ- 
 ously they had been restrained ; but God command- 
 ed, and they were loosed. 
 
 In the year 1449, John Palaeologus, the Greek em- 
 peror, died, but left no children to inherit his throne, 
 and Constantine, his brother, succeeded to it.* But 
 he would not venture to ascend the throne without 
 the consent of Amurath, the Turkish Sultan. He 
 therefore sent ambassadors to ask his consent, and 
 obtained it, before he presumed to call himself sov- 
 ereign. 
 
 Let this historical fact be carefully examined in 
 connection with the prediction above. This was 
 not a violent assault made on the Greeks, by which 
 their empire was overthrown and their independ- 
 ence taken away, but simply a voluntary surrender 
 of that independence into the hands of the Turks, 
 by saying, " I cannot reign unless you permit." 
 
 The four angels were loosed for an hour, a day, a 
 month, and a year, to slay the third part of men. 
 This period amounts to three hundred and ninety- 
 one years and fifteen days ; during which Ottoman 
 supremacy was to exist in Constantinople. Thus: 
 A prophetic year is three hundred and sixty pro- 
 phetic days, or three hundred and sixty literal years; 
 a prophetic month, thirty prophetic days, is thirty 
 
 *Some historians have given this date as 1448, but the best 
 authorities sustain the date here given, 1449. See Chamber's En- 
 cyclopedia, art., Palaeologus. 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSE 16. (J29 
 
 literal years ; one prophetic day, is one literal year; 
 and an hour, or the twenty-fourth part of a prophetic 
 day, would be a twenty-fourth part of a literal 
 year, or fifteen days ; the whole amounting to three 
 hundred and ninety-one years and fifteen days. 
 
 But although the four angels were thus loosed by 
 the voluntary submission of the Greeks, yet another 
 doom awaited the seat of empire. Amurath, the 
 Sultan to whom the submission of Constantino XII. 
 was made, and by whose permission he reigned in 
 Constantinople, soon after died and was succeeded 
 in the empire, in 1451, by Mohammed II., who set 
 his heart on Constantinople, and determined to 
 make it a prey. He accordingly made preparations 
 for besieging and taking the city. The siege com- 
 menced on the 6th of April, 1453, and ended in the 
 taking of the city, and the death of the last of the 
 Constan tines, on the 16th day of May following. 
 And the eastern city of the Caesars became the seat 
 of the Ottoman empire. 
 
 The arms and mode of warfare which were used 
 in the siege in which Constantinople was to be over- 
 thrown and held in subjection, were, as we shall see, 
 distinctly noticed by the Revelator. 
 
 VERSE 16. And the number of the army of the horsemen 
 were two hundred thousand thousand ; and I heard the num- 
 ber of them. 
 
 Innumerable hordes of horses and them that sat 
 on them. Gibbon describes the first invasion of the 
 Roman territories by the Turks, thus : " The myri- 
 ads of Turkish horse overspread a frontier of six 
 
630 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 hundred miles from Tauris to Azeroum, and the 
 blood of 130,000 Christians was a grateful sacrifice 
 to the Arabian Prophet." Whether the number is 
 designed to convey the idea of any definite number, 
 the reader must judge. Some suppose 200,000 twice 
 told is meant, and, following some historians, they 
 find that number of Turkish warriors in the siege 
 of Constantinople. Some think 200,000,000 to mean 
 all the Turkish warriors during the 391 years and 
 fifteen days of their triumph over the Greeks. This 
 appears the most likely. But as it cannot be ascer- 
 tained whether that is the fact or not, nothing can 
 be affirmed on the point. 
 
 YERSE 17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and 
 them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of 
 jacinth, and brimstone ; and the heads of the horses were as 
 the heads of lions ; and out of their mouths issued fire and 
 smoke and brimstone. 
 
 The first part of this description may have refer- 
 ence to the appearance of these horsemen. Fire, rep- 
 resenting a color, stands for red " as red as fire" be- 
 ing a frequent form of expression ; jacinth, or hya- 
 cinth, for blue ; and brimstone for yellow ; and these 
 colors greatly predominated in the dress of these war- 
 riors ; so that the description, according to this view, 
 would be accurately met in the Turkish uniform, 
 which was composed largely of red or scarlet, blue 
 and yellow. The heads of the horses were, in appear- 
 ance, as the heads of lions, to denote their strength, 
 courage, and fierceness. While the last part of the 
 verse undoubtedly has reference to the use of gun- 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 18, 19. 631 
 
 powder and fire-arms for purposes of war, which 
 were then but recently introduced. As the Turks 
 discharged their fire-arms on horseback, it would 
 appear to the distant beholder that the fire, smoke, 
 and brimstone, issued out of the horses' mouths, as 
 illustrated by plate facing p. 612.* 
 
 VERSE 18. By these three was the third part of men 
 killed, by the re, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, 
 which issued out of their mouths. 19. For their power is 
 in their mouth, and in their tails ; for their tails were like 
 unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 
 
 These verses express the deadly effect of the new 
 mode of warfare introduced. It was by means of 
 these agents, gunpowder, fire-arms and cannon, that 
 Constantinople was finally overcome and given into 
 the hands of the Turks. 
 
 * Quite an agreement exists among commentators in applying 
 the prophecy concerning the fire, smoke, and brimstone, to the use 
 of gunpowder by the Turks in their warfare against the Eastern 
 Empire. See Clarke, Barnes, Elliot, Cottage Bible, etc. But they 
 generally allude simply to the heavy ordnance, the large cannon, 
 employed by that power; whereas the prophecy mentions espe r '!al- 
 ly the "horses" and the fire "issuing from their mouths," as 
 though smaller arms were used, and used on horseback. Barnes 
 thinks this was the case ; and a statement from Gibbon confirms 
 this view. He says (iv., 343): "The incessant volleys of lances 
 and arrows were accompanied with the smoke, the sound, and the 
 fire, of their musketry and cannon." Here is good historical evi- 
 dence that muskets were used by the Turks; and, secondly, it is 
 undisputed that in their general warfare they fought principally 
 on horseback. The inference is therefore well supported that 
 they used fire-arms on horseback, accurately fulfilling the prophe- 
 cy, according to the illustration above referred to. 
 
632 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 In addition to the fire, smoke, and brimstone, 
 which apparently issued out of their mouths, it is 
 said that their power was also in their tails. It is 
 a remarkable fact that the horse's tail is a well- 
 known Turkish standard, a symbol of office and 
 authority. The meaning of the expression would 
 seem to be, that their tails were the symbol or em- 
 blem of their authority. The image before the 
 mind of John would seem to have been that he saw 
 the horses belching out fire and smoke, and, what 
 was equally strange, he saw that their power of 
 spreading desolation was connected with the tails 
 of the horses. Any one looking on a body of cav- 
 alry with such banners or ensigns, would be struck 
 with this unusual or remarkable appearance, and 
 would speak of their banners as concentrating and 
 directing their power. 
 
 This supremacy of the Mohammedans over the 
 Greeks was to continue, as already noticed, three 
 hundred and ninety-one years and fifteen days. 
 Commencing when the one hundred and fifty years 
 ended, July 27, 1449, the period would end August 
 11, 1840. Judging from the manner of the com- 
 mencement of the Ottoman supremacy, that it was 
 by a voluntary acknowledgment on the part of the 
 Greek emperor that he only reigned by permission 
 of the Turkish Sultan, we should naturally conclude 
 that the fall or departure of the Ottoman independ- 
 ence would be brought about in the same way; 
 that at the end of the specified period, the Sultan 
 would voluntarily surrender his independence into 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 18, 19. ^33 
 
 the hands of the Christian powers, from whom he 
 received it. 
 
 When the foregoing calculation was made by 
 Elder J. Litch in 1838, it was purely a matter of 
 calculation on the prophetic periods of Scripture. 
 Now, however, the time is passed by, and it is 
 proper to inquire, what the result has been 
 whether such events transpired according to the 
 previous calculation. 
 
 When Did Mohammedan Independence in Con- 
 stantinople Depart? For several years previous 
 to 1840, the Sultan had been embroiled in war with 
 Mehemet Ali, Pacha of Egypt. In 1838 there was 
 a threatening of war between the Sultan and his 
 Egyptian vassal, which was for the time being re- 
 strained by the influence of the foreign ambassa- 
 dors. In 1839, however, hostilities were again 
 commenced, and were prosecuted until, in a general 
 battle between the armies of the Sultan and Me- 
 hemet, the Sultan's army was entirely cut up and de- 
 stroyed, and his fleet taken by Mehemet and carried 
 into Egypt. So completely had the Sultan's fleet 
 been reduced, that, when the war again commenced 
 in August he had only two first-rates and three 
 frigates, as the sad remains of the once powerful 
 Turkish fleet. This fleet Mehemet positively refused 
 to give up and return to the Sultan, and declared 
 that if the powers attempted to take it from him, 
 he would burn it. In this posture affairs stood, 
 when, in 1840, England, Russia, Austria and Prus- 
 sia, interposed, and determined on a settlement of 
 
634 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 the difficulty ; for it was evident, if let alone, Me- 
 hemet would soon become master of the Sultan's 
 throne. 
 
 The Sultan accepted this intervention of the 
 great powers, and thus made a voluntary surrender 
 of the question into their hands. A conference of 
 these powers was held in London, Sheikh Effend- 
 endi, the Ottoman Plenipotentiary, being present. 
 At this conference an ultimatum was drawn up to 
 be presented to the Pacha of Egypt, whereby the 
 Sultan was to offer him the hereditary government 
 of Egypt, and all that part of Syria extending from 
 the gulf of Suez to the lake of Tiberias, together 
 with the province of Acre, for life ; he, on his part, 
 to evacuate all other parts of the Sultan's domin- 
 ions then occupied by him, and to return the Otto- 
 man fleet. In case he refused this offer from the 
 Sultan, the four powers were to take the matter 
 into their own hands, and use such other means to 
 bring him to terms as they should see fit. 
 
 It is apparent that just as soon as this ultimatum 
 should be put by the Sultan into the hands of Me- 
 hemet Ali, the matter would be forever beyond the 
 control of the former, and the disposal of his affairs 
 would, from that moment, be in the hands of foreign 
 powers. The Sultan dispatched Rifat Bey on a 
 government steamer to Alexandria to communicate 
 the ultimatum to the Pacha. It was put into his 
 hands and by him taken in charge, on the eleventh 
 day of August, 1840. On the same day a note was 
 addressed by the Sultan to the ambassadors of the 
 
CHAPTER IX, VERSES 20, 21. 635 
 
 four powers, inquiring what plan was to be adopted 
 in case the Pacha should refuse to comply with the 
 terms of the ultimatum ; to which they made answer 
 that provision had been made, and there was no 
 necessity of his alarming himself about any con- 
 tingency that might arise. This day the period of 
 three hundred and ninety-one years and fifteen days 
 allotted to the continuance of the Ottoman power, 
 ended ; and where was the Sultan's independence ? 
 Gone ! Who had the supremacy of the Ottoman 
 empire in their hands ? The four great powers ; 
 and that empire has existed ever since only by the 
 sufferance of these Christian powers. Thus was the 
 prophecy fulfilled to the very letter. 
 
 From the first publication of the calculation of 
 this matter in 1838, before referred to, the time set 
 for the fulfillment of the prophecy, August 11, 1840, 
 was watched by thousands with intense interest. 
 And the exact accomplishment of the event pre- 
 dicted, showing as it did the right application of 
 the prophecy, gave a mighty impetus to the great 
 Advent movement, then beginning to attract the 
 attention of the world. 
 
 VERSE 20. And the rest of the men which were not killed 
 by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, 
 that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and 
 silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood ; which neither can 
 see, nor hear, nor walk. 21. Neither repented they of their 
 murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor 
 of their thefts. 
 
 God designs that men shall make a note of his 
 
636 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 judgments, and receive the lessons he thereby de- 
 signs to convey. But how slow are they to learn ! 
 and how blind to the indications of providence! 
 The events that transpired under the sixth trumpet 
 constituted the second woe. Yet these judgments 
 led to no improvement in the manners and morals 
 of men. Those who escaped them learned nothing 
 by their manifestation in the earth. The worship 
 of devils (demons, dead folks deified) and idols of 
 gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, may find a ful- 
 fillment in the saint worship and image worship of 
 the Roman Catholic church ; while of murders, sor- 
 ceries (pretended miracles through the agency of 
 departed saints), fornications, and thefts, in coun- 
 tries where the Roman religion has prevailed, there 
 has been no lack. 
 
 The hordes of Saracens and Turks were let loose 
 as a scourge and punishment upon apostate Chris- 
 tendom. Men suffered the punishment, but learned 
 therefrom no lesson. 
 
X. 
 
 THE PROCLAMATION OF THE ADVENT. 
 
 VERSE 1. And I saw another mighty angel come do\vn 
 from heaven, clothed with a cloud ; and a rainbow was upon 
 his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as 
 pillars of fire ; 2 ; And he had in his hand a little book open ; 
 and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on 
 the earth. 
 
 A Parenthetical Prophecy. Chapter 9 closed with 
 the events of the sixth trumpet. The sounding of 
 the seventh trumpet is not introduced till we reach 
 the 15th verse of chapter 11. The whole of chapter 
 10, and a portion of chapter 11, therefore, come in 
 parenthetically between the sixth and seventh trum- 
 pets. That which is particularly connected with 
 the sounding of the sixth trumpet is recorded in 
 chapter 9. The prophet has other events to intro- 
 duce before the opening of another trumpet, and 
 takes occasion to do it in the scripture which inter- 
 venes to the 15th verse of chapter 11. Among 
 these is the prophecy of chapter 10. Let us first 
 look at the chronology of the message of this angel. 
 
 The Little Book. " He had in his hand a little 
 book open" There is a necessary inference to be 
 drawn from this language, which is that this book 
 
 (637) 
 
638 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 was at some time closed up. We read in Daniel of 
 a book which was closed up and sealed to a certain 
 time. " But thou, Daniel, shut up the words and 
 seal the book, even to the time of the end ; many 
 shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be in- 
 creased." Dan. 12: 4. Since this book was closed up 
 only till the time of the end, it follows that at the 
 time of the end the book would be opened ; and as 
 its closing was mentioned in prophecy, it would be 
 but reasonable to expect that in the predictions of 
 events to take place at the time of the end the 
 opening of this book would also be mentioned. 
 There is no book spoken of as closed up and sealed 
 except the book of Daniel's prophecy ; and there is 
 no account of the opening of that book, unless it be 
 here in the 10th of Revelation. We see, further- 
 more, that the contents ascribed to the book in both 
 places, are the same. The book which Daniel had 
 directions to close up and seal had reference to 
 time : " How long shall it be to the end of these 
 wonders?" And when the angel of this chapter 
 comes down with the little book open, on which he 
 bases his proclamation, he gives a message in rela- 
 tion to time : "Time shall be no longer." Nothing 
 more could be required to establish the identity of 
 these two books, and to show that the little book 
 which the angel had in his hand open, was the book 
 of the prophecy of Daniel. 
 
 An important point is now determined toward 
 settling the chronology of this angel ; for we have 
 seen that the prophecy, mor$ particularly the pro- 
 
CHAPTER X, VERSES 1, 2. 
 
 phetic periods of Daniel, were not to be opened till 
 the time of the end; and if this is the book which 
 the angel had in his hand open, it follows that he 
 proclaims his message this side of the time when the 
 book should be opened, or somewhere this side of 
 the commencement of the time of the end. All that 
 now remains on this point is to ascertain when the 
 time of the end commenced ; and the book of Daniel 
 itself furnishes data from which this can be done. 
 In Daniel 11, from verse 30, the papal power is 
 brought to view. In verse 35, we read, " And some 
 of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, 
 and to purge, and make them white, even to the time 
 of the end!' Here is brought to view the period of 
 the supremacy of the little horn, during which time 
 the saints, times, and laws, were to be given into his 
 hand, and from him suffer fearful persecutions. This 
 is declared to reach to the time of the end. It 
 ended A. D. 1798, where the 12GO years of papal rule 
 expired. There the time of the end commenced, 
 and the book was opened. And since that time 
 many have run to and fro, and knowledge on these 
 prophetic subjects has marvelously increased. 
 
 The chronology of the events of Rev. 10, is fur- 
 ther ascertained from the fact that this angel is 
 
 O 
 
 identical with the first angel of Rev. 14. The points 
 of identity between them are easily seen. 1. They 
 both have a special message to proclaim. 2. They 
 both utter their proclamation with a loud voice. 
 3. They use similar language, both referring to the 
 great Creator, as the maker of heaven and earth, 
 
640 
 
 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 the sea, and the things that are therein. 4. They 
 both proclaim time ; one swearing that time should 
 be no more, and the other proclaiming that the hour 
 of God's Judgment has come. But the message of 
 Rev. 14 : 6, is located this side of the commence- 
 ment of the time of the end. It is a proclamation 
 of the hour of God's Judgment come, and hence 
 must have its application to the last generation. 
 Paul did not preach the hour of Judgment come. 
 Luther and his coadjutors did not preach it. Paul 
 reasoned of a Judgment to come, indefinitely future; 
 and Luther placed it at least three hundred years 
 off from his day. Moreover Paul warned the church 
 against any such preaching as that the hour of 
 God's Judgment has come, until a certain time. In 
 2 Thess. 2: 1-3, he says: "Now we beseech you, 
 brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be 
 not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by 
 spirit nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that 
 the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive 
 you by any means; for that day shall not come 
 except there come a falling away first, and that 
 man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition," etc. 
 Here Paul introduces to our view the man of sin, 
 the little horn, the papacy, and covers with a cau- 
 tion the whole period of his supremacy, which, as al- 
 ready noticed, continued 1260 years, ending in 1798. 
 In 1798, therefore, the restriction from proclaim- 
 ing the day of Christ at hand, ceased; in 1798, the 
 time of the end commenced, and the seal was taken 
 
CHAPTER X, VERSES 5, 641 
 
 from the little book. Since that period, therefore, 
 the angel of Rev. 14, goes forth proclaiming the 
 hour of God's Judgment come, and since that time, 
 too, the angel of chapter 10 takes his stand on sea 
 and land, and swears that time shall be no more. 
 Of their identity there can now be no question ; and 
 all the arguments which go to locate the one, are 
 equally effective in the case of the other. We need 
 not enter into any argument here to show that the 
 present generation has witnessed the fulfillment of 
 these two prophecies. In the preaching of the advent, 
 more especially from 1840 to 1844, they met a full 
 and circumstantial accomplishment. The position 
 of this angel, one foot upon the sea, and the other 
 on the land, denotes the wide extent of his procla- 
 mation by sea and by land. Had this message been 
 designed for only one country, it would have been 
 sufficient for the angel to take his position on the 
 land only. But he has one foot upon the sea ; from 
 which we may infer that his message would cross 
 the oceans and extend to the various nations and di- 
 visions of the globe. And this inference is strength- 
 ened by the fact that the Advent proclamation 
 above referred to, did go to every missionary sta- 
 tion in the world. 
 
 YEESE 3. And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion 
 roareth ; and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered 
 their voices. 4. And when the seven thunders had uttered 
 their voices, I was about to write ; and I heard a voice from 
 heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the sev- 
 en thunders uttered, and write them not. 
 41 
 
642' THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 The Seven Thunders. It would be vain to spec- 
 ulate to any great length upon the seven thunders, 
 in hope of gaining a definite knowlege of what they 
 uttered. We must acquiesce in the directions given 
 to John concerning them and leave them where he 
 left them, sealed up, unwritten, and consequently 
 to us unknown. There is, however, a conjecture ex- 
 tant in relation to them, which may not inappro- 
 priately be mentioned here. It is that what the 
 seven thunders uttered is the experience of the Ad- 
 vent people, embracing their sore disappointment 
 and trial. Something, evidently, was uttered, which 
 it would not be well for the church to know ; and 
 for God to have given an inspired record of the Ad- 
 vent movement in advance, would have been simply 
 to defeat that movement which we verily believe 
 was in all its particulars an accomplishment of his 
 purposes, and according to his will. Why then any 
 mention of the seven thunders at all ? Following 
 out the above-noticed conjecture, the conclusion 
 would be, that we, having met in our history with 
 sudden, mysterious and unexpected events, as start- 
 ling and strange as thunders from an unclouded 
 sky. might not give up in utter perplexity, infer- 
 ring, as we may, that all is in the order and provi- 
 dence of God, since something of this nature was 
 sealed up and hidden from the church. 
 
 VERSE 5. And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea 
 and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 6, And 
 sware by him that liveth forever and ever, who created 
 heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth, and 
 
CHAPTER X, VLKSE 7. 643 
 
 the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things 
 which are therein, that there should be time no longer. 
 
 Time Shall be no More. What is the meaning 
 of this solemn declaration ? It cannot mean that 
 with the message of this angel, time, as here com- 
 puted, in comparison with eternity, should end; for 
 the next verse speaks of the days of the voice of 
 the seventh angel ; and chapter 11: 15-19, gives us 
 some of the events to take place under this trum- 
 pet, which transpire in the present state. And it 
 cannot mean probationary time ; for that does not 
 cease till Christ closes his work as priest, which is not 
 till after the seventh angel has commenced to sound. 
 Rev. 11 : 19. It must therefore mean prophetic 
 time, for there is no other to which it can refer. 
 Prophetic time shall be no more; not that time 
 should never be used in a prophetic sense ; for the 
 " days of the voice of the seventh angel," spoken of 
 immediately after, doubtless mean the years of the 
 seventh angel ; but no prophetic period should ex- 
 tend beyond this message ; those that reach to the 
 latest point should all close there. Arguments on 
 the prophetic periods to show that the longest ones 
 did not extend beyond the autumn of 1844, will be 
 found in Thoughts on Daniel 8:14. 
 
 YERSE 7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh an- 
 gel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should 
 be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. 
 
 The Days of the Voice of the Seventh Angel. This 
 seventh trump is not that which is spoken of as the 
 last trump, in 1 Cor. 15 : 52, which wakes the sleep- 
 
644 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 ing dead ; but it is the seventh of the series of the 
 seven trumpets, and like the others of the series, 
 occupies days [years] in sounding. In the days 
 when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God 
 shall be finished. Not in the day when he shall 
 begin to sound, not in the very commencement of 
 his sounding ; but in the early years of his sound- 
 ing, the mystery of God shall be finished. 
 
 Commencement of the Seventh Trumpet. From 
 the events to take place under the sounding of the 
 seventh trumpet, its commencement may be located 
 with sufficient definiteness at the close of the pro- 
 phetic periods in 1844. Not many years from that 
 date, then, the mystery of God is to be finished. 
 The great event, whatever it is, is right upon us. 
 Some closing and decisive work, with whatever of 
 importance and solemnity it bears in its train, is 
 near at hand. There is an importance connected 
 with the finishing of any of the works of God. 
 Such an act marks a solemn and important era. 
 Our Saviour, when expiring upon the cross, cried, 
 It is finished, John 19: 30, and when the great work 
 of mercy for fallen man is completed, it will be an- 
 nounced by a voice from the throne of God, pro- 
 claiming, in tones which roll like thunder through 
 all the earth, the solemn sentence, It is done ! Rev. 
 16: 17. It is therefore no uncalled-for solicitude 
 which prompts us to inquire what bearing such 
 events have upon our eternal hopes and interests, 
 and when we read of the finishing of the mystery 
 of God, to ask what that mystery is, and in what 
 its finishing consists. 
 
CHAPTER X, VEESE 7. 645 
 
 The Mystery of God. A few direct testimonies 
 from that Book which has been given as a lamp to 
 our feet, will show what this mystery is. Eph. 1 : 
 9 : " Having made known unto us the mystery of 
 his will, according to his good pleasure which he 
 hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation 
 of the fullness of times, he might gather together 
 in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heav- 
 en and on earth, even in him." Here God's pur- 
 pose to gather together all into Christ is called the 
 " mystery " of his will. This is accomplished through 
 the gospel. Eph. 6: 19: "And forme [Paul asks 
 that prayers might be made] that utterance may 
 be given unto me, that I may open my mouth 
 boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel." 
 Here the gospel is declared plainly to be a mystery. 
 It is called in Col. 4 : 3, the mystery of Christ. Eph. 
 3 : 3, 6. " How that by revelation he made known 
 unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few 
 words)," etc., "that the Gentiles should be fellow 
 heirs and of the same body, and partakers of his 
 promise in Christ by the gospel." Paul here de- 
 clares that the mystery was made known to him 
 by revelation, as he had before written. In this he 
 refers to his epistle to the Galatians, where he had 
 recorded what had been given " by revelation," in 
 these words : " But I certify you, brethren, that the 
 gospel which was preached of me is not after man ; 
 for I neither received it of man, neither was I 
 taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" 
 Gal. 1 : 11, 12. Here Paul tells us plainly that what 
 
646 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 he received through revelation, was the gospel. In 
 Eph. 3 : 3, he calls it the mystery made known to 
 him by revelation, as he had written before. The 
 epistle to the Galatians was written in A. D. 58, and 
 that to the Ephesians in A. D. 64. 
 
 In view of these testimonies, few will be disposed 
 to deny that the mystery of God is the gospel. It 
 is the same, then, as if the angel had declared, In 
 the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he 
 shall begin to sound, the gospel shall be finished. 
 But what is the finishing of the gospel ? Let us 
 first inquire for what it was given ? It was given 
 to take out from the nations a people for God's 
 name. Acts 15 : 14. Its finishing must, as a matter 
 of course, be the close of this work. It will be 
 finished when the number of God's people is made 
 up, mercy ceases to be offered, and probation closes. 
 
 The subject is now before us in all its magnitude. 
 Such is the momentous work to be accomplished in 
 the early days of the voice of the seventh angel, 
 whose trumpet notes have already been reverbera- 
 ting through the world nearly forty years. God is 
 not slack; his work is not uncertain; are we ready 
 for the issue ? 
 
 VERSE 8. And the voice which I heard from Heaven 
 spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book 
 which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon 
 the sea and upon the earth. 9. And I went unto the angel, 
 and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said 
 unto me, Take it, and eat it up ; and it shall make thy belly 
 bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 10. 
 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate 
 
CHAPTER X, VERSES 8-10. 647 
 
 it up ; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey ; and as soon 
 as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 
 
 In verse 8 John himself is brought in to act a 
 part as a representative of the church, probably on 
 account of the succeeding peculiar experience of the 
 church which the Lord of the prophecy would cause 
 to be put on record, but which could not well be 
 presented under the symbol of an angel. When 
 only a straightforward proclamation is brought to 
 view, without including the peculiar experience 
 which the church is to pass through in connection 
 therewith, angels may be used as symbols to repre- 
 sent the religious teachers who proclaim that mes- 
 sage, as in Rev. 14. But when some particular expe- 
 rience of the church is to be presented, the case is 
 manifestly different. This could most appropri- 
 ately be set forth in the person of some member of 
 the human family; hence John is himself called 
 upon to act a part in this symbolic representation. 
 And this being the case, the angel who here ap- 
 peared to John may represent that divine messen- 
 ger who, in the order which is observed in all the 
 work of God, has charge of this message; or he 
 may be introduced for the purpose of representing 
 the nature of the message and the source from 
 which it comes. 
 
 There are not a few now living who have in their 
 own experience met a striking fulfillment of these 
 verses, in the joy with which they received the mes- 
 sage of Christ's immediate second coming, the honey- 
 like sweetness of the precious truths then brought 
 
648 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 out, and the bitterness and sorrow that followed 
 when the disappointment, and not the Lord, came, 
 at the appointed time in 1844. A mistake had been 
 made which apparently involved the integrity of 
 the little book they had been eating. What had 
 been so like honey to their taste, suddenly became 
 like wormwood and gall. But those who had pa- 
 tience to endure the digesting process, soon learned 
 that the mistake was only in the event, not in the 
 time, and that what the angel had given them was 
 not unto death, but to their nourishment and sup- 
 port. See the same facts brought to view under a 
 similar figure in Jer. 15 : 16-18. 
 
 VERSE 11. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy 
 again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and 
 kings. 
 
 John, standing as the representative of the church, 
 here receives from the angel another commission. 
 Another message is to go forth after the time when 
 the first and second messages, as leading proclama- 
 tions, ceased. In other words, we have here a 
 prophecy of the third angel's message, now, as we 
 believe, being fulfilled. Neither will this work be 
 done in a corner; for it is to go before "many 
 peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." 
 
Cfykptef XL 
 
 THE TWO WITNESSES. 
 
 VERSE 1. And there was given me a reed like unto a rod ; 
 and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple 
 of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2. 
 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and 
 measure it not ; for it is given unto the Gentiles ; and the 
 holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 
 
 We here have a continuation of the instruction 
 which the angel commenced giving to John in the 
 preceding chapter ; hence these verses properly be- 
 long to that chapter, and should not be separated 
 by the present division. In the last verse of chap- 
 ter 10, the angel gave to John, as a representative 
 of the church, a new commission. In other words, 
 as already shown, we have in that verse a prophecy 
 of the third angel's message. Now follows testi- 
 mony showing what the nature of that message is 
 to be. It is connected with the temple of God in 
 Heaven, and is designed to fit up a class of people 
 as worshipers therein. The temple here cannot 
 mean the church ; for the church is brought to view 
 in connection with this temple as "them that 
 worship therein." The temple is therefore the 
 literal temple in Heaven, and the worshipers the 
 
 (649) 
 
650 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 true church on earth. But of course these wor- 
 shipers are not to be measured in the sense of ascer- 
 taining the height and circumference of each one in 
 feet and inches ; they are to be measured as wor- 
 shipers; and character can be measured only by 
 some standard of right, namely, a law or rule of 
 action. We are thus brought to the conclusion that 
 the ten commandments, the standard which God 
 has given by which to measure " the whole duty of 
 man/' are embraced in the measuring rod put by the 
 angel into the hands of John ; and this is the very 
 thing which, in fulfillment, has been put under the 
 third message, into the hands of the church. This 
 is the standard by which the worshipers of God are 
 now to be tested. 
 
 Having seen what it is to measure those who wor- 
 ship at the temple, we inquire further, What is 
 meant by measuring the temple ? To measure any 
 object, requires that we give especial attention to 
 that object. So doubtless the call to rise and meas- 
 ure the temple of God, is a prophetic command to 
 the church to give the subject of the temple or sanc- 
 tuary a special examination. But how is it to be 
 measured with the measuring rod given to the 
 church ? With the ten commandments alone we 
 could not do it. We do do it with the message. 
 Hence we conclude that the measuring rod, taken 
 as a whole, is the special message now given to the 
 church, which embraces all the truths peculiar to 
 this time, including the ten commandments. By 
 this message, our attention has been called to the 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 5. 651 
 
 temple above, and through it the light and truth 
 on this subject has come out. Thus we measure 
 the temple and the altar, or the ministration con- 
 nected with the temple, the work and position of 
 our great High Priest; and we measure the wor- 
 shipers with that portion of the rod which relates 
 to character, namely, the ten commandments. 
 
 " But the court which is without the temple leave 
 out." As much as to say, The attention of the 
 church is now directed to the inner temple, and the 
 service there. Matters pertaining to the court are 
 of less consequence now. It is given to the Gen- 
 tiles. That the court refers to this earth is proved 
 thus : The court is the place where the victims were 
 slain, whose blood was to be administered in the 
 sanctuary. The antitypical victim must die in the 
 antitypical court ; and he died on Calvary in Judea. 
 Having thus introduced the Gentiles, the attention 
 of the prophet is directed to the great feature of 
 Gentile apostasy, namely, the treading down of the 
 holy city forty and two months, during the period 
 of papal supremacy. He is then directed to the 
 condition of the word of God, the truth and the 
 church during that time. Thus by an easy and 
 natural transition, we are carried back into the 
 past, and our attention is called to a new series of 
 events. 
 
 VERSE 3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, 
 and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three- 
 score days, clothed in sackcloth. 
 
 These days are the same as the forty-two months 
 
652 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 of the preceding verse, and refer to the period of 
 papal triumph. During this time the witnesses are 
 in a state of sackcloth, or obscurity, and God gives 
 them power to endure and maintain their testi- 
 mony through that dark and dismal period. But 
 who or what are these witnesses ? 
 
 VERSE 4. These are the two olive trees, and the two 
 candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 
 
 Evident allusion is here made to Zech. 4 : 3-6, 
 where it is explained that the two olive trees are 
 taken to represent the word of God ; and David 
 testifies, " The entrance of thy words giveth light," 
 and " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light 
 unto my path." Written testimony is stronger 
 than oral. Jesus declares of the Old Testament 
 scriptures, "They are they which testify of me." 
 In this dispensation he says that his works bear 
 witness of him. By what means do they bear wit- 
 ness of him ? Ever since those disciples of his who 
 were personally associated with him while on earth, 
 passed off the stage of life, his works have borne 
 witness of him only through the medium of the 
 New Testament, where alone we find them recorded. 
 This gospel of the kingdom, it was once declared, 
 shall be preached in all the world for a witness to 
 all nations, etc. 
 
 These declarations and considerations are suf- 
 ficient to sustain the conclusion that the Old and 
 New Testaments, one given in one dispensation, and 
 the other in the other, are Christ's two witnesses. 
 
CHAPTER XI, VEESES 5-7. 653 
 
 VERSE 5. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth 
 out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies ; and if any 
 man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 
 
 To hurt the word of God is to oppose, corrupt, or 
 pervert its testimony, and turn people away from 
 it. Against those who do this work, fire proceed- 
 eth out of their mouth to devour them ; that is 
 judgment of fire is denounced in that word against 
 such. It declares that they will have their portion 
 at last in the lake that burneth with fire and brim- 
 stone. Mai. 4:1; Rev. 20 : 15; 22 : 18, 19, etc. 
 
 VERSE 6. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain 
 not in the days of their prophecy ; and have power over 
 waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with 
 all plagues as often as they will. 
 
 In what sense have these witnesses power to shut 
 heaven, turn waters to blood, and bring plagues on 
 the earth ? Elijah shut heaven that it rained not 
 for three years and a half ; but he did it by the 
 word of the Lord. Moses by the word of the Lord 
 turned the waters of Egypt to blood. And just as 
 these judgments, recorded in their testimony, have 
 been fulfilled, so will every threatening and judg- 
 ment denounced by them against any people surely 
 be accomplished. " As often as they will." As often 
 as judgments are recorded on their pages to tran- 
 spire, so often they will come to pass. An instance 
 of this the world is yet to experience in the inflic- 
 tion of the seven last plagues. 
 
 VERSE 7. And when they shall have finished their testi- 
 mony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit 
 
654 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 shall make war against them, and shall overcome them and 
 kill them. 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street 
 of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, 
 where also our Lord was crucified. 
 
 " When they shall have finished their testimony " 
 that is, " in sackcloth ;" or, as the original signi- 
 fies, when they are "finishing," etc., just as they 
 are coming to the termination of their sackcloth 
 state. A " beast," in prophecy, denotes a kingdom 
 or power. See Dan. 7 : 17, 23. The question now 
 arises, When did the sackcloth state of the witnesses 
 close ? and did such a kingdom as described make 
 war on them at the time spoken of ? If we are cor- 
 rect in fixing upon A. D. 538 as the time of the com- 
 mencement of the sackcloth state, forty- two months 
 being 1260 prophetic days, or years, would bring us 
 down to A. D. 1798. About this time, then, did 
 such a kingdom as described appear and make war 
 on them, etc. ? Mark ! this beast, or kingdom, is 
 out of the bottomless pit no foundation an athe- 
 istical power "spiritually Egypt." See Exodus 
 5 : 2," And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I 
 should obey his voice to let Israel go ? I know not 
 the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." Here is athe- 
 ism. Did any kingdom about 1798, manifest the 
 same spirit ? Yes, France ; she denied the being of 
 God in her national capacity, and made war on the 
 "Monarchy of Heaven." 
 
 "Spiritually" this power "is called Sodom." 
 What was the characteristic sin of Sodom ? Licen- 
 tiousness. Did France have this character ? She 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 9. 655 
 
 did fornication was established by law during 
 the period spoken of. " Spiritually" the place was 
 " where our Lord was crucified." Was this true in 
 France ? It was, in more senses than one. First, 
 in 1572 a plot was laid in France to destroy all the 
 pious Huguenots ; and in one night, fifty thousand 
 of them were murdered in cold blood, and the streets 
 of Paris literally ran with blood. Thus our Lord 
 was " spiritually crucified" in his members. Again, 
 the watchword and motto of the French infidels 
 was, "CRUSH THE WRETCH," meaning Christ. 
 Thus it may be truly said "where our Lord was 
 crucified." The very spirit of the " bottomless pit " 
 was poured out in that wicked nation. 
 
 But did France " make war " on the Bible ? She 
 did; and in 1793 a decree passed the French As- 
 sembly, forbidding the Bible ; and under that de- 
 cree, the Bibles were gathered and burned, and 
 every possible mark of contempt heaped upon them, 
 and all the institutions of the Bible were abolished ; 
 the Sabbath was blotted out, and every tenth day 
 substituted for mirth and profanity. Baptism and 
 the communion were abolished. The being of God 
 was denied : and death pronounced to be an eternal 
 sleep. The Goddess of Reason was set up, in the 
 person of a vile woman, and publicly worshiped. 
 Surely here is a power that exactly answers the 
 prophecy. But let us examine this point still 
 further. 
 
 VERSE 9. And they of the people and kindreds and 
 tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days 
 
656 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put 
 in graves. 
 
 The language of this verse denotes the feelings 
 of the nations besides the one committing the out- 
 rage on the witnesses. They would see what war 
 infidel France had made on the Bible, but would 
 not be led, nationally to engage in the wicked work, 
 nor suffer the murdered witnesses to be buried, or 
 put out of sight among themselves, though they lay 
 dead three days and a half, that is, three years and 
 a half, in France. No, this very attempt of France 
 served to arouse Christians everywhere to put forth 
 a new exertion in behalf of the Bible, as we shall 
 presently see. 
 
 VERSE 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall re- 
 joice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one 
 to another; because these two prophets tormented them 
 that dwelt upon the earth. 
 
 This denotes the joy those felt who hated the 
 Bible, or were tormented by it. Great was the joy 
 of infidels everywhere for awhile. But the "tri- 
 umphing of the wicked is short:" so was it in 
 France ; for their war on the Bible and Christianity 
 had well nigh swallowed them all up. They set 
 out to destroy Christ's " two witnesses," but they 
 filled France with blood and horror, so that they 
 were horror-struck at the result of their own 
 wicked deeds, and were glad to remove their im- 
 pious hands from the Bible. 
 
 VERSE 11. And after three days and a half the Spirit of 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 12. 657 
 
 life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their 
 feet ; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 
 
 In 1793, the decree passed the French Assembly- 
 suppressing the Bible. Just three years after, a 
 resolution was introduced into the Assembly, going 
 to supersede the decree, and giving toleration to the 
 Scriptures. That resolution lay on the table six 
 months, when it was taken up and passed without 
 a dissenting vote. Thus, in just three years and a 
 half, the witnesses " stood upon their feet, and great 
 fear fell upon them that saw them." Nothing but 
 the appalling results of the rejection of the Bible 
 could have induced France to take its hands off 
 these witnesses. 
 
 VEBSE 12. And they heard a great voice from heaven 
 saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up 
 to heaven in a cloud ; and their enemies beheld them. 
 
 " Ascended up to Heaven." To understand this 
 expression, see Dan. 4 : 22 : " Thy greatness is grown, 
 and reacheth unto heaven" Here we see that the 
 expression signifies great exaltation. Have the 
 Scriptures attained to such a state of exaltation as 
 here indicated, since France made war upon them ? 
 They have. Shortly after, the British Bible So- 
 ciety was organized, then followed the American 
 Bible Society, and these, with their almost innu- 
 merable auxiliaries, are scattering the Bible every- 
 where. The Bible has been translated into nearly 
 200 different languages, since that period, that it 
 was never in before ; and then the improvements in 
 paper-making and printing within the last seventy- 
 
658 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 five years, have given an impetus to the work of 
 scattering Bibles which is without a parallel. 
 
 The Bible has been sent to the destitute, liter- 
 ally, by ship-loads. One vessel carried out from 
 England fifty-nine tons of Bibles for the emanci- 
 pated slaves in the West Indies. The Bible has 
 risen to be respected by almost every one, whether 
 saint or sinner. The infidel is ashamed to speak 
 against that book, in decent company ; he must go 
 to the grogshop, or some other place of infamy, if 
 he expects to find assenting hearers to his mad 
 frothings against the Bible. It is exalted as above 
 all price, and as the most invaluable blessing of God 
 to man, next to his Son, and as the glorious testi- 
 mony concerning that Son. Yes, the Scriptures 
 may truly be said to be exalted " to Heaven in a 
 cloud," a cloud being an emblem of heavenly dig- 
 nity. 
 
 VERSE 13. And the same hour was there a great earth- 
 quake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earth- 
 quake were slain of men seven thousand ; and the remnant 
 were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of Heaven. 
 
 What city? See chapter 17:18: "And the 
 woman which thou sawest, is that great city which 
 reigneth over the kings [kingdoms] of the earth." 
 That city is the papal Roman power. France is 
 one of the " ten horns " that gave " their power and 
 strength unto the [papal] beast ;" or is one of the 
 ten kingdoms that arose out of the western empire 
 of Borne, as indicated by the ten toes of Nebuchad- 
 nezzar's image, Daniel's ten-horned beast, and John's 
 
CHAPTER XI, VERSE 1 659 
 
 ten-horned dragon. France, then, was "a tenth 
 part of the city;" and was one of the strongest 
 ministers of papal vengeance; but in this revolu- 
 tion it " fell," and with it fell the last civil messen- 
 ger of papal fury. " And in the earthquake were 
 slain of men, [margin, names of men, or TITLES of 
 men], seven thousand." France made war, in her 
 revolution of 1789 to '99, and onward, on all titles 
 and nobility. It is said, by those who have exam- 
 ined the French records, that just seven thousand 
 titles of men were abolished in that revolution. 
 " And the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory 
 to the God of Heaven." Their God-dishonoring 
 'and Heaven-defying work filled France with such 
 scenes of blood, carnage, and hor-ror, as made even 
 the infidels themselves to tremble, and stand aghast; 
 and the " remnant " that escaped the horrors of that 
 hour "gave glory to God," not willingly, but the 
 God of Heaven caused this " wrath of man to praise 
 him," by giving all the world to see that those who 
 make war on Heaven, make graves for themselves ; 
 thus glory redounded to God by the very means 
 that wicked men employed to tarnish that glory. 
 
 For many of the foregoing thoughts on the Two 
 Witnesses we are indebted to an exposition of the 
 subject of " The Two Witnesses," by the late George 
 Storrs. 
 
 VERSE 14 The second woe is past ; and behold, the third 
 woe cometh quickly. 
 
 The series of seven trumpets is here again re- 
 sumed. The second woe ended with the sixth 
 
660 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 trumpet, August 11, 1840; and the third woe 
 occurs under the sounding of the seventh trumpet, 
 which commenced in 1844. 
 
 Then where are we ? " Behold ! " that is to say, 
 Mark it well, " the third woe cometh quickly." The 
 fearful scenes of the second woe are past, and we 
 are now under the sounding of the trumpet that 
 brings the third and last woe. And shall we now 
 look for peace and safety, a temporal millennium, a 
 thousand years of righteousness and prosperity? 
 Rather let us earnestly pray the Lord to awake the 
 slumbering. 
 
 VERSE 15. And the seventh angel sounded ; and there* 
 were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this 
 world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his 
 Christ ; and he shall reign forever and ever. 16. And the 
 four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, 
 fell upon their faces, and worshiped God, 17, Saying, We 
 give thee thanks, Lord God Almighty, which art, and 
 wast, and art to come ; because thou hast taken to thee thy 
 great power, and hast reigned. 
 
 From the 15th verse to 1 the end of the chapter we 
 seem to be carried over the ground from the sound- 
 ing of the seventh angel to the end, three distinct 
 times. In the verses last quoted, the prophet 
 glances forward to the full establishment of the 
 kingdom of God. Although the seventh trumpet 
 has begun to sound, we do not understand that the 
 great voices in Heaven have yet proclaimed that the 
 kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom 
 of our Lord and his Christ, except it be in antici- 
 pation of the speedy accomplishment of this fact ; 
 
CHAPTER Xl, VJMSti 16'. 661 
 
 but the seventh trumpet, like the preceding six, 
 covers a period of time; and the transfer of the 
 kingdoms from earthly powers to Him whose right 
 it is to reign, is the principal event to occur in the 
 early years of its sounding ; hence this event, to the 
 exclusion of all else, here engages the mind of the 
 prophet. See remarks on verse 19. In the next 
 verse John goes back, and takes up intervening 
 events as follows : 
 
 VERSE 18. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath 
 is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be 
 judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy serv- 
 ants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear 
 thy name, small and great ; and shouldest destroy them 
 which destroy the earth. 
 
 " The nations were angry ;" commencing with the 
 wonderful revolution in Europe in 1848 ; and from 
 that outburst of violence among the nations, their 
 anger toward each other, their jealousy and envy, 
 have been increasing ever since. Almost every pa- 
 per shows the fearful degree to which they are now 
 excited. 
 
 "And thy wrath is come." The wrath of God 
 for the present generation is filled up in the seven 
 last plagues, chapter 15 : 1, which consequently 
 must here be referred to, and which are soon to be 
 poured out upon the earth. 
 
 "And the time of the dead that they should be 
 judged." The great mass of the dead, that is the 
 wicked, are still in their graves after the visitation 
 of the plagues, and the close of this dispensation. 
 
6(52 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 A work of judgment of allotting to each one the 
 punishment due to his crimes is carried on in ref- 
 erence to them by the saints in conjunction with 
 Christ, during the one thousand years following the 
 first resurrection. 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 20 : 4. Inas- 
 much as this judgment of the dead follows the 
 wrath of God, or seven last plagues, it would seem 
 necessary to refer it to the one thousand years of 
 judgment upon the wicked, above referred to. 
 
 " And that thou shouldest give reward unto thy 
 servants the prophets." This carries us forward to 
 the full possession of the heavenly inheritance at 
 the end of the thousand years ; for the full reward 
 of the saints is not reached till they enter upon the 
 possession of the new earth. 
 
 " And shouldest destroy them which destroy the 
 earth ;" referring to the time when all the wicked 
 will be forever devoured by those purifying fires 
 which come down from God out of Heaven upon 
 them, and which melt and renovate the earth. 2 Pet. 
 3:7; Rev. 20: 9. By this we learn that the sev- 
 enth trumpet reaches over to the end of the one 
 thousand years. Momentous, startling, but yet 
 joyous thought ! that the trumpet is now sounding 
 which is to see the final destruction of the wicked, 
 and behold the saints clothed in a glorious immor- 
 tality, safely instated on the earth made new. 
 
 Once more the prophet carries us back to the 
 commencement of the trumpet in the following 
 language : 
 
 VERSE 19. And the temple of God was opened in Heaven, 
 
CHAPTER XI, VEESE 19. 
 
 and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament ; 
 and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and 
 an earthquake, and great haiL 
 
 Having introduced the seventh trumpet, in verse 
 15, the first great event that strikes the mind of 
 the seer, is the transfer of the kingdom from earthly 
 to heavenly rule. God takes to him his great power, 
 and forever crushes the rebellion of this revolted 
 earth, establishes Christ upon his own throne, and 
 remains himself supreme over all. This picture 
 being completed, we are pointed back in verse 18, 
 to the state of the nations, the judgment to fall 
 upon them, and the final destiny of both saints and 
 sinners. This field of vision being scanned, we are 
 taken back once more, in the verse now under no- 
 tice, and our attention called to the close of the 
 ministration of Christ, the last scene in the work of 
 mercy for a guilty world. The temple is opened > 
 the second apartment of the sanctuary is entered. 
 We know it is the holy of holies that is here opened ; 
 for the ark is seen, and in that apartment alone 
 the ark was deposited. This took place at the end 
 of the 2300 days, when the sanctuary was to be 
 cleansed, the time when the prophetic periods ex- 
 pired, and the seventh angel commenced to sound. 
 Since then the people of God have seen by faith the 
 open door in Heaven, and the ark of God's testa- 
 ment there. They are endeavoring to keep every 
 precept of the holy law written upon the tables 
 therein deposited. And that the tables of tjie law 
 are there, just as in the ark in the sanctuary erected 
 
THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 by Moses, is evident from the terms which John 
 uses in describing the ark. He calls it the " ark of 
 his testament." The ark was called the ark of the 
 covenant, or testament, because it was made for the 
 express purpose of containing the tables of the tes- 
 timony, or ten commandments. Ex. 25 : 16 ; 31 : 18 ; 
 Deut. 10 : 2, 5. It was put to no other use, and owed 
 its name solely to the fact that it contained the 
 tables of the law. If the tables were not thereir, 
 it would not be the ark of his (God's) testament, 
 and could not truthfully be so called. Yet John, 
 beholding the ark in Heaven under the sounding of 
 the seventh trumpet, still calls it the "ark of his 
 testament," affording unanswerable proof that the 
 law is still there, unaltered in one jot or tittle from 
 the copy which for a time was committed to the 
 care of men in the typical ark of Moses. 
 
 The followers of the prophetic word have also 
 received the reed, and are measuring the temple, 
 the altar, and them that worship therein. Verse 1. 
 They are uttering their last prophecy, before nations, 
 peoples, and tongues. Chap. 10 : 11. And the drama 
 will soon close with the lightnings, thunderings, 
 voices, an earthquake, and great hail, which will 
 constitute nature's last convulsions. 
 
XII. 
 
 THE GOSPEL CHURCH. 
 
 VERSE 1. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven ; 
 a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, 
 and upon her head a crown of twelve stars ; 2 ; And she be- 
 ing with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be 
 delivered. 3. And there appeared another wonder in heav- 
 en ; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and 
 ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 
 
 An elucidation of this portion of the chapter 
 will involve little more than a mere definition of 
 the symbols introduced. This may be given in few 
 words as follows : 
 
 "A woman:" the true church. "The sun:" the 
 light and glory of the gospel dispensation. " The 
 moon :" the Mosaic dispensation. As the moon 
 shines with a borrowed light derived from the sun, 
 so the former dispensation shone with a light bor- 
 rowed from the present. There we had the type 
 and shadow ; here we have the antitype and sub- 
 stance. " A crown of twelve stars :" the twelve 
 apostles. "A great/ red dragon:" Pagan Rome. 
 " Heaven :" the space in which this representation 
 was seen by the apostle. We do not understand 
 that the events here, represented to John took place 
 
 (665) 
 
666 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 in Heaven where God resides; for they are events 
 which transpired on earth; but this scenic repre- 
 sentation which passed before the eye of the 
 prophet appeared as if in the region occupied by 
 the sun, moon, and stars, which we speak of as 
 heaven. 
 
 Verses 1 and 2 cover a period of time commenc- 
 ing just previous to the opening of the present dis- 
 pensation when the church was earnestly longing 
 for and expecting the advent of the Messiah, and 
 extending to the time of the full establishment of 
 the gospel church with its crown of twelve apostles. 
 
 No symbols more fitting and impressive could be 
 found than are here employed. The Mosaic dispen- 
 sation shone with a light borrowed from the Chris- 
 tian dispensation, just as the moon shines with light 
 borrowed from the sun. How appropriate, there- 
 fore, to represent the former by the moon, and the 
 latter by the sun. The woman, the church, had 
 the moon under her feet ; that is, the Mosaic dispen- 
 sation had just ended, and the woman was clothed 
 with the light of the gospel sun which had just 
 risen. By the figure of prolepsis the church is rep- 
 resented as fully organized, with its twelve apostles, 
 before the man-child, Christ, appeared upon the 
 scene. This is easily accounted for by the fact that 
 it was to be immediately thus constituted when 
 Christ should commence his ministry, and he is 
 more especially connected with this church than 
 with that of the former dispensation. There is no 
 ground for any misunderstanding of the passage; 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSES jr-6. 667 
 
 and hence no violence is done to a correct system of 
 interpretation by this representation. 
 
 VERSE 4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of 
 heaven, and did cast them to the earth ; and the dragon 
 stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for 
 to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5. And she 
 brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with 
 a rod of iron ; and her child was caught up unto God, and 
 to his throne. 6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, 
 where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should 
 feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. 
 
 The dragon drew the third part of the stars 
 from heaven. If the twelve stars with which the 
 woman is crowned denote the twelve apostles, then 
 the stars thrown down by the dragon before his 
 attempt to destroy the man child, or before the 
 Christian era, may denote a portion of the rulers of 
 the Jewish people. That the sun, moon and stars, 
 are sometimes used in this symbolical sense, we 
 have already had evidence in chapter 8:12. The 
 dragon being a symbol, could deal only with sym- 
 bolic stars ; and the chronology of the act here 
 mentioned would confine it to the Jewish people. 
 Judea became a Roman province before the birth 
 of the Messiah. The Jews had three classes of 
 rulers: Kings, priests, and the Sanhedrim. A 
 third of these, the kings, were taken away by 
 the Roman power. Philip Smith, History of the 
 World, vol. iii, p. 181, after describing the siege 
 of Jerusalem by the Romans and Herod, and 
 its capitulation in the spring of B. c. 37, after 
 
(568 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 an obstinate resistance of six months, says : " Such 
 was the end of the Asmonsean dynasty, exactly 130 
 years after the first victories of Judas Maccab&us, 
 and in the seventieth year from the assumption of 
 the diadem by Aristobulus I." 
 
 The dragon stood before the woman to devour 
 her child. Rome in the person of Herod attempted 
 to destroy Jesus Christ, when he sent forth and 
 destroyed all the children of Bethlehem from two 
 years old and under. The child which was born to 
 the expectant desires of a waiting and watching 
 church, was our adorable Redeemer, who is soon to 
 rule the nations with a rod of iron. Herod could 
 not destroy him. The combined powers of earth 
 and hell could not overcome him ; and though held 
 for a time under the dominion of the grave, he rent 
 its cruel bands, opened a way of life for the race, 
 and was caught up to God and his throne, or as- 
 cended up to Heaven in the sight of his disciples, 
 leaving to them by the words of the angels, this 
 sweetest of all his promises, that like as fee was 
 taken away from them, so he would come again. 
 
 And the church fled into the wilderness, at the 
 time the papacy was established, in 538, where it 
 was nourished by the word of God and the minis- 
 tration of angels, during the long dark and bloody 
 rule, of that power 1260 years. 
 
 VERSE 7. And there was war in heaven ; Michael and his 
 angels fought against the dragon ; and the dragon fought 
 and his angels, 8, And prevailed not; neither was their 
 place any more found in heaven. 9. And the great dragon 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSES 7-12. 669 
 
 was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, 
 which deceiveth the whole world ; he was cast out into the 
 earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10. And I 
 heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, 
 and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power 
 of his Christ ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, 
 which accused them before our God day and night. 11. And 
 they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the 
 word of their testimony ; and they loved not their lives unto 
 the death. 12. Therefore rejoice, ye Heavens, and ye that 
 dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of 
 the sea ! for the devil is come down unto you, having great 
 wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 
 
 The first six verses of this chapter, as has been 
 seen, take us down to the close of the 1260 years, 
 which marked the end of the papal supremacy in 
 1708. In the 7th verse it is equally plain that 
 we are carried back into previous ages. How far ? 
 To the time first introduced in the chapter the 
 days of the first advent. " And there was war in 
 heaven ; " the same heaven where the woman and 
 the dragon were seen at first; but they were actors 
 in scenes that took place here upon the earth ; hence 
 we understand this war to be located in the same 
 place. And to what time are we carried back ? 
 Evidently to the commencement of Christ's minis- 
 try here upon earth. That Michael is Christ, see 
 Jude 9 ; 1 Thess. 4:16; John 5 : 28, 29 ; and that 
 this was a special time of warfare between him and 
 Satan, need not be argued. That the dragon here 
 means Satan is plainly stated. The symbol is ap- 
 plied to Pagan Rome in verse 3, because that power 
 was Satan's prime agent in the events there intro- 
 
670 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 duced. Satan had looked forward to Christ's mis- 
 sion to earth as his last chance of success to over- 
 throw the plan of salvation. He came to him with 
 specious temptations, in hope of overcoming him ; 
 he tried in various ways to destroy him during his 
 ministry; and when he had succeeded in laying 
 him in the tomb, he endeavored in malignant tri- 
 umph to hold him there ; but in every encounter, 
 the Son of God came off triumphant. And he sends 
 back this gracious promise to his faithful followers : 
 " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with 
 me in my throne, even as / also overcame, and am 
 set down with my Father in his throne." This 
 shows us that Jesus while on earth waged a war- 
 fare, and obtained the victory. Satan saw his last 
 effort fail, his last scheme miscarry. He had boasted 
 that he would overcome the Son of God in his mis- 
 sion to earth, and thus render the plan of salvation 
 an ignominious failure ; and well he knew if he was 
 foiled in this his last desperate effort to thwart the 
 work of God, his last hope was perished, and all 
 was lost. See Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, p. 67. 
 
 But, in the language of verse 8, he " prevailed 
 not;" and hence the song may well be sung, 
 " Therefore rejoice, ye Heavens, and ye that dwell 
 in them." 
 
 It is held by some that this war took place when 
 Satan, then an angel of light and glory, rebelled in 
 Heaven ; and that the " casting out " of which John 
 speaks, was his expulsion from Heaven at that time. 
 But we are unable to harmonize this view with the 
 
CHAPTER XII, VERSES 7-12. 671 
 
 testimony before us. Thus, in verse 13, we read : 
 " And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto 
 the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought 
 forth the man-child." This shows that just as soon 
 as the devil saw that he was cast out, he turned his 
 wrath against the woman, the church, which, not 
 far from that time, fled into the wilderness. When 
 Satan, therefore, found himself thus overthrown, the 
 man-child had already been brought forth ; or, in 
 other words, the first advent of Christ had taken 
 place. Hence this war and defeat of Satan, taking 
 place this side of the Christian era, and not a great 
 length of time before the church went into the 
 wilderness in 538, cannot be his primeval fall from 
 Heaven before the creation of the world. 
 
 Again, there seem to be a number of instances 
 in which Satan is spoken of as defeated or cast 
 down. One was his first rejection from Heaven; 
 another when Christ overcame him at his first ad- 
 vent ; and there will be another in the future when 
 he is cast into the bottomless pit, and shut up for a 
 thousand years. And on each successive occasion, 
 we behold a regularly increasing limitation of his 
 power. He falls a degree lower in every succeed- 
 ing combat. The first time, as we may plainly infer 
 from certain scriptures, the contest was between 
 him and God the Father. See Jude. The second 
 time between him and Christ the Son, as in the 
 scripture before us. While the third time an angel 
 suffices to accomplish the work of his humiliation. 
 Rev. 20: 1, 2. Since his first contest, he has not 
 
672 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 been permitted to rise to the dignity of contending 
 with the Father. Since the second, he has not had 
 the privilege, if such it may be called, of a personal 
 encounter with the Son. The war mentioned in 
 the scripture now before us, is between the devil 
 and Michael, Christ. The great effort of the former 
 against the latter personally was during his mis- 
 sion here on earth ; and Christ's great victory over 
 him personally, was in that very contest. 
 
 " Neither was their place found any more in 
 heaven." Heaven, we have seen, does not mean, in 
 this chapter, the place which is the abode of God 
 and his celestial messengers. We think it here de- 
 notes a condition rather than a place, and under- 
 stand the expression to signify that they were here 
 humiliated, and never to regain their former po- 
 sition. They had suffered a terrible defeat, which 
 Christ describes by saying: "I beheld Satan as 
 lightning falling from heaven." His hope which 
 he had all along cherished of overcoming the Son 
 of man when he took upon him our nature, had 
 forever perished. His power was limited. He could 
 no more aspire to a personal encounter with the Son 
 of God, a power which hitherto had given, in a com- 
 parative degree, dignity and prestige to his position. 
 Henceforth the church (the woman) is the object of 
 his malice, and he resorts to all those nefarious 
 means against her that would naturally character- 
 ize a baffled and hopeless rage. See Spiritual Gifts, 
 vol. 1, p. 79. 
 
 But hereupon a song is sung in Heaven, " Now 
 
CHAPTER XII, VEMSES 13-17. $73 
 
 is come salvation," etc. How is this, if these scenes 
 are in the past ? Had salvation and strength, and 
 the kingdom of God, and the power of his Christ 
 then come ? We understand this song to be sung 
 prospectively. These things were made sure. The 
 great victory had been won by Christ which put 
 the question of their establishment forever at rest. 
 Just as we read in other scriptures, " We have eter- 
 nal life," " We have redemption through his blood," 
 etc., as though we were now in actual possession of 
 these blessings; whereas we only have them by 
 faith; and the language is simply an assurance 
 that they are forever sure to the final overcomers. 
 
 The prophet then glances rapidly over the work- 
 ing of Satan from that time to the end, verses 11, 
 12, during which time the faithful " brethren" over- 
 come him by the blood of the Lamb and the word 
 of their testimony, while his wrath increases as his 
 time grows short. 
 
 VERSE 13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast 
 unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought 
 forth the man-child. 14. And to the woman were given two 
 wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilder- 
 ness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and 
 times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15. 
 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after 
 the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of 
 the flood. 16. And the earth helped the woman ; and the 
 earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which 
 the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17. And the dragon was 
 wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the rem- 
 nant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, 
 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 
 43 
 
674 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 But little comment is necessary on the verses 
 last introduced. Suffice it to say that here we are 
 again carried back to the time when Satan became 
 fully aware that he had utterly failed in all his 
 attempts against the Lord of glory in his earthly 
 mission; and seeing this he turned with tenfold 
 fury, as already noticed, upon the church which 
 Christ had established. Then we have again brought 
 to view the church in her wilderness state, a time 
 times and a half, 1260 years, verse 6, the flood of 
 persecution which the devil cast out after the church 
 through the medium of the papacy, the help the 
 church received from the Reformation, which being 
 espoused by various princes and earthly powers, 
 restrained the spirit and work of persecution, and 
 finally the last assault of the dragon upon the com- 
 mandment keeping remnant, just in the future. It 
 may be proper to notice that in this chapter three 
 powers are made use of by the devil to carry out 
 his work, and hence are all spoken of as the dragon, 
 he being the inspiring agent in them all. 1. Pagan 
 Rome. 2. Papal Rome. 3. The two-horned beast, 
 our own country under the control of apostate Pro- 
 testantism, which is the chief agent, as will hereaf- 
 ter appear, in making war upon those who keep the 
 commandments of God, and have the testimony of 
 Jesus. 
 
XIII. 
 
 PERSECUTING POWERS, PROFESSEDLY CHRISTIAN. 
 
 VERSE 1. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw 
 a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten 
 horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads 
 the name of blasphemy. 2. And the beast which I saw was 
 like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, 
 and his mouth as the mouth of a lion ; and the dragon gave 
 liim his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3. And I 
 saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death ; and his 
 deadly wound was healed ; and all the world wondered after 
 the beast. 4. And they worshiped the dragon which gave 
 power unto the beast ; and they worshiped the beast, say- 
 ing, Who is like unto the beast ? who is able to make war 
 with him ? 5. And there was given unto him a mouth speak- 
 ing great things and blasphemies ; and power was given unto 
 him to continue forty and two months. 6. And he opened 
 his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, 
 and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven. 7. And 
 it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to 
 overcome them ; and power was given him over all kindreds, 
 and tongues, and nations. 8. And all that dwell upon the 
 earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the 
 book of life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the 
 world. 9. If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10. He 
 that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity ; he that 
 killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here 
 is the patience and the faith of the saints. 
 
 (675) 
 
676 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 The sea is a symbol of " peoples, and multitudes, 
 and nations, and tongues." Rev. 17 : 15. A wild 
 beast is the Bible symbol of an unrighteous na- 
 tion or power, representing sometimes the civil 
 power alone; sometimes the ecclesiastical in con- 
 nection with the civil. Whenever a beast is seen 
 to come up out of the sea, it denotes that the power 
 arose in a thickly populated territory ; and if the 
 winds are represented as blowing upon the sea, as 
 in Dan. 7 : 2, 3, political commotion, civil strife and 
 revolution are indicated. 
 
 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 
 of paganism and papacy ; hence these two symbols 
 have each the seven heads and ten horns. See on 
 chapter 17 : 10. 
 
 The seven-headed and ten-horned beast, or, more 
 briefly, the leopard beast, here introduced, symbol- 
 izes a power which exercises ecclesiastical as well as 
 civil authority. This point is of sufficient impor- 
 tance to justify the introduction of a few of the 
 conclusive arguments which go to prove it. 
 
 The line of prophecy in which this symbol occurs 
 commences with chapter 12. The symbols of earthly 
 governments embraced in the prophecy are, the 
 dragon of chapter 12, and the leopard beast and 
 two-horned beast of chapter 13. The same line of 
 prophecy evidently continues into chapter 14, clos- 
 ing with verse 5 of that chapter. Commencing, 
 therefore, with verse 1 of chapter 12, and ending 
 
PAGAN ROME. 
 
 PAPAL ROME. 
 
 PROTESTANT AMERICA. 
 
 THE LAST MESSAGE. 
 
 PLATE X. SYMBOLS OF REV. XII-XIV 
 
CHAPTER XIII, VERSES 1-10. 677 
 
 with verse 5 of chapter 14, we have a line of 
 prophecy distinct and complete in itself. 
 
 Each of the powers here introduced is repre- 
 sented 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 when the seed of the woman, the Lord 
 of glory, should appear among men. The dragon 
 stood before the woman for the purpose of devour- 
 ing 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 oppres- 
 sion from this dragon power. And though 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, yet in verse 1 of chap. 13, 
 we are carried back to the time when the leopard 
 beast, the successor of the dragon, commences his 
 career. From this power, for the long period of 
 1260 years, the church suffers war and persecution. 
 Following this period of oppression, the church has 
 another conflict, brief, but sharp and severe, with 
 the two-horned beast. Then comes deliverance ; 
 and 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 church of 
 
THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 God. The other characters are her persecutors, and 
 are introduced simply because they are such. And 
 here, as an introductory inquiry, we raise the ques- 
 tion, Who, or what, is it that persecutes the true 
 church? It is the false or apostate church. What 
 is it that is ever warring against true religion ? It 
 is the false and counterfeit religion. Who ever 
 heard of the civil power, merely, of any nation, per- 
 secuting the people of God ? Governments may 
 war against other governments, to avenge some 
 wrong real or imaginary, or to acquire territory and 
 extend their power, as nations have often warred 
 against the Jews ; but governments do not perse- 
 cute (mark the word do not persecute) people on 
 account of their religion, unless under the control 
 of some opposite and hostile system of religion. But 
 the powers introduced in this prophecy, the dragon, 
 the leopard beast, and the two-horned beast, are all 
 persecuting powers. They are actuated by rage 
 and enmity against the people and church of God. 
 And this fact is of itself sufficiently-conclusive evi- 
 dence that in each of these powers the ecclesiastical 
 or religious element is the controlling power. 
 
 Take the dragon : What does it symbolize ? The 
 Roman Empire is the undisputed answer. But this 
 is not enough. No one would be satisfied with 
 such an answer as this. It must be more definite. 
 We then add, the Roman Empire in its pagan form; 
 to which all parties also agree. But just as soon as 
 we say, Pagan, we introduce a religious element ; 
 for paganism is one of the hugest systems of coun- 
 
CHAPTER XIII, VERSES 1-10. 679 
 
 terfeit religion that Satan ever devised. The drag- 
 on, then, is so far an ecclesiastical power that the 
 very characteristic by which it is distinguished is a 
 false system of religion. And what made the drag- 
 on persecute the church of Christ? It was because 
 Christianity was swallowing up paganism, sweep- 
 ing 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 chapter 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; 
 and this beast symbolizes Rome in its professedly 
 Christian form. And it is this change of religion, 
 and this alone, w r hich made a change in the symbol 
 necessary. This beast differs from the dragon only 
 in that he presents a different religious aspect. 
 Hence, it would be altogether wrong to affirm that 
 it denotes simply the Roman civil power. 
 
 To this boast the dragon gives his seat, his power, 
 and great authority. By what power was Rome 
 Pagan succeeded? We all know that it was by 
 Rome Papal. It matters not to our present pur- 
 pose, when, nor by what means, this change was 
 effected ; the great fact is apparent, and is acknow- 
 ledged by all, that the next great phase of the Ro- 
 man empire after its pagan form, was its papal. It 
 
680 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 would not be correct, therefore, to say that Pagan 
 Rome gave its seat and power to a form of govern- 
 ment merely civil, having no religious element what- 
 ever. 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. 
 
 But it may be said that it takes the leopard beast 
 and two-horned beast together to constitute the pa- 
 pacy, 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 that has a head 
 that is wounded to death, which is afterward healed ; 
 that beast that the whole world wonders after; that 
 beast that receives a mouth speaking blasphemies, 
 and that wears out the saints for 1260 years; and 
 all this before the succeeding power, the two-horned 
 beast, comes upon the stage of action at all. The 
 leopard beast alone, therefore, symbolizes the Ro- 
 man empire in its papal form, the controlling influ- 
 ence being ecclesiastical. 
 
 To show this more fully, we have but to draw 
 a parallel between the little horn of Dan. 7 : 8, 20, 
 24, 25, and this power. There are six points of 
 identity as follows : 
 
 1. The little horn was a blasphemous power: 
 " He shall speak great words against the Most 
 High." Dan. 7 : 25. The leopard beast of Rev. 13 : 
 
CHAPTER XIII, VEIttiES 1-10. 681 
 
 6, does the same : " He opened his mouth in blas- 
 phemy against God." 
 
 2. The little horn made war with the saints, and 
 prevailed against them. Dan. 7 : 21. This beast 
 also, Rev. 13 : 7, makes war with the saints, and 
 overcomes them. 
 
 3. The little horn had a mouth speaking great 
 things. Dan. 7 : 8, 20. And of this beast we read, 
 Rev. 13: 5: "And there was given him a mouth 
 speaking great things and blasphemies." 
 
 4. The little horn arose on the cessation of the 
 pagan form of the Roman empire. This beast 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. Dan. 7 : 25. To this beast also power was 
 given for forty-two months, or 1260 years. Rev. 
 13: 5. 
 
 6. At the end of that specified period, the do- 
 minion of the little horn was to be taken away, 
 Dan. 7 : 26. At the end of the same period the 
 leopard beast was himself to be " led into captivity." 
 Rev. 13 : 10. Both these specifications were ful- 
 filled in the captivity and exile of the pope, and the 
 temporary overthrow of the papacy by France in 
 1798. 
 
 Here are points that prove identity. For when 
 we have in prophecy two symbols, as in this in- 
 stance, representing powers that come upon the 
 stage of action at the same time, occupy the same 
 
682 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 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 iden- 
 tical power. 
 
 Now all the particulars above specified do apply 
 alike to the little horn and the leopard beast of 
 Rev. 13, showing that those two symbols represent 
 the same power. It is admitted on all hands that 
 the little horn represents the papacy; and he who 
 claims that the leopard beast of Rev. 13, does not 
 represent the same to be consistent, must show, that 
 at the same time that the papacy arose, there arose 
 another great power exactly like it, occupying the 
 same territory, bearing the same character, doing 
 the same work, continuing the same length of time, 
 and meeting the same fate, which would be as ab- 
 surd as it would be impossible. 
 
 The head that was wounded to death was the 
 papal head. We are held to this conclusion by the 
 very 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 pa- 
 pal ; and whatever is said of the dragon, belongs to 
 Rome only in its pagan form ; and whatever is said 
 of the leopard beast, belongs to Rome only in its 
 professedly Christian form. But Rome was pagan 
 in John's day, who lived under the sixth or impe- 
 rial head. This shows us at once that six of the 
 
CHAPTER XIII, VERSES 1-10. 683 
 
 heads, including the imperial, belong to the dragon ; 
 and if it was any one of these heads which was 
 wounded to death, then it was one of the heads of 
 the dragon, or one of the forms of government that 
 belonged to Rome in its pagan form, and not one of 
 the heads of the beast ; and John should have said ? 
 I saw one of the heads of the dragon wounded to 
 death. But he says that it was one of the heads of 
 the beast that was wounded to death. In other 
 words, this wound fell upon some form of govern- 
 ment that existed in the Roman empire, after its 
 change from paganism to Christianity. But after 
 this change, there was but one head, and that was 
 the papal. The exarchate of Ravenna continued 
 only "a short space," Rev. 17: 10, and hence it is 
 not usually reckoned among the heads. Thus it is 
 placed beyond controversy that it was none other 
 than the papal head that was wounded to death, 
 and his deadly wound was healed. This wound is 
 the same as the going into captivity of Rev. 13 : 10. 
 It was inflicted when the pope was taken prisoner 
 by Berthier the French general, and the papal gov- 
 ernment was for a time abolished, in 1798. Stripped 
 of his power, both civil and ecclesiastical, the captive 
 pope, Pius VI., died in exile, August 29, 1799. But 
 the deadly wound was healed when the papacy was 
 re-established, though with a diminution of its 
 former power by the election of a new pope, March 
 14, 1800. See Bower's History of the Popes, pp. 
 404-428 ; Croly on the Apocalypse, London edition, 
 p. 251. 
 
684 THOUGHTS ON THE ME V ELATION. 
 
 This beast opens his mouth in blasphemy against 
 God to blaspheme his name. What can be more 
 blasphemous than for a mortal man to assume the 
 titles which the pope assumes ? He calls himself, 
 Lord God, the pope ; King of kings, and Lord of 
 lords ; King of the world ; Holy Father ; Vicegerent 
 of the Son of God ; the Lion of the tribe of Judah ; 
 and by other titles which belong to Christ alone. 
 And besides, the pope has, in our own day, backed by 
 the deliberate action of the Ecumenical Council of 
 1870, assumed the divine prerogative of infallibility ! 
 
 He blasphemes his tabernacle by turning the at- 
 tention of his subjects to his own throne and palace 
 instead of to the tabernacle of God in Heaven ; by 
 turning their attention away from the city of God, 
 Jerusalem above, and pointing them to Rome, as 
 the eternal city. And he blasphemes them that 
 dwell in Heaven, by assuming to exercise the power 
 of forgiving sins, and so turning 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 led into 
 captivity itself, as already noticed. 
 
 VERSE 11. And I beheld another beast coming up out 
 of the earth ; and he had two horns like a lamb, and 
 he spake as a dragon. 12. And he exercisei-h all the 
 power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth 
 and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, 
 whose deadly wound was healed. 13. And he doeth great 
 wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on 
 
CHAPTER XIII, VERSES 11-17. 685 
 
 the earth in the sight of men, 14, And deceiveth them that 
 dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he 
 had power to do in the sight of the beast ; saying to them 
 that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to 
 the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 
 15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the 
 beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and 
 cause that as many as would not worship the image of the 
 beast should be killed. 16. And he causeth all, both small 
 and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in 
 their right hand, or in their foreheads ; 17 ; And that no 
 man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the 
 name of the beast, or the number of his name. 
 
 These verses bring to view the third great sym- 
 bol in the line of prophecy we are examining, usu- 
 ally denominated the two-horned beast. We inquire 
 for its application. The dragon, Rome pagan, and 
 the leopard beast, Rome papal, present before us 
 great nationalities standing as the representatives 
 of two great systems of false religion. Analogy 
 would seem to require that the remaining symbol, 
 the two-horned beast, have a similar application. 
 We therefore look for its fulfillment to some nation 
 presenting another religious phase; and we con- 
 sider the two-horned beast a symbol of these Uni- 
 ted States, not only because no other power answers 
 to the prophecy, but because the specifications are 
 accurately met in this. 
 
 1. The two-horned beast must symbolize a sepa- 
 rate and distinct power; for it is another beast. 
 This is too evident to call for proof. The two- 
 horned beast acts in the sight of the first beast, 
 and in reference to him ; not in connection with 
 
686 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 him. This is perfectly answered in the United 
 States. 
 
 2. Being a separate and distinct power, it must 
 occupy different territory. Two governments can- 
 not occupy the same territory at the same time. 
 This is further proved by what the two-horned 
 beast does. He causes the earth and them that 
 dwell therein to worship the first beast. Now, the 
 first beast, whatever power may be meant by it, is 
 certainly competent to enforce its own worship, in 
 its own country, and from its own subjects ; and 
 the fact that the two-horned beast has to put forth 
 his authority to cause those under his dominion to 
 worship the first beast, is proof positive that it oc- 
 cupies territory, and rules over a class of subjects, 
 over which the first beast has no jurisdiction. Then 
 we must look for this power to some nation outside 
 the territory occupied by the governments of Eu- 
 rope; for that territory is all taken up by the first 
 beast and the ten horns. This specification is ad- 
 mirably met in our own government, which has 
 arisen outside of the territory of the ten kingdoms, 
 and in less than a hundred years since the time 
 when the prophecy began to be applicable to it, has 
 sprung from a dependent colony to equal rank with 
 the highest in the catalogue of nations. 
 
 3. The two-horned beast arises subsequently to 
 the ten-horned beast; for that is called the first beast 
 first, because it had priority of existence. That 
 beast we have proved to be the papacy. Now we 
 ask, What power of any note has arisen outside the 
 
CHAPTER XIII, VERSES 11-17. 687 
 
 ten kingdoms of Europe, since the establishment of 
 the papacy, except our own government ? None. 
 
 4. But the two-horned beast not only rises sub- 
 sequently to the ten-horned beast, but a definite 
 time is pointed out at which he begins to attract 
 the attention of the world as a rising power; and 
 this is when the first beast goes into captivity. 
 Verse 10. At that time, says John (for there is no 
 change in the scene), I beheld another beast " com- 
 ing up." The going into captivity of the first beast, 
 verse 10, was, as we have shown, the temporary 
 overthrow of the papacy by the French, in 1798, 
 being the same as the wounding of one of the heads 
 to death, mentioned in verse 3. And it is subse- 
 quent to the healing of that wounded head, that 
 the two-horned beast causes his subjects to worship 
 that beast ; for he causes them to worship the beast 
 " whose deadly wound was healed." The work of 
 the two-horned beast is thus brought down this 
 side of the year 1798. And we here ask, What 
 notable power was there on the face of the earth, 
 " coming up," and attracting the* attention of the 
 world, in the year 1798, except our own govern- 
 ment ? Not one. No power can be found in which 
 these three last specifications find a fulfillment ex- 
 cept these United States. 
 
 5. The manner of its rise. The two-horned beast 
 comes up out of the earth, unlike most of the others, 
 which are said to come up out of the sea ; that is, 
 arose by overturning the powers that preceded 
 them, by means of general war, and built them- 
 
688 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 selves up by conquest. But this arose in a quiet, 
 peaceful manner, instead of through strife and com- 
 motion. It does not arise by strife of the winds upon 
 the sea, that is, by the overthrow of other nations 
 and empires, but it arises where no other beast ex- 
 ists, and acts its part in the presence of its prede- 
 cessors. This shows that it must arise from a new 
 and previously unoccupied territory. This is true 
 of our government, but not of any other to which 
 we can look for a fulfillment of the two-horned 
 beast prophecy. Against the declared peaceful rise 
 of this power, the war of the Revolution is no ob- 
 jection ; as that was a war in which this nation 
 simply stood on the defensive in support of its 
 Declaration of Independence. As remarked by 
 another writer on this subject, "It is worthy of 
 notice that the ten kingdoms of the fourth empire 
 were all complete long before the discovery of 
 America. And the war of the Revolution was not 
 for the purpose of overthrowing one of the ten 
 kingdoms of the fourth empire ; but it was to main- 
 tain the just righte of the American people." 
 
 6. Its character. It had two horns like a lamb. 
 What was it that was like a lamb ? Not the beast, 
 but the horns. And why did not the prophecy say 
 simply that he had two horns, and nothing further ? 
 Why two horns like a lamb? It can be for no 
 other purpose than to represent the character of 
 this power. And the fact that there are two of 
 these horns, signifies that there are two leading 
 characteristics belonging to the power in question, 
 
UllAl'TEli Xill, VEMSEX 11-17. 689 
 
 which are mild, harmless, and lamb-like. And how 
 admirably this is met in our own government. The 
 leading principles of this government are Republi- 
 canism and Protestantism. What principles can be 
 more mild and lamb-like in appearance ? And on 
 these this government is founded ; and these are the 
 secret springs of its greatness and power. It was the 
 object of those who first sought these shores, to 
 found, as expressed by the Hon. J. A. Bingham, " a 
 church without a pope, and a State without a king ;" 
 a government where all men should be considered 
 free and equal, and all have the privilege of wor- 
 shiping God according to the dictates of their own 
 consciences. And under the benign influence of one 
 of these principles, the declaration of equality and 
 liberty, the eyes of the world are turned to the open 
 arms of this nation, and emigration flows from all 
 lands to our thus-far inviting and hospitable shores. 
 And under the mild operation of the other, free- 
 dom of conscience for all, the gospel has been pro- 
 claimed and churches have multiplied. That a horn 
 is sometimes taken to represent ecclesiastical as well 
 as civil power, see the works entitled " The Three 
 Messages " and " The United States in Prophecy," 
 published at the REVIEW Office, Battle Creek, Mich. 
 7. Another point may not be overlooked. The 
 two horns have no crowns upon them, which shows 
 that the character of the government is not mo- 
 narchical ; and the language of verse 14 shows that 
 it must be republican; for an appeal is made to the 
 people in the enactment of its laws. It is some 
 
690 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 government in which the law-making power resides 
 in the people. And we may look where we will, 
 outside of these United States, and we find no 
 power of sufficient importance to be noticed in 
 prophecy, in which this specification is met. 
 
 Here are seven specifications, all perfectly ful- 
 filled in this government, and six of them appli- 
 cable to no other government in the wide world. 
 Now, if our nation is not the one which is repre- 
 sented by that symbol, then the fulfillment of 
 that part of the prophecy is not even commenced ; 
 and we have yet to wait, not merely for certain 
 acts to be done on the part of this government, 
 which it is able at any time to do, and which, ac- 
 cording to our view of the prophecy, are the only 
 things for which we have to wait ; but we have to 
 wait for the development and growth of the power 
 itself, and then for the performance of its acts. 
 And this, if the power should rise as rapidly as our 
 own nation has arisen, would consume, at least, a 
 century. And more than this, if this nation is not 
 the one meant by the two-horned beast, the proph- 
 ecy has utterly failed ; for 82 years have gone by 
 since the time at which it should have been seen 
 coming up; which was, as we have shown, the 
 time when the first beast went into captivity in 
 1798. 
 
 The acts ascribed to this power are mostly future. 
 He exerciseth all the power of the first beast, before 
 him, that is, in his presence, as the original word 
 signifies ; showing that these two powers, the Papal 
 
CHAPTER XIII, VERSES 11-17. 
 
 691 
 
 and Protestant, are contemporary. This power is 
 set forth as a wonder-working power. The rise of 
 spiritualism in our own country serves still further 
 to identify this as the power in question. The won- 
 ders attending this movement are to a great extent 
 already seen. But we understand they are to be 
 more fully wrought for the express purpose of de- 
 ceiving the people preparatory to the erection of the 
 image. The image is to be an image to the papal 
 beast. That was a church clothed with civil power. 
 An image to it would be something resembling it 
 Must we not understand, therefore, that the image 
 will be the church of this country, or rather, since 
 religious sects are here so numerous, an ecclesiastical 
 organization representing these churches, clothed 
 with power to punish heretics, and enforce its dog- 
 mas under the severest penalties of the law ? And 
 let us notice how the way is prepared and prepar- 
 ing for this last great act of the two-horned beast. 
 Under the mild influence of one of the lamb-like 
 horns, the Protestant principle that all have liberty 
 to worship God according to the dictates of their 
 own consciences, which the government has thus far 
 guaranteed to all its subjects, churches have multi- 
 plied in the land. But these churches have, as 
 bodies, rejected light and truth, and have met with 
 a moral fall. A catalogue of twenty immoral fea- 
 tures, which seem to overbalance or nullify all the 
 good ones, is the photograph which Paul gives in 
 2 Tim. 3 : 1-5, of the popular churches of the last 
 days. But the people of God are still mainly to be 
 
692 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 found in connection with these churches, and are 
 yet to be called out. Rev. 18 : 4. And when the 
 good shall have all left these religious bodies, and 
 the saving influence of such shall have been wholly 
 withdrawn from their communion, then they will be 
 ready for any desperate and oppressive movement 
 that Satan can induce those to enter upon who are 
 led captive by him at his will. Now, out of this 
 material, let an ecclesiastical organization be formed, 
 and let the government grant it power (and it will 
 not have it till the government does grant it) to 
 enforce its dogmas under the pains and penalties of 
 the civil law ; and what do we have ? An exact 
 image to the first beast, a church clothed with 
 power to enforce its doctrines upon dissenters with 
 fire and sword. Here would be an organization, 
 separate from the government, constituting no part 
 of it, yet created by it, and forming a most perfect 
 counterpart to the prophecy concerning the creation 
 of an image to the beast. To be sure, this persecu- 
 tion for opinion's sake is contrary to the principle 
 now maintained by the government, as represented 
 by one of the horns, that every man shall have lib- 
 erty to worship God according to the dictates of 
 his own conscience ; but this answers well to the 
 symbol ; for the dragon voice is directly the oppo- 
 site of the disposition represented by the lamb-like 
 horns. 
 
 When this image is instated in power, its first act 
 is to cause, or decree, that all who will not yield 
 allegiance to it, shall be put to death. That it sue- 
 
CHAPTER XIII, VERSES 11-17. (593 
 
 ceeds in this purpose we have no proof. Oil the 
 other hand, it plainly appears that it does not. . But 
 is it not said that he shall cause that as many as 
 will not worship the image of the beast shall be 
 killed ? Yes, we reply, and so, likewise, he causes 
 all to receive a mark. But do all actually receive 
 it ? Do the saints of God receive the mark of the 
 beast ? No, they get the victory over the beast ; 
 and Rev. 20 : 4t, plainly states that they do not re- 
 ceive the mark of the beast. Yet he causes all to 
 receive the mark. Now if he can " cause " all to 
 receive the mark, and yet all not actually receive it, 
 in like manner he can cause that as many as will 
 not worship the image of the beast, shall be killed, 
 and yet they not actually be put to death. This is 
 one of the instances so common in the Bible, where 
 a verb of action is used to signify merely the will 
 and endeavor to do the action in question. In this 
 case the word " cause " would signify merely to de- 
 cree or enact. See Bush on Ex. 7:11, and Note 
 at the end of this chapter. Deliverance is at this 
 time promised to the people of God. Dan. 12:1. 
 
 Since the foregoing positions were taken, spirit- 
 ualism has astonished the world with its terrible 
 progress, and shown itself to be the wonder-work- 
 ing element which the prophecy so plainly attributes 
 to the two-horned beast. This has amazingly 
 strengthened the force of the application. And 
 now within a few years we have seen the begin- 
 ning of a remarkable movement, looking toward 
 the fulfillment of what would generally be con- 
 
(594 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 sidered the more improbable portions of our appli- 
 cation of the prophecy ; namely, the formation of 
 the image, and the enforcement of the mark. 
 
 , There is visible in the theological world a gen- 
 eral and growing movement for union, not the 
 breaking down of sectarian barriers and uniting 
 on one common foundation of truth, but a union of 
 denominations for the sake of greater strength and 
 influence, on such points of faith as they hold in 
 common. 
 
 And still later, an Association, the National Re- 
 form Association, even now national in character, 
 as well as in name, has been formed for the pur- 
 pose of securing a religious amendment to the Con- 
 stitution of the United States, so as to put "all 
 Christian laws, usages and institutions, on an un- 
 deniable legal basis, in the fundamental law of the 
 land." And among these the so-called Christian 
 Sabbath is made prominent with emphasis. 
 
 This Association has already held national and 
 local conventions in the principal cities of the Union. 
 Among its officers are to be found Governors of 
 States, State Superintendents of Public Instruction, 
 Bishops, Judges of higher Courts, and College Pres- 
 idents and Professors. It is a movement of great 
 mental, social, and professional strength ; and its 
 friends are jubilant in anticipation of speedy and 
 complete success. 
 
 To receive the mark of the beast in the forehead, 
 is, we understand, to give the assent of the mind 
 and judgment to his authority, in the adoption of 
 
CHAPTER XIII, VERSE 18. (595 
 
 that institution which constitutes the mark ; to re- 
 ceive it in the hand is to signify allegiance by some 
 outward act. The mark is the mark, not of the 
 two-horned beast, nor of the image of the beast, 
 but of the papal beast. The name and the number 
 of the name pertain to the same beast. From the 
 llth verse to the end of the chapter, the expres- 
 sion "the beast" in every instance refers to the 
 papal beast : the two-horned beast is designated by 
 the pronoun, he. The mark of the beast is under- 
 stood to be a counterfeit Sabbath which is erected 
 in opposition to the Sabbath of Jehovah, which we 
 have shown on chapter 7 : 1-3, to be the seal of the 
 living God. For an exposition of the mark, see on 
 chapter 14: 9-12. 
 
 For a full exposition of the symbol of the two- 
 horned beast, the reader is referred to the work, 
 " The United States in Prophecy," published at the 
 REVIEW AND HERALD Office. 
 
 VERSE 18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath under- 
 standing count the number of the beast : for it is the num- 
 ber of a man ; and his number is six hundred threescore and 
 six. 
 
 The Number of his Name. The number of the 
 beast, says the prophecy, " is the number of a man ; 
 and his number is six hundred threescore and six." 
 (666.) This number, some attempt to find in the 
 word " Lateinos" the " Latin" kingdom. Thus they 
 make, by what rule we do not understand, L' stand 
 for 30 ; A, for 1 ; T, for 300 ; E, for 5 ; I, f or 10 ; N, for 
 50 ; O, for 70 ; and S, for 200 ; which numbers, add- 
 
696 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 ed together, make 666. Deriving the number from 
 the name, in this manner, we must regard as rathei 
 conjectural than otherwise, seeing that names can 
 be found to almost any extent, making just that 
 number. We think we discover, however, a serious 
 objection to the name here suggested. The number, 
 says the prophecy, is the number of a man ; and if 
 it is to be derived from a name or title, the natural 
 conclusion would be that it must be the name or 
 title of some particular man. But in this we have 
 the name of a people or kingdom, not of " a man " 
 as the prophecy says. 
 
 The most plausible name we have ever seen sug- 
 gested as containing the number 'A the beast, is the 
 blasphemous title which the pope applies to him- 
 self, and wears in jeweled letters upon his miter or 
 pontifical crown. That title is this : Vicarius filii 
 Dei: " Vicegerent of the Son of God." Taking the 
 letters out of this title which the Latins used as 
 numerals, and giving them their numerical value, 
 we have just 666. Thus we have V, 5 ; I, 1 ; C, 
 100 ; (a and r not used as numerals ;)!,!; U (for- 
 merly the same as V), 5 ; (s and f not used as num- 
 erals ;) I, 1 ; L, 50 ; I, 1 ; I, 1 ; D, 500 ; (e not used 
 as a numeral ;) I, 1. Adding these numbers to- 
 gether, we have just 666. 
 
 The following extract on this point is from a 
 work entitled " The Reformation," bearing the date 
 of 1832 : 
 
 " Mrs. A., said Miss Emmons, I saw a very curi- 
 ous fact the other day ; I have dwelt upon it much, 
 
CHAPTER Kill, VERSE IS. 
 
 697 
 
 and will mention it. A person, lately, was witness- 
 ing a ceremony of the Romish church. As the Pope 
 passed him in the procession, spendidly dressed in 
 his pontifical robes, the gentleman's eye rested on 
 these full, blazing letters in front of his miter 
 'VICARIUS FILII DEI,' The Vicar of the Son 
 of God. His thoughts, with the rapidity of light- 
 ning, reverted to Rev. 13 : 18. Will you turn to it ? 
 said Mrs. A. Alice opened the New Testament and 
 read: 'Let him that hath understanding count the 
 number of the beast ; for it is the number of a man ; 
 and his number is six hundred threescore and six.' 
 She paused, and Miss Emmons said, He took out 
 his pencil, and marking the numerical letters of the 
 inscription on his tablet, it stood 666." 
 
 Here we have indeed the number of a man, even 
 the " man of sin ; " and it is a little singular, per- 
 haps providential, that he should select a title which 
 shows the blasphemous character of the beast, and 
 then cause it to be inscribed upon his miter, as if to 
 brand himself with the number 666. 
 
 Thus closes chapter 13, leaving the people of God 
 with the powers of earth in deadly array against 
 them, and the decrees of death and banishment 
 from society out upon them, for- their adherence to 
 the truth. Spiritualism will be, at the time speci- 
 fied, performing its most imposing wonders, deceiv- 
 ing all the world except the elect, Matt. 24: 24; 
 2 Thess. 2 : 8-12. This will be the " hour of temp- 
 tation," or trial, which is to come upon all the world, 
 as mentioned in Rev. 3 : 10. What is the issue of 
 
(J98 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 this conflict ? This important inquiry is not left 
 unanswered. The first five verses of the following 
 chapter, which should have been numbered as a 
 part of this, complete the chain of this prophecy, 
 and reveal the glorious triumph of the champions 
 of the truth. 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 "It is a canon of interpretation of frequent use in the 
 exposition of the sacred writings that verbs of action some- 
 times signify merely the will and endeavor to do the action 
 in question. Thus in Eze. 24 : 13 : 'I have purified thee, 
 and thou wast not purged ; ' i. e. , I have endeavored, used 
 means, been at pains, to purify thee. John 5 : 44 : ' How 
 can ye believe which receive honor one of another ; ' i. e., 
 endeavor to receive. Rom. 2:4:' The goodness of God 
 leadeth thee to repentance ; ' i. e., endeavors, or tends, to 
 lead thee. Amos 9:3:' Though they be hid from my sight 
 in the bottom of the sea ; ' i. e., though they aim to be hid. 
 1 Cor. 10 : 33 : 'I please all men ; ' i. e., endeavor to please. 
 Gal. 5 : 4 : ' Whosoever of you are justified by the law ; ' 
 i. e. , seek and endeavor to be justified. Ps. 69 : 4 : ' They 
 that destroy me are mighty ; ' i. e., that endeavor to destroy 
 me. Eng. , ' That would destroy me. ' Acts 7 : 20 : And 
 set them at one again ; ' i. e. , wished and endeavored. Eng., 
 ' Would have set them. ' " 
 
THE THREE MESSAGES. 
 
 VERSE 1. And I looked, and, lo, a lamb stood on the 
 Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four 
 thousand, having his Father's name written in their fore- 
 heads. 2. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of 
 many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder ; and I 
 heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. 3. And 
 they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and be- 
 fore the four beasts, and the elders ; and no man could learn 
 that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, 
 which were redeemed from the earth. 4. These are they 
 which were not denied with women ; for they are virgins. 
 These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he go- 
 eth. These were redeemed from among men, being the 
 first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5. And in their 
 mouth was found no guile ; for they are without fault before 
 the throne of God. 
 
 It is a pleasing feature of the prophetic word that 
 the people of God are never brought into positions 
 of trial and difficulty and there left. Taking them 
 down into scenes of danger, the voice of prophecy 
 does not there cease, leaving them to guess their 
 fate, in doubt, perhaps despair, as to the final result; 
 but it takes them through to the end, and shows the 
 issue in every conflict. The first five verses of Rev. 
 14, are an instance of this. The 13th chapter closed, 
 
 (699) 
 
700 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 with the people of God, a small and apparently weak 
 and defenseless company, in deadly conflict with 
 the mightiest powers of earth which the dragon is 
 able to muster to his service. A decree is passed, 
 backed up by the supreme power of the land, that 
 they shall worship the image, and receive the mark, 
 under pain of death if they refuse to comply. What 
 can the people of God do in such a conflict, and in such 
 an extremity ? What will become of them ? Glance 
 forward with the apostle to the very next scene in 
 the programme, and what do we behold ? The 
 very same company standing on Mount Zion with 
 the Lamb, a victorious company, harping on sym- 
 phonious harps, their triumph in the courts of 
 Heaven. Thus are we assured that when the time 
 of our conflict with the powers of darkness comes, 
 deliverance is not only certain, but will immedi- 
 ately be given, being the next event in our history, 
 the glorious rest after the weary pilgrimage, the 
 glorious consummation of a life of toil, suffering, 
 and ceaseless conflict here. 
 
 That the 144,000 here seen on Mount Zion, are 
 the saints who were just before brought to view as 
 objects of the wrath of the beast and his image, 
 
 several considerations show : 
 
 1. They are identical with those sealed in Rev. 
 7, who have already been shown to be the right- 
 eous who are alive at the second coming of Christ. 
 
 2. They are the overcomers in the sixth, or Phil- 
 ad elphian state of the church. See Rev. 3 : 11, 12. 
 
 3. They are " redeemed from among men," verse 
 
CHAPTER XIV, VERSES 1-5. 701 
 
 4, an expression which can be applicable only to 
 those who are translated from among the living. 
 Paul labored, if by any means he might attain to a 
 resurrection out from among the dead. Phil. 3: 
 11. This is the hope of those who sleep in Jesus 
 a resurrection from the dead. A redemption from 
 among men, from among the living, must mean a 
 different thing, and can mean only one thing, and 
 that is translation. Hence the 144,000 are the liv- 
 ing saints who will be translated at the second 
 coming of Christ. 
 
 Where is the Mount Zion where this company is 
 seen standing ? The Mount Zion above ; for the 
 voice of harpers, which no doubt is uttered by these 
 very ones, is heard from Heaven; the same Zion 
 from which the Lord utters his voice when he 
 speaks to his people in close connection with the 
 coming of the Son of man. Joel 3: 16; Heb. 12: 
 26-28; Rev. 16: 17. A just consideration of the 
 fact that there is a Mount Zion in Heaven, and a 
 Jerusalem above, would be a powerful antidote 
 against the hallucination of the doctrine called 
 " The Age to Come." 
 
 A few more particulars only respecting the 
 144,000, will claim notice in these brief thoughts. 
 
 1. They have the name of the Lamb's Father in 
 their foreheads. In chapter 7, they are said to have 
 the seal of God in their foreheads. An important 
 key to an understanding of the seal of God is thus 
 furnished us; for we at once perceive that the 
 Father regards his name as his seal. That com- 
 
702 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 mandment of the law which contains God's name is 
 therefore the seal of the law. The Sabbath com- 
 mandment is the only one which has this ; that is, 
 that contains the descriptive title which distin- 
 guishes the true God from all false gods. Wherever 
 this was placed, there the Father's name was said 
 to be; Deut. 16: 6; and whoever keeps this com- 
 mandment has, consequently, the seal of the living 
 God. 
 
 2. They sing a new song which no other com- 
 pany is able to learn. In chapter 15 : 3, it is called 
 the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb. The 
 song of Moses, as may be seen by reference to Ex. 
 15, was the song of his experience and deliverance. 
 Such therefore is the song of the 144,000. No 
 others can join in it; for no other company will 
 have had an experience like theirs. 
 
 3. They were not defiled with women. A woman 
 is in Scripture the symbol of a church ; a virtuous 
 woman representing a pure church, a corrupt wo- 
 man an apostate church. It is then a characteristic 
 of this company that at the time of their deliver- 
 ance they are not defiled with, or have 110 connec- 
 tion with, the fallen churches of the land. Yet 
 we are not to understand that they never had any 
 connection with these churches ; for it is only at a 
 certain time that people become defiled by them. 
 In chapter 18:4, we find a call issued to the people 
 of God while they are in Babylon, to come out, 
 lest they become partakers of her sins. Heeding 
 that call, and leaving her connection, they escape the 
 
CHAPTER XIV, VERSES 6-12. 703 
 
 defilement of her sins. So of the 144,000. Though 
 some of them may have once had a connection with 
 corrupt churches, they sever that connection, when 
 it would have become sin to retain it longer. 
 
 4. They follow the Lamb whithersoever he go- 
 eth. We understand that this is spoken of them 
 in their redeemed state. They are the special com- 
 panions of their glorified Lord in the kingdom. 
 Chap. 7:17, speaking of the same company, and at 
 the same time, says : " For the Lamb which is in 
 the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall 
 lead them unto living fountains of waters." 
 
 5. They are "first-fruits" unto God and the 
 Lamb. This term appears to be applied to differ- 
 ent ones to denote especial conditions. Christ is 
 the first-fruits as the antitype of the wave-sheaf. 
 The first receivers of the gospel are called by James 
 1 : 18, a kind of first-fruits. So the 144,000 ripen- 
 ing up for the heavenly garner here on earth, dur- 
 ing the troublous scenes of the last days, being 
 translated to Heaven without seeing death, and 
 occupying a pre-eminent position, are in this sense, 
 we understand, called first-fruits unto God and the 
 Lamb. With this description of the 144,000 tri- 
 umphant, the line of prophecy commencing with 
 chapter 12, closes. 
 
 YEBSE 6. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of 
 heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them 
 that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, 
 and tongue, and people, 7, Saying with a loud voice, Fear 
 God, and give glory to him ; for the hour of his Judgment is 
 
704 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 come ; and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and 
 the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8. And there follow- 
 ed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that 
 great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of 
 the wrath of her fornication. 9. And the third angel fol- 
 lowed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship 
 the beast and his image, and receive hi mark in Irs fore- 
 head, or in his hand, 10, The same shall drink of the wine 
 of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture 
 into the cup of his indignation ; and he shall be tormented 
 with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, 
 and in the presence of the Lamb ; 11 ; And the smoke of 
 their torment ascerideth up forever and ever ; and they have 
 no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, 
 and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12. Here 
 is the patience of the saint ; here are they that keep the 
 commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 
 
 The First Message. Another scene, and another 
 chain of prophetic events, is introduced in these 
 verses. In this and the two following messages, we 
 have what is known as the three angels' messages 
 
 o O 
 
 of Rev. 14. The first angel is called another angel 
 in verse 6, because John had already seen one flying 
 through heaven in a similar manner. Chap. 8:13. 
 He proclaims the gospel, not a new one, but the 
 everlasting gospel, called in Matt. 24: 14, " the gos- 
 pel of the kingdom." But while it is the same 
 gospel, there are particular features which consti- 
 tute the burden of this message, chief among which, 
 as shown in verse 7, is the nearness of the king- 
 dom. Says an eminent writer on the prophecies, 
 " The burden of this angel was to be the same gos- 
 pel which had been before proclaimed, but con- 
 
CHAPTER XIV, VERSES 6-12. 705 
 
 nected with it was the additional motive of the 
 proximity of the kingdom. No mere preaching of 
 the gospel without announcing its proximity could 
 fulfill this message." This message therefore can- 
 not symbolize the preaching of the gospel by the 
 apostles ; for they only reasoned of a judgment to 
 come, indefinitely future. Moreover they cautioned 
 every one against entertaining the idea that the 
 day of Christ was at hand, till after the great papal 
 apostasy, and the predicted career of the Man of 
 Sin, who was, according to other prophecies, to rule 
 for 1260 years, or to 1798. And we may add that the 
 prophecies, upon which this proclamation is based, 
 were closed up and sealed to the same time, 1798. 
 This message cannot be given by any class of people 
 except those who live when the end is just at hand. 
 The Advent proclamation, especially from 1840 to 
 1844, completely answers to the prophecy, and is 
 the only great religious movement which can be 
 pointed to as its fulfillment. The judgment an- 
 nounced is shown by arguments which the designed 
 brevity of this work will not here admit, to be 
 the Investigative Judgment, which the reader will 
 perceive must take place before the coming of 
 Christ ; for when Christ comes it is already decided 
 who of the dead shall be raised, and who of the 
 living are worthy to be changed. That investi- 
 gative work we believe commenced in the sanctu- 
 ary above, when this message ceased as a leading 
 proclamation, at the close of the prophetic periods 
 in 1844. On this and the following messages we 
 45 
 
706 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 are the more brief here, as they are set forth in a 
 separate work published at the REVIEW Office, Bat- 
 tle Creek, Michigan. 
 
 The Second Message. The second angel announces 
 the fall of Babylon. What is Babylon ? The figure 
 is taken from the ancient city of Babylon; and 
 that received its name from the confusion of tongues 
 which there took place ; hence we understand that 
 by this symbol is meant all forms of false and apos- 
 tate religion, 
 
 "Whose creeds are various as her costly towers." 
 
 In other scriptures also this spiritual Babylon is 
 set forth under the symbol of a great city, and in 
 Rev. 16 : 19 it is presented in three divisions, which 
 we understand to be Paganism, Catholicism, and 
 backslidden Protestantism. The verse before us 
 applies evidently to that division in which the bur- 
 den of the proclamation of the three messages is 
 found, which is the last-named. It must apply also 
 to that division in which it was possible for a still 
 greater moral declension to take place ; which again 
 was the last-named ; for Paganism had always been 
 a false religion, and Catholicism always a corrupt 
 one. Rev. 18 : 12, shows the fall of Babylon to be 
 a moral fall, a giving away to ungodliness and spir- 
 itual darkness and deception, which finally calls 
 down from heaven upon the constituent parts of 
 this great city literal judgments of the severest 
 kind. The fall is caused by a rejection of the great 
 truth of the soon-coming of Christ sent forth from 
 Heaven in such majesty and power. 
 
CHAPTER XIV, VERSES 1-12. 707 
 
 By the wine of wrath (not anger, but intense 
 passion or desire) of her fornication we understand 
 her false doctrines and pernicious errors. Of these 
 she has caused all nations to drink. A message of 
 truth was sent, which, if received, would have 
 healed her of her dissensions, uniting the professed 
 followers of Christ upon the great truth of the soon- 
 coming of the Son of man. But instead of receiv- 
 ing the truth, she clung to her errors, and by spread- 
 ing them among the nations has stood directly in 
 the way of the advancement of the truth in the 
 earth. Thus having grieved the Spirit of God, that 
 Spirit has been withdrawn, and a moral fall is the 
 result. The spirit and power of genuine Christian- 
 ity has departed from the professed churches of our 
 land. An abundance of statistics to prove this, 
 may be seen in the work above referred to. 
 
 The Third Message. The third angel follows 
 with a message of the most fearful import. From the 
 language in which it is expressed, we understand 
 at once that it is designed to warn men against the 
 worship of the beast and his image, and prepare 
 them for that time when the decree shall be issued 
 enforcing such worship, as noticed in the previous 
 chapter. This is the issue, then, to which the world 
 is to be brought ; namely, to refuse the mark of the 
 beast and thus become exposed to the wrath of anti- 
 Christian, earthly powers ; or, to receive the mark 
 of the beast, and brave the unmixed wrath of God. 
 
 The Mark of the Beast. It now becomes a matter 
 of solemn moment to inquire what this mark of the 
 
708 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 beast is, against which there is uttered so terrific a 
 warning. No warning more terrible is found in all 
 the Bible. The position against which it is uttered 
 must therefore be a most heinous and Heaven-dar- 
 ing one. And is it possible that the world will 
 never know what this sin is ? This is not possible. 
 God does not so deal with his creatures. He does 
 not punish the wicked without their knowing, or 
 having full opportunity to know, for what cause 
 the punishment is inflicted. Hence we argu that 
 this question is not an unfathomable mystery ; but 
 that all may know what constitutes the mark of 
 the beast, and how they may avoid receiving it. 
 
 The message containing this warning is the last 
 to be given before the revelation of the Lord from 
 heaven ; for the next event in this line of prophecy 
 is the coming of one like the Son of man on the 
 great white cloud. And since, as shown on chap- 
 ters 6 and 7, we have reached the last days, and 
 the coming of Christ is at the door, the time has 
 come for the proclamation of this message; and 
 hence we argue again that the time has come when 
 it should be known what the mark of the beast is. 
 Yet how few ever think on this point ! and how 
 much less still is the number of those who have a 
 position which they can offer with any semblance 
 of proof as the truth in the matter ! 
 
 This subject is so fully discussed in publications 
 issued at the REVIEW Office, that a mere outline is 
 all that need here be presented. The subject of the 
 seal of God is explained at length on Rev. 7, to 
 
CHAPTER XIV, VERSES 6-12. 709 
 
 which the reader is referred, as the same reasoning 
 will apply largely to the subject before us. ' 
 
 The beast whose mark men are here warned 
 against receiving, is the one brought to view in 
 Rev. 13 : 1-10. This we have already shown to be 
 the Papal Roman power, the same as the little horn 
 of Dan. 7 : 8. The beast of Rev. 13, was to claim 
 worship from those who dwell upon the earth : the 
 little horn of Dan. 7, was to claim the power to 
 change times and laws; while the Man of Sin, 
 another name for the same power, was to oppose 
 and exalt himself above all that is called God, or 
 that is worshiped. If he exalts himself above God, 
 he must claim that his laws shall be obeyed in 
 preference to the laws of God. Mark it well ; there 
 is absolutely no other way in which he can exalt 
 himself above God. 
 
 We are now prepared to inquire for proof that 
 the Papal power has tampered with the law of 
 God, or attempted a change in the ten command- 
 ments; and that if the ten commandments are 
 understandingly kept as changed by that power, 
 instead of as originally given by the great Jehovah, 
 then the law-changing power is worshiped instead 
 of the law-making power. Paul has said, " Know 
 ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants 
 to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey ?" 
 Rom. 6: 16. 
 
 It has already been shown that the little horn is 
 identical with the beast against the worship of 
 which the third angel's message warns us. In Dan. 
 
710 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 7 : 25, it is said of this power, that " he shall speak 
 great words against the Most High, and shall wear 
 out the saints of the Most High, and think to change 
 times and laws ; and they shall be given into his 
 hand until a time and times and the dividing of 
 time." The laws here spoken of must be the laws 
 of the Most High, even as the saints connected 
 therewith are the saints of the Most High. Earthly 
 powers have a right to change human laws; but 
 the laws here spoken of are such as this power 
 could only think to change, as a mark of its anti- 
 Christian presumption, but not in reality be able to 
 change. And this change pertains to the moral law 
 of God ; for it is a law with which the saints have 
 to do during the 1260 years of Papal supremacy, 
 which period is wholly in this dispensation. The 
 ceremonial law is therefore out of the question. 
 
 Then we ask, Who has fulfilled this remarkable 
 prophecy ? Who has changed or attempted to 
 change the law of God ? To come more directly to 
 the point, Who has changed the Sabbath ? And let 
 it be noticed, that it is nowhere in the Scriptures 
 intimated that there would be any change made or 
 attempted, in the law of God, except by this pow- 
 er; therefore whatever change has been made in 
 God's moral code, it has been done by this power. 
 Let those consider well this fact, who claim that 
 the Sabbath was changed by the Lord Jesus or his 
 apostles. 
 
 The great change in the law which the church of 
 Rome daims to have made, and which it labors 
 
CHAPTER XIV, VERSES 6-1&. 71 1 
 
 hardest to impress upon the minds of its disciples, 
 is the change of the Sabbath from the seventh to 
 the first day of the week. On this point it is un- 
 necessary to quote from Protestant authors. Roman 
 Catholics themselves admit it; and not only so, but 
 they boast of it as an evidence of the right and power 
 of their church to legislate in divine things. For 
 evidence on these points, the reader is referred to 
 " The Catholic Catechism of the Christian Religion," 
 "Milner's 'End of Controversy,"' " Catholic Chris- 
 tian Instructed," "Abridgment of Christian Doc- 
 trine," and "Doctrinal Catechism," all Catholic 
 works of standard authority. From the "Abridg- 
 ment of Christian Doctrine " we give the following 
 question and answer : " Question. How prove you 
 that the church hath power to command feasts and 
 holy days ? Answer. By the very act of changing 
 the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow 
 of ; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, 
 by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most 
 other feasts commanded by the same church." And 
 the " Doctrinal Catechism " says : " Question. Have 
 you any other way of proving that the church has 
 power to institute festivals of precept ? Answer. 
 Had she not such power, she could not have done 
 that in which all modern religionists agree with 
 her; she could not have substituted the observance 
 of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the 
 observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change 
 for which there is no scriptural authority." 
 
 Here, then, we have the mark of the beast, a 
 
712 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 sabbatic institution put in place of the original in- 
 stitution of Jehovah, and brought forward by the 
 Romish church itself as the badge and token of its 
 power to change the law of the Most High. And 
 he who, with this plain fact before him, shall de- 
 liberately yield to the claims of this anti-Christian 
 power, in opposition to the plain requirements of the 
 Creator, will thereby acknowledge the supremacy 
 of the laws of the beast, become a worshiper of the 
 beast instead of the great Jehovah, and receive the 
 mark of the beast instead of the seal of the living 
 God. 
 
 It will thus be seen that a person does not have 
 the mark of the beast in the Scripture sense, except 
 by a voluntary obedience to the authority of the 
 beast, with the issue fairly before him. The observ- 
 ance of the first day of the week, under the uncor- 
 rected supposition that it is a scriptural require- 
 ment, cannot constitute the mark of the beast. God 
 takes into account the light a person has, and the 
 motives from which he acts. He who was the light 
 of the world once said to the Jews, " If I had not 
 come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin ; 
 but now they have no cloak for their sin." John 
 15 : 22. Hence Christians of past ages who have 
 died in the observance of this institution, unaware 
 of any connection between it and the enactments 
 of the beast, and supposing, the while, that by ob- 
 serving Sunday they were rendering obedience to 
 the requirements of God, can they be said to have 
 had the mark of the beast ? By no means. The 
 
CHAPTER XIV, VERSES 6-12. 713 
 
 honesty of purpose with which they lived up to 
 the best light they had, will be a guarantee of their 
 acceptance with God. Hence, again, it cannot be said 
 of any at the present time, that they have the mark of 
 the beast. But the true church must not come up to 
 the hour of translation encumbered, however unwit- 
 tingly, with Papal errors and institutions; and be- 
 fore we come upon the issue brought to view in 
 chapter 13: 15-27, light must be given upon the 
 mark of the beast, and an effectual warning be 
 uttered against its reception. The third angel's 
 message, now in full process of accomplishment 
 before us, is therefore timely and important. It is 
 a summons to the faithful to make speedy prepara- 
 tion for the coming issue. 
 
 For a full discussion of the subject of the Sab- 
 bath, and a history of its change to the first day of 
 the week, showing the part the Papacy has acted 
 therein, the reader is referred to " The History of 
 the Sabbath," by Eld. J. N. Andrews, issued by the 
 S. D. A. Publishing Association, Battle Creek, Mich. 
 
 The Punishment of Beast Worshipers. These 
 shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the 
 presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. When 
 is this torment inflicted? Some apply it at the end 
 of the future one thousand years, Rev. 20 : 2. But 
 we do not think it is of necessity located there. 
 Chapter 19: 20 shows that there is at the second 
 coming of Christ, what may be called a lake of fire 
 and brimstone, into which the beast and false 
 prophet are cast alive. This can refer only to the 
 
714 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 destruction visited upon them at the commence- 
 ment, not at the end, of the thousand years. Again, 
 there is a remarkable passage in Isaiah to which we 
 are obliged to refer in- explanation of the phraseol- 
 ogy of the threatening of the third angel, and which 
 unquestionably describes scenes to take place here 
 at the second advent, and in the desolate state of 
 the earth during the thousand years following. 
 That the language in the Revelation was borrowed 
 from this prophecy can hardly fail to be seen. After 
 describing the Lord's anger upon the nations, the 
 great slaughter of their armies, the departing of the 
 heavens as a scroll, etc., it says: "For it is the day 
 of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recom- 
 penses for the controversy of Zion. And the streams 
 thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust 
 thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall 
 become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched 
 night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for- 
 ever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste; 
 none shall pass through it forever and ever." Isa. 
 34: 8-10. And since there is to be a lake of fire at 
 the end of the thousand years, we can only con- 
 clude that the destruction of the living wicked at 
 the commencement, and the final doom of all the 
 ungodly at the end, of this period, are very similar. 
 Duration of the Punishment. The terms forever 
 and ever cannot here denote eternity. For where is 
 this punishment inflicted? On this earth, or where 
 there is succession of day and night. This is fur- 
 ther shown from the passage in Isaiah already re- 
 
CHAPTER XIV, VERSES 6 -IS. 715 
 
 ferred to, if that is, as we suppose, the language 
 from which this is borrowed, and applies at the same 
 time. That language is spoken of the land of Idu- 
 mea. But whether we take this to mean literally 
 the land of Edom, south and east of Judea, or to 
 represent, as we think it does, this whole earth at 
 the time when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from 
 heaven in flaming fire, and the year of recompenses 
 for the controversy of Zion comes, in either case 
 the scene must eventually terminate ; for this earth 
 is finally to be made new, cleansed of every stain of 
 sin, every vestige of suffering and decay, and to 
 become the habitation of righteousness and joy 
 throughout eternal ages. The word, diuv, here trans- 
 lated " forever," Schrevelius, in his Greek Lexicon, 
 defines thus: "An age; a long period of time; in- 
 definite duration; tune, whether longer or shorter." 
 For a discussion of the meaning of this term, see the 
 work, " Man's Nature and Destiny." 
 
 The period of the third message is a time of pa- 
 tience with the people of God. Paul and James 
 both give us instruction on this point. Heb. 10: 
 36; James 5: 7, 8. Meanwhile this waiting com- 
 pany are keeping the commandments of God, the 
 ten commandments, and the faith of Jesus, all the 
 teachings of Christ and his apostles as contained in 
 the New Testament. The true Sabbath as con- 
 tamed in the commandments is thus brought out in 
 vivid contrast with the counterfeit sabbath, the 
 mark of the beast, which finally distinguishes those 
 who reject the third message. 
 
716 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 VERSE 13. And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto 
 me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from 
 henceforth ; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from 
 their labors ; and their works do follow them. 14. And I 
 looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one 
 sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden 
 crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15. And another an- 
 gel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him 
 that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap ; for the 
 time is come for thee to reap ; for the harvest, of the earth 
 is ripe. 16. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his 
 sickle on the earth ; and the earth was reaped. 
 
 Events grow solemn as we near the end. It is 
 this fact which gives to the third angel's message, 
 now going forth, its unusual degree of solemnity 
 and importance. It is the last warning to go forth 
 prior to the coming of the Son of man. We are fast 
 passing over a line of prophecy which culminates in 
 the revelation of the Lord Jesus from Heaven in 
 flaming fire, to take vengeance on his foes, and to 
 reward his saints. Not only so, but we have come 
 so near its accomplishment that the very next link 
 in the chain is this crowning and momentous event. 
 And time never rolls back. As the river does not 
 flinch and fly as it approaches the precipice, but 
 bears all floating bodies over with resistless power, 
 and as the seasons never reverse their course, but 
 summer follows in the path of the budding fig-tree, 
 and winter treads close upon the falling leaf, so we 
 are borne onward and onward, whether we will or 
 not, whether prepared or not, to the unavoidable 
 and irreversible crisis. Ah! how little dream the 
 
CHAPTER XIV, VERSES 13-16. 717 
 
 proud professor or the careless sinner of the doom 
 that is impending ! And how hard for even those 
 who know and profess the truth to realize it as it is ! 
 John is commanded by a voice from Heaven to 
 write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord 
 from henceforth; and the response of the Spirit is, 
 "Yea, that they may rest from their labors, and 
 their works do follow them." From henceforth must 
 signify from some particular point of time. What 
 point? Evidently from the commencement of the 
 message in connection with which this is spoken. 
 But why are they blessed? There must be some 
 special reason for this. Is it not because they escape 
 the time of fearful peril which the saints are to en- 
 counter near the close of their pilgrimage? And 
 while they are blessed in this respect, in common 
 with all the righteous dead, they have an advantage 
 over them in being doubtless that company spoken 
 of in Dan. 12: 1, who are raised to everlasting life 
 at the standing up of Michael. Thus escaping the 
 perils through which the rest of the 144,000 pass, 
 they rise and share with them in their final triumph 
 here, and occupy with them their pre-eminent place 
 hi the kingdom.* In this way we understand their 
 works follow them: These works are held in re- 
 
 * We understand that all who die in this message help compose 
 the 144,000, inasmuch as just that number is sealed in the sealing 
 work of Kev . 7, which is but another prophecy of the third an- 
 gel's message. Those who, having had an experience in this work, 
 go down into the grave, are an exception to the general statement 
 that they (the 144,000) come up through great tribulation. The 
 
718 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 membrance, to be rewarded at the Judgment; and 
 the persons receive the same recompense they would 
 have had, had they lived and faithfully endured all 
 the perils of the time of trouble. 
 
 It will be noticed that in this line of prophecy, 
 three angels precede the Son of man on the white 
 cloud, and three are introduced after that symbol. 
 We understand that literal angels are engaged in 
 the scenes here described. The first three have 
 charge of the three special messages, and may also 
 symbolize a body of religious teachers. The mes- 
 sage of the fourth angel we understand to be uttered 
 after the Son of man takes his seat upon the white 
 cloud, having finished his priestly work, but before 
 he appears in the clouds of heaven. As the lan- 
 guage is addressed to Him who is seated upon the 
 white cloud, having in his hand a sharp sickle ready 
 to reap, it must denote a message of prayer on the 
 part of the church, after their work is done, and 
 probation has ceased, and nothing remains but for 
 the Lord to appear and take his people to himself. 
 It is doubtless the day-and-night cry, spoken of by 
 our Lord in Luke 18 : 7, 8, in connection with the 
 coming of the Son of man. And this prayer will 
 be answered. The elect will be avenged. He that 
 is seated upon the cloud will thrust in his sickle, 
 
 fact that they are raised from the dead does not conflict with the 
 testimony of verse 4, that they are "redeemed from among men," 
 that is from among the living; for they are raised only to mortal 
 life, and receive immortality or redemption by translation just like 
 those of the righteous who have never passed through the grave. 
 
CHAP TEE XIV, VERSES 17-20. 719 
 
 and the saints, under the figure of the wheat of the 
 earth", will be gathered to the heavenly garner. 
 
 " And He that sat on the cloud," says the proph- 
 ecy, "thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the 
 earth was reaped." By this language we are car- 
 ried down past the second advent, with its accom- 
 panying scenes of destruction to the wicked, and 
 salvation to the righteous. Beyond these scenes we 
 must therefore look for the application of the fol- 
 lowing verses: 
 
 VERSE 17. And another angel came out of the temple 
 which is in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18. And 
 another angel came out from the altar, which had power over 
 fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp 
 sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the 
 clusters of the vine of the earth ; for her grapes are fully 
 ripe. 19. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, 
 and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great 
 winepress of the wrath of God. 20. And the winepress was 
 trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine- 
 press, even unto the horses' bridles, by the space of a thou- 
 sand and six hundred furlongs. 
 
 The last two angels have to do with the wicked 
 the wicked, most fitly represented by the rich and 
 bloated clusters of the vine of the earth. May it not 
 be that the closing doom of that class, at the end of 
 the thousand years, is here presented, the prophecy 
 thus making a final disposition of both the righteous 
 and the wicked; the righteous clothed with immor- 
 tality, and safely established in the kingdom, the 
 wicked perishing around the city at the time of its 
 ultimate location upon the earth? 
 
720 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 The angel comes out of the temple, where the 
 records are kept, and the punishment is determined. 
 The other angel has power over fire. This may have 
 some connection with the fact that fire is to be the 
 element by which the wicked are at last to be de- 
 stroyed ; although to carry out the figure, the wicked, 
 having been likened to the clusters of the vine of 
 the earth, are said to be cast into the great wine- 
 press, which is trodden without the city. And blood 
 comes out of the winepress even to the horses' bridles. 
 We know that the wicked are doomed to be swal- 
 lowed up at last in a flood of all-devouring flame 
 descending from God out of Heaven. But what pre- 
 liminary slaughter may take place among the 
 doomed host, we know not. It is not improbable 
 that this language will be literally fulfilled. 
 
 As the first four angels of this series denoted a 
 movement on the part of the people of God, the last 
 two may denote the same ; for the saints are to have 
 some part to act, in meting out and executing the 
 final punishment of the wicked, 1 Cor. 6:2; Ps. 
 149 : 9. 
 
 Thus closes this chain of prophecy closes as 
 others close, with the complete triumph of God and 
 Christ over all their foes, and with the glorious sal- 
 vation that awaits the faithful followers of the 
 Prince of life, forever secured. 
 
XV. 
 
 THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES. 
 
 VERSE 1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and 
 marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues ; for 
 in them is filled up the wrath of God. 2. And I saw as it 
 were a sea of glass mingled with fire ; and them that had 
 gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and 
 over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on 
 the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3. And they sing 
 the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the 
 Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God 
 Almighty ; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 
 4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name ? 
 for thou only art holy ; for all nations shall come and wor- 
 ship before thee ; for thy judgments are made manifest. 5. 
 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the 
 tabernacle of the testimony in Heaven was opened ; 6 ; And 
 the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven 
 plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their 
 breasts girded with golden girdles. 7. And one of the 
 four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials 
 full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever. 8. 
 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, 
 and from his power ; and no man was able to enter into the 
 temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were 
 fulfilled. 
 
 Thus reads the fifteenth chapter entire. By it 
 we are carried back to a new series of events. 
 
 46 
 
722 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 The whole chapter is but an introduction to the 
 most terrific judgments of the Almighty, that ever 
 have been, or are to be, visited upon this earth in 
 its present state ; namely, the seven last plagues. 
 The most that we here behold is a solemn prepara- 
 tion for the outpouring of these unmixed vials. 
 Verse 5 shows that they transpire subsequently to the 
 last ministration in the sanctuary; for the temple 
 is opened before they are poured out. They are 
 given in charge to seven angels, and these angels 
 are clothed in linen pure and white, a fit emblem of 
 the purity of God's righteousness and justice in the 
 infliction of these judgments. They receive .these 
 vials from one of the four beasts. These beasts 
 were decided (see Thoughts on chap. 4,) to be a class 
 of Christ's assistants in his sanctuary work. How 
 appropriate, then, that these should be the ones to 
 deliver] to the ministers of vengeance, vials to be 
 poured upon those who have slighted Christ's mercy, 
 abused his long-suffering, heaped contumely upon 
 his name, and crucified him afresh in the treatment 
 of his followers ! While the seven angels are per- 
 forming their fearful mission, the temple is filled 
 with the glory of God, and no man, owfefr, no one, 
 no being, referring to Christ and his heavenly 
 assistants, can enter therein. This shows that the 
 work of mercy is closed, and there is no ministration 
 in the sanctuary during the infliction of the plagues ; 
 hence they are manifestations of the wrath of God, 
 without any mixture of mercy. 
 
CHAPTER XV, VERSES 1-8. 723 
 
 But in this scene the people of God are not for- 
 gotten. The prophet is permitted to anticipate a 
 little in verses 2-4, and behold them as victors upon 
 the sea of glass as it were mingled with fire, or 
 sparkling and refulgent with the glory of God, 
 singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. The sea 
 of glass upon which these victors stand, is the same 
 as that brought to view in chapter 4 : 6, which was 
 before the throne in Heaven. And as we have no 
 evidence that it has yet changed its location, and 
 the saints are seen upon it, we have here indubitable 
 proof, in connection with chapter 14 : 1-5, that the 
 saints are taken to Heaven to receive a portion of 
 their reward. Thus, like the bright sun bursting 
 through the midnight cloud, some scene is presented, 
 or some promise given to the humble followers of 
 the Lamb, in every hour of temptation, as if to 
 assure and re-assure them of God's love and care for 
 them, and of the certainty of their final reward. 
 Verily the words of the prophet are among the true 
 sayings of God: "Say ye to the righteous that it 
 shall be well with him," but, " woe unto the wicked! 
 it shall be ill with him." Isa. 3: 10, 11. 
 
XVI. 
 
 THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES POURED OUT. 
 
 THIS chapter gives a description of the seven vials 
 of the unmingled wrath of God, and the effects that 
 follow as they are poured upon the earth. Concern- 
 ing the character and chronology of these plagues, 
 there is a difference of opinion among Bible readers. 
 Our first inquiry, therefore, is, What is the true 
 position on these points ? Are they symbolical 
 and mostly fulfilled in the past, as some contend? or 
 are they literal and all future, as others no less con- 
 fidently affirm? A brief examination of the testi- 
 mony will, we think, settle conclusively these ques- 
 tions. 
 
 VERSE 1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple 
 saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the 
 vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2. And the first 
 went, and poured out his vial upon the earth ; and there fell 
 a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the 
 mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his 
 image. 
 
 This description of the very first plague sets us 
 
 on the track of their chronology; for it is poured 
 
 out upon those who have the mark of the beast, and 
 
 who worship his image, the identical work against 
 
 (724) 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 1-2. 725 
 
 which the third angel warns us. This is conclusive 
 proof that these judgments are not poured out till 
 after this angel closes his work, and that the very 
 class who hear his warning and reject it, are the 
 ones to receive the first drops from the overflowing 
 vials of God's indignation. Now if these plagues 
 are in the past, the image of the beast and his wor- 
 ship are in the past. If these are past, the two- 
 horned beast, which makes this image, and his work, 
 are in the past. If these are past, then the third 
 angel's message, which warns us in reference to this 
 work, is in the past; and if this is past, that is, ages 
 in the past, where this view locates the commence- 
 ment of the plagues, then the second and first mes- 
 sages, which precede that, are also ages in the past. 
 Then the prophetic periods on which that message is 
 based, especially the 2300 days, ended ages ago. 
 And if this is so, the 70 weeks of Dan. 9 are thrown 
 wholly into the Jewish dispensation, and the great 
 proof of the Messiahship of Christ is destroyed. 
 But it has been shown on chapters 7, 13, and 14, 
 that the first and second messages have been given 
 in our own day ; that the third is now in process of 
 accomplishment ; that the two-horned beast has come 
 upon the stage of action, and is preparing to act the 
 part assigned him; and that the formation of the 
 image, and the enforcement of the worship are just 
 in the future. And unless all these positions can be 
 overthrown, the seven last plagues must be assigned 
 to the future. 
 
726 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 But there are other reasons for locating them in 
 the future and not in the past: 
 
 1. Under the fifth plague, men blaspheme God 
 because of their sores, the same sores, of course, 
 caused by the outpouring of the first plague. 
 This shows that these plagues all fall upon the same 
 generation of men, some being no doubt swept off 
 by each one, but yet some surviving through the 
 terrible scenes of them all ; a fact utterly subversive 
 of the position that they commenced far in the past, 
 and occupy centuries each in their fulfillment; for 
 how then could those who experience the first plague 
 be alive under the fifth? 
 
 2. These plagues are the wine of God's wrath 
 without mixture, threatened by the third angel, chap. 
 14 : 10; 15 : 1. Such language cannot be applied 
 to any judgments visited upon the earth while 
 Christ pleads between his Father and our fallen race. 
 Hence we must locate them in the future, when pro- 
 bation shall have closed. 
 
 3. Another and more definite testimony as to the 
 commencement and duration of these plagues, is 
 found in chap. 15: 8: "And the temple was filled 
 with smoke from the glory of God, and from his 
 power; and no man was able to enter into the tem- 
 ple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were 
 fulfilled." The temple here introduced is evidently 
 that which is mentioned in chap. 11: 19, where it 
 says, ''The temple of God was opened in Heaven, 
 and there was seen in his temple the ark of his tes- 
 tament." In other words, we have before us the 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 1- 
 
 727 
 
 heavenly sanctuary. The testimony is, then, that 
 when the seven angels with the seven golden vials 
 receive their commission, the temple is filled with 
 smoke from the glory of God, and no man can en- 
 ter into the temple, or sanctuary, till they have ful- 
 filled their work; there will therefore be no minis- 
 tration hi the sanctuary during this time; conse- 
 quently these vials are not poured out till the close 
 of the ministration in the tabernacle above, but im- 
 mediately follow that event; for Christ is then no 
 longer a mediator; mercy, which has long stayed 
 the hand of vengeance, pleads no more; the servants 
 of God are sealed. What could then be expected 
 but that the "storm of vengeance should fall," and 
 earth be swept with the besom of destruction? 
 
 Having now shown the chronology of these judg- 
 ments, that they are before us in the very near fu- 
 ture, treasured up against the day of wrath, we 
 proceed to inquire into their nature, and what will 
 result when the solemn and fearful mandate shall go 
 forth from the temple to the seven angels, saying, 
 " Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath 
 of God upon the earth." Here we are called to look 
 into the "armory of the Lord," and behold the 
 "weapons of his indignation." Jer. 50: 25. Here 
 are brought forth the treasures of hail, which have 
 been reserved against the time of trouble, against 
 the day of battle and war. Job 38: 22, 23. 
 
 The Vials and their Effects. "And the first 
 went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and 
 there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men 
 
728 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 which had the mark of the beast, and upon them 
 which worshipped his image." 
 
 We know of no reason why we should not regard 
 this as strictly literal. These plagues are almost 
 identical with those which God inflicted upon the 
 Egyptians as he was about to deliver his people from 
 the yoke of bondage; the literality of which we 
 have never heard called in question. God is now 
 about to crown his people with their final deliver- 
 ance and redemption, and his judgments will be 
 manifested in a manner no less literal and terrible. 
 What the sore here threatened is, we are not in- 
 formed. Perhaps it may be similar to the parallel 
 plague which fell upon Egypt. Ex. 9: 8-11. 
 
 VERSE 3. And the second angel poured out his vial upon 
 the sea ; and it became as the blood of a dead man ; and ev- 
 ery living soul died in the sea. 
 
 Probably a more infectious and deadly substance 
 can scarcely be conceived of than the blood of a 
 dead man ; and the thought that the great bodies of 
 water on the earth, which are doubtless meant by 
 the term sea, will be changed to such a state under 
 this plague, presents a fearful picture. We have 
 here the remarkable fact that the term, living soul, 
 is applied to irrational animals, the fish and living 
 creatures of the sea. This is, we believe, the only 
 instance of such an application in the English version ; 
 in the original, however, it occurs frequently ; show- 
 ing that the term, as applied to man in the begin- 
 ning, Gen. 2 : 7, cannot be taken to show that he is 
 endowed with any immaterial and immortal essence. 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 4-7. 729 
 
 VERSE 4. And the third angel poured out his vial upon 
 the rivers and fountains of waters ; and they became blood. 
 5. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art right- 
 eous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou 
 hast judged thus. 6. For they have shed the blood of saints, 
 and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink ; for 
 they are worthy. 7. And I heard another out of the altar 
 say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy 
 judgments. 
 
 Such is the description of the terrible retribution 
 for the " blood of saints," shed by violent hands, 
 which will be given to those who have done, or 
 wished to do, such deeds. And though we can 
 hardly conceive of the horrors of that hour, when 
 the fountains and rivers of water shall be like blood, 
 the justice of God will stand vindicated, his judg- 
 ments approved. Even the angels are heard ex- 
 claiming, Thou art righteous, O Lord, because thou 
 hast judged thus; for they have shed the blood of 
 saints and prophets. Even so, Lord God Almighty, 
 true and righteous are thy judgments. 
 
 It may be asked how the last generation of the 
 wicked can be said to have shed the blood of saints 
 and prophets, since the last generation of saints are 
 not to be slain. A reference to Matt. 23: 34, 35; 
 1 John 3: 15, will explain. These scriptures show 
 that guilt attaches to motive no less than to action. 
 And no generation ever formed a more determined 
 purpose to give the saints to indiscriminate slaugh- 
 ter than the present one will, not far in the future. 
 See chap. 12: 17; 13: 15. In motive and purpose 
 they do shed the blood of saints and prophets. 
 
730 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 It would seem that not one of the human race 
 could survive a long continuance of a plague so ter- 
 rible as this. We hence conclude that this one may 
 be limited in its duration, as was the similar one on 
 Egypt. Ex. 7: 17-21. 
 
 VERSE 8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon 
 the sun ; and power was given unto him to scorch men with 
 fire. 9. And men were scorched with great heat and blas- 
 phemed the name of God, which hath power over these 
 plagues ; and they repented not to give him glory. 
 
 It is worthy of notice that every succeeding 
 plague tends to augment the calamity of the pre- 
 vious ones, and heighten the anguish of the guilty 
 sufferers. We have now a noisome and grievous 
 sore preying upon men, inflaming their blood, and 
 pouring its feverish influence through their veins. 
 In addition to this they have only blood to allay 
 their burning thirst; and, as if to crown all, power 
 is given unto the sun, and he pours upon them a 
 flood of liquid fire, and they are scorched with great 
 heat. Here, as the record runs, their woe first finds 
 utterance in horrid blasphemy. 
 
 VEKSE 10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon 
 the seat of the beast : and his kingdom was full of darkness ; 
 and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11, And blas- 
 phemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their 
 sores, and repented not of their deeds. 
 
 An important fact is established by this testi- 
 mony : It is, that the plagues do not at once destroy 
 all their victims; for some who were at first smit- 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 10, 11. 731 
 
 ten with sores, we find still living under the fifth 
 vial, and gnawing their tongues for pain. An illus- 
 tration of this vial will be found in Ex. 10 : 21-23. 
 It is poured upon the seat of the beast, the papacy. 
 The seat of the beast is wherever the papal see is lo- 
 cated, which thus far has been, and we think will 
 continue to be, the city of Eome. " His kingdom," 
 probably embraces all those who are subjects of the 
 pope in an ecclesiastical point of view. 
 
 As those who place the plagues in the past, have 
 the first five already wholly accomplished, we here 
 pause a moment to inquire where in past ages the 
 judgments here threatened have been fulfilled. Can 
 judgments so terrible be inflicted and nobody know 
 it ? Then where is the history of the fulfillment ? 
 When did a noisome and grievous sore fall upon a 
 specified and extensive portion of mankind ? When 
 did the sea become as the blood of a dead man, and 
 every living soul die in it ? When did the f ountains 
 and rivers become blood, and people have blood to 
 drink ? When did the sun so scorch men with fire 
 as to extort from them curses and blasphemy ? And 
 when did the subjects of the beast gnaw their 
 tongues for pain, and at the same time blaspheme 
 God on account of their sores ? Interpreters who 
 thus foolishly put such scenes in the past, where a 
 shadow of fulfillment cannot be shown, openly in- 
 vite the scoffs and ridicule of the skeptic and infidel 
 against God's holy book, and furnish them with po- 
 tent weapons for their nefarious work. In these 
 
732 THOUGHTS ON TILE REVELATION. 
 
 plagues, says Inspiration, is filled up the wrath of 
 God; but if they can be fulfilled and nobody know 
 it, who shall henceforth consider his wrath so terri- 
 ble a thing, or shrink from his judgments when they 
 are threatened ? 
 
 VERSE 12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon 
 the great river Euphrates ; and the water thereof was 
 dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be pre- 
 pared. 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come 
 out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the 
 beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14. For 
 they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go 
 forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to 
 gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 
 15. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, 
 and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see 
 his shame. 16. And he gathered them together into a place 
 called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 
 
 What is the great river Euphrates, which is the 
 object of this vial ? One view is that it is the literal 
 river Euphrates in Asia ; the other is, that it is a 
 symbol of the nation occupying the territory through 
 which that river flows. We incline to the latter 
 opinion for the following reasons : 
 
 1. It would be difficult to see what end would be 
 gained by the drying up of the literal river, as that 
 would not offer an obstruction at all serious to the 
 progress of an advancing army. And it should be 
 noticed that the drying up takes place to prepare 
 the way of the kings of the East, that is, regular 
 military organizations, and not a promiscuous and 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 12-16. 733 
 
 unequipped crowd of men, women, and children, 
 like the children of Israel at the Red Sea, or at the 
 Jordan. The Euphrates is only about 1,400 miles 
 in length, or about one-third the size of the Missis- 
 sippi. Cyrus, without difficulty, turned the whole 
 river from its channel at his siege of Babylon ; and 
 notwithstanding the numerous wars that have been 
 carried on along its banks, and the mighty hosts 
 that have crossed and re-crossed its stream, we have 
 never yet read that it had to be once dried up to let 
 them pass. 
 
 2. It would be as necessary to dry up the river 
 Tigris as the Euphrates, the source of the former be- 
 ing only fifteen miles from the latter, in the mount- 
 ains of Armenia, and it running nearly parallel with, 
 and but a short distance from, the latter throughout 
 its whole course. Yet the prophecy says nothing of 
 the Tigris. 
 
 3. The literal drying up of rivers we understand 
 takes place under the fourth vial, when power is 
 given to the sun to scorch men with fire. Under 
 this plague occur beyond question the scenes of 
 drouth and famine so graphically described by Joel, 
 Chap. 1 : 14-20 ; and as one result of these, it is ex- 
 pressly stated that " the rivers of waters are dried 
 up" The Euphrates will probably be no exception 
 to this ; hence, not much would remain to be liter- 
 ally dried up under the sixth vial. 
 
 4. These plagues, from the very nature of the 
 case, must be manifestations of wrath and judg- 
 
734 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 ments upon men. But if the drying up of the lit- 
 eral Euphrates is all that is brought to view, this 
 plague is not of such a nature, and turns out to be 
 no serious affair, after all. 
 
 These objections existing against considering it a 
 literal river, watered by that river, it must be under- 
 stood figuratively as symbolizing the power holding 
 possession of the territory, which is the Ottoman or 
 Turkish empire. 
 
 1. It is so used in other places in the Scriptures. 
 See Isa. 8:7; Rev. 9:14. In this latter text, all 
 must concede that the Euphrates symbolizes the 
 Turkish power ; and being the first and only other 
 occurrence of the word in the Revelation, it may 
 well be considered as governing its use in this book. 
 
 2. The drying up of the river in this sense would 
 be the consumption of the Turkish empire, accom- 
 panied with more or less destruction of its subjects. 
 Thus we should have literal judgments upon men, 
 as the result of this plague, as in the case of all the 
 others. 
 
 But, it may be objected to this, that while con- 
 tending for the literality of the plagues, we never- 
 theless make one of them a symbol. We answer, 
 No. A power is introduced, it is true, under the 
 sixth vial, in its symbolic form, just as it is under 
 the fifth/where we read of the seat of the beast, 
 which is a well-known symbol ; or as we read again 
 in the first plague of the mark of the beast, his im- 
 age and its worship, which are also symbols. All 
 that we contend for is the literality of the judg- 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 12-16. 735 
 
 inents that result from each vial, which are literal in 
 this case, as in all the rest. 
 
 Again, it may be asked how the way of the kings 
 of the East will be prepared by the drying up, or 
 consumption, of the Ottoman power ? The answer 
 is obvious. For what is the way of these kings to 
 be prepared ? Ans. To come up to the great bat- 
 tle. Where is the battle to be fought ? At Jeru- 
 salem. See Joel and Zephaniah. But Jerusalem is 
 in the hands of the Turks. They hold possession of 
 the land of Palestine and the sacred sepulchers. 
 This is the bone of contention. On these the na- 
 tions have fixed their covetous and jealous eyes. 
 But though Turkey now possesses them, and others 
 want them, it is nevertheless thought necessary to 
 the tranquil ity of Europe that Turkey should be 
 maintained in her position, in order to preserve, 
 what is called the " balance of power." Her office 
 therefore at present seems to be merely like that of 
 a large distended shell, which, so long as it can be 
 kept from collapsing, serves to separate belligerent 
 and hostile powers. Therefore the allied powers 
 of Europe are pledged to sustain the integrity of 
 the Sultan's throne. By them alone it is now 
 maintained, and when they shall withdraw then- 
 hands, and leave it to itself, as we believe they will 
 do under the sixth plague, that symbolic river will 
 be clean dried up, Turkey will be no more, and the 
 way will be all open for the nations to rush to the 
 Holy Land. The kings of the East, the nationalities, 
 powers, and kingdoms lying east of Palestine, will 
 
736 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 act a conspicuous part in the matter ; for Joel says 
 in reference to this scene, Let " the heathen " be 
 wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. 
 
 Those who place five of the plagues in the past, 
 and contend that we are now living under the sixth, 
 urge as one of their strongest arguments the fact 
 that the Turkish empire is now wasting away ; 
 which takes place under the sixth vial. We reply, 
 The event that takes place under the sixth vial, is 
 the entire and utter consumption of that power, not 
 its preliminary state of decay, which is all that 
 we now witness. But it is necessary that the em- 
 pire should for a time grow weak and powerless, in 
 order to its utter dissolution when the plague shall 
 come. This preliminary condition we now behold; 
 the full end cannot be far in the future. 
 
 Another event to be noticed under this plague, is 
 the issuing forth of the three unclean spirits to 
 gather the nations to the great battle. We regard 
 the agency now already abroad in the world, and 
 known as Modern Spiritualism, as the means to be 
 employed in this work. But the question may be 
 asked, how we can think that a work is designated 
 by it, which is already going on, when the spirits 
 are not introduced into the prophecy until the sixth 
 plague, which is still future. 
 
 We answer that in this, as in many other things, 
 the agencies which Heaven designs to employ in the 
 accomplishment of certain ends, are being for a 
 while trained to the part which they are to act. 
 Thus before the spirits can have such absolute au- 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 12-16. 737 
 
 thority over the race as to gather them to battle 
 against the King of kings and Lord of lords, they 
 must first win their way among the nations of the 
 earth, and cause their teaching to be received as of 
 divine authority, and their word as law. This 
 work they are now doing ; and when they shall 
 have once gained due influence over the nations in 
 question, what fitter instruments could be employed 
 to gather them to so rash and hopeless an enterprise? 
 
 To many it may seem incredible that the nations 
 should be willing to engage in such an unequal war- 
 fare as to go up to battle against the Lord of hosts ; 
 but it is one province of these spirits of devils to de- 
 ceive ; for they go forth working miracles, and 
 thereby deceive the kings of the earth that they 
 should believe a lie. 
 
 The sources from which these spirits issue, denote 
 that they will work among three great religious 
 divisions of mankind, represented by the dragon, 
 beast, and false prophet, or, Paganism, Catholicism, 
 and Protestantism. 
 
 But what is the force of the exhortation in verse 
 15 ? Probation must have closed, and Christ have 
 left his mediatorial position, before the plagues be- 
 gin to fall. And is there danger of falling after 
 that ? It will be noticed that this warning is 
 spoken in connection with the working of the spir- 
 its. We infer, therefore, that it goes back and is 
 applicable from the time these spirits begin to work, 
 to the close of probation ; that by an interchange of 
 tenses, common to the Greek language, the present 
 47 
 
738 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 tense is put for the past ; as if it had read, Blessed 
 is he that hath watched and kept his garments ; as 
 the shame and nakedness of all who have not done 
 this, will at this time especially appear. 
 
 " And he gathered them." Who are the ones 
 here spoken of, to be gathered ? and what agency 
 is to be used in gathering them ? If the word 
 them refers to the kings of verse 14, it is certain 
 that no good agency would be made use of to 
 gather them ; and if the spirits are referred to by 
 the word he, why is it in the singular number? 
 The peculiarity of this construction has led some to 
 read the passage thus: And he [Christ] gathered 
 them [the saints] into a place called in the Hebrew 
 tongue, Armageddon [the illustrious city, or New 
 Jerusalem]. But this position is untenable. The 
 following criticism, which appeared not long since 
 in a religious magazine, seems to shed the true light 
 upon this passage. The writer says : 
 
 "It seems to me that verse 16 is a continuation 
 of verse 14, and that the antecedent of avrovs [them] 
 is ' the kings ' mentioned in verse 14. For this lat- 
 ter verse says, ' Which go forth unto the kings of 
 the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them,' 
 etc., and in verse 16 it says, 'And he gathered 
 them.' Now, in the Greek, ' a neuter plural regu- 
 larly takes a verb in the singular.' (See Sopho- 
 cles' Greek Grammar, 151, 1.) Might not, there- 
 fore, the subject of the verb awjjyayev [gathered,] 
 (verse 16,) be wevfjuiTa [the spirits,] of verse 14, 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 12-16. 739 
 
 and thus the ' gathering ' mentioned in the two 
 verses, be one and the same ? 
 
 " And if this is to be a gathering of ' the kings of 
 the earth, and of the whole world,' will it not be for 
 the purpose mentioned in the text, viz., 'to gather 
 them to the battle of that great day of God Al- 
 mighty ? ' " 
 
 In accordance with this criticism we find several 
 translations using the plural instead of the singular 
 pronoun. 
 
 Mr. Wakefield in his translation of the New Tes- 
 tament renders this verse thus : " And the spirits 
 gathered the kings together at a place called in He- 
 brew, Armageddon." 
 
 The Syriac Testament reads : " And they col- 
 lected them together in a place called in Hebrew, 
 Armageddon." 
 
 Sawyer's translation renders it : " And they as- 
 sembled them in the place called in Hebrew, Arma- 
 geddon." 
 
 Mr. Wesley's version of the New Testament 
 reads : "And they gathered them together to the 
 place which is called in the Hebrew, Armageddon." 
 
 Whiting's translation gives it: "And they gath- 
 ered them into a place called in Hebrew, Arma- 
 geddon." 
 
 Prof. Stuart of Andover College, a distinguished 
 critic, though not a translator of the Scriptures, 
 render it : " And THEY gathered them together," 
 etc. De Wette, a German translator of the Bible, 
 gives it the same turn as Stuart and the others. 
 
740 THOUGHTS ON THE HEY ELATION. 
 
 Mr. Albert Barnes, whose Notes on the New 
 Testament are so extensively used, refers to the 
 same grammatical law as suggested by the criticism 
 above quoted, and says, "The authority of De 
 Wette and Prof. Stuart is sufficient to show that 
 the construction which they adopt is authorized by 
 the Greek, as indeed no one can doubt, and perhaps 
 this construction accords better with the context 
 than any other construction proposed." Thus it 
 will be seen that there are weighty reasons for read- 
 ing the text, "they gathered them together," etc., 
 instead of "he gathered." And by these authorities 
 it is shown that the persons gathered are the min- 
 ions of Satan, not saints ; that it is the work of the 
 spirits, not of Christ ; and that the place of assem- 
 blage is not in the New Jerusalem at the marriage 
 supper of the Lamb, but at Armageddon (or Mount 
 Megiddo), " at the battle of that great day of God 
 Almighty." 
 
 Mount Megiddo, overlooking the plain in the half 
 tribe of Manasseh, was the place in which Barak 
 and Deborah destroyed Si sera's army, and in which 
 Josiah was routed by Pharaoh Necho. 
 
 VERSE 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into 
 the air ; and there came a great voice out of the temple of 
 Heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18. And there 
 were voices, and thunders, and lightnings ; and there was a 
 great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the 
 earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19. And the 
 great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the 
 nations fell ; and great Babylon came in remembrance before 
 God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 17-21. 
 
 of his wrath. 20. And every island fled away, and the 
 mountains were not found. 21. And there fell upon men a 
 great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a 
 talent ; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of 
 the hail ; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. 
 
 Thus has inspiration described to us the last 
 judgment which God has appointed to rebellious 
 man in his present state. Some of the plagues we 
 have seen are local in their application ; but this 
 one is poured out into the air. The air envelops the 
 whole earth ; hence we may conclude that this 
 plague will envelop equally the habitable globe. It 
 will be universal. The air will be tainted. 
 
 The gathering of the nations having taken place 
 under the sixth vial, the battle remains to be fought 
 under the seventh ; and we here find brought to 
 view the instrumentalities with which God will slay 
 the wicked. At this time it may be said, "The 
 Lord hath opened his armory, and brought forth the 
 weapons of his indignation." 
 
 There were voices. Above all will be heard the 
 voice of God. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, 
 and utter his voice from Jerusalem ; and the heav- 
 ens and the earth shall shake. But the Lord will 
 be the hope of his people, and the strength of the 
 children of Israel." Joel 3: 16. See also Jer. 25 : 
 30 ; Heb. 12 : 26. This will cause the great earth- 
 quake such as was not since men were upon the 
 earth. 
 
 And thunders and lightnings. Allusion again to 
 the judgments of Egypt. See Ex. 9:23. The 
 
742 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 great city is divided into three parts ; that is, the 
 three grand divisions of the false and apostate relig- 
 ion of the world (the great city), Paganism, Cathol- 
 icism, and backslidden Protestantism, seem to be set 
 apart each to receive its appropriate doom. The 
 cities of the nations fall. Universal desolation 
 spreads over the earth. Every island flees away and 
 the mountains are not found. And great Babylon 
 comes in remembrance before God. Read her judg- 
 ments more fully in chap. 18. 
 
 Some faint idea of the terrible effect of such a 
 scene as is here predicted, may be inferred from the 
 following sketch of a hailstorm on the Bosporus, by 
 our countryman, the late Commodore Porter, in 
 his "Letters from Constantinople and its Environs," 
 vol. i., p. 44. He says : 
 
 " We had got perhaps a mile and a half on our 
 way, when a cloud, rising in the west, gave indica- 
 tions of .approaching rain. In a few minutes we 
 discovered something falling from the heavens with 
 a heavy splash, and with a whitish appearance. I 
 could not conceive what it was, but observing some 
 gulls near, I supposed it to be them darting for fish ; 
 but soon after discovered that they were large balls 
 of ice falling. Immediately we heard a sound like 
 rumbling thunder, or ten thousand carriages rolling 
 furiously over the pavement. The whole Bospo- 
 rus was in a foam, as though heaven's artillery had 
 been charged upon us and our frail machine. Our 
 fate seemed inevitable ; our umbrellas were raised to 
 protect us ; the lumps of ice stripped them into rib- 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSES 17-21. 743 
 
 bons. We fortunately had a bullock's hide in the 
 boat, under which we crawled, and saved ourselves 
 from further injury. One man of the three oarsmen 
 had his hand literally smashed ; another was much 
 injured in the shoulder; Mr. H. received a blow in 
 the leg ; my right hand was somewhat disabled, and 
 all more or less injured. 
 
 " It was the most awful and terrific scene I ever 
 witnessed, and God forbid that I ever should be ex- 
 posed to another ! Balls of ice as large as my two 
 fists fell into the boat, and some of them fell with 
 such violence as certainly to have broken an arm or 
 leg had they struck us in those parts. One of them 
 struck the blade of an oar and split it. The scene 
 lasted perhaps five minutes ; but it was five min- 
 utes of the most awful feelings I ever experienced. 
 When it passed over, we found the surrounding hills 
 covered with masses of ice ; I cannot call it hail ; 
 the trees stripped of their leaves and limbs ; and 
 everything looking desolate. The scene was awful, 
 beyond all description ! 
 
 " I have witnessed repeated earthquakes ; the 
 lightning has played, as it were, about my head ; 
 the wind roared, and the waves at one moment have 
 thrown me to the sky, and the next have sunk me 
 into a deep abyss. I have been in action, and have 
 seen death and destruction around me in every shape 
 of horror ; but I never before had the feeling of awe 
 which seized me on this occasion, and still haunts, 
 and I fear forever will haunt, me. My porter, the 
 boldest of my family, who had ventured an instant 
 
744 THOUGHTS ON THE, REVELATION. 
 
 from the door, had been knocked down by a hail- 
 stone, and had they not dragged him in by the heels, 
 would have been battered to death. Two boatmen 
 were killed in the upper part of the village, and I 
 have heard of broken bones in abundance. Imag- 
 ine to yourself the heavens suddenly frozen over, 
 and as suddenly broken to pieces in irregular masses 
 of from half a pound to a pound weight, and precip- 
 itated to the earth." 
 
 Reader, if such were the desolating effects of a hail- 
 storm of ice, which discharged stones the size of a 
 man's fist, weighing at most a pound or so, who can 
 depict the consequences of that coming storm in 
 which , ' EVERY STONE " shall be of the weight of a 
 talent ? As sure as God's word is truth, he is thus 
 soon to punish a guilty world. May it be ours, ac- 
 cording to the promise, to have "sure dwellings" 
 and "quiet resting places" in that terrific hour. 
 Isa. 32 : 18, 19. 
 
 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven. 
 This is the last instrumentality brought to bear 
 upon the shelterless heads of the wicked the bitter 
 dregs of the seventh vial. God has solemnly de- 
 clared to the wicked, saying, " Judgment also will I 
 lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet ; 
 and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies and 
 the waters shall overflow the hiding-place." Isa. 
 28 : 17. See also Isa. 30 : 30. And he asks Job if 
 he has seen the treasures of the hail, which he has 
 reserved against the time of trouble, against the day 
 of battle and war. Job 38 : 22, 23. 
 
CHAPTER XVI, VERSE 17-21. 745 ( 
 
 Every stone about the weight of a talent. A tal- 
 ent, according to various authorities, as a weight, is 
 about fifty-seven pounds avoirdupois. What could 
 withstand the force of stones of such an enormous 
 weight falling from heaven ? But mankind, at this 
 time, will have no shelter. The cities have fallen in 
 a mighty earthquake, the islands have fled away, 
 and the mountains are not found. Again the 
 wicked give vent to their woe in blasphemy ; for the 
 plague of the hail is " exceeding great." 
 
 " And there came a great voice out of the temple 
 of Heaven from the throne, saying, It is done ! " 
 Thus all is finished. The cup of human guilt has 
 been rilled up. The last soul has availed itself of the 
 plan of salvation. The books are closed. The num- 
 ber of the saved is completed. The final period is 
 placed to this world's history. The vials of God's 
 wrath are poured out upon a corrupt generation. 
 The wicked have drunk them to the dregs, and sunk 
 into the realm of death for a thousand years. 
 Reader, where do you wish to be found after that 
 great decision ? 
 
 But what is the condition of the saints while the 
 "overflowing scourge" is passing over? They are 
 the special subjects of God's protection, without 
 whose notice not a sparrow falls to the ground. 
 Many are the promises which come crowding in to 
 afford them comfort, summarily contained in the 
 beautiful and expressive language of the psalm, 
 which alone we have space to quote : 
 
 Ps. 91 : 2-10. " I will say of the Lord, he is my 
 
746 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 refuge and my fortress ; my God, in him will I trust. 
 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the 
 fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall 
 cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings 
 shalt thou trust ; his truth shall be thy shield and 
 buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by 
 night ; nor for the arrow that flieth by day ; nor 
 for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for 
 the destruction that wasteth at noon-day. A thou- 
 sand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy 
 right hand ; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only 
 with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward 
 of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, 
 which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy hab- 
 itation ; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall 
 any plague come nigh thy dwelling." 
 
XVII. 
 
 BABYLON THE MOTHER. 
 
 VERSE 1. And there came one of the seven angels which 
 had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, 
 Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the 
 great whore that sitteth upon many waters ; 2 ; With whom 
 the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the 
 inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the 
 wine of her fornication. 3. So he carried me away in the 
 Spirit into the wilderness ; and I saw a woman sit upon a 
 scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having 
 seven heads and ten horns. 4. And the woman was arrayed 
 in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and pre- 
 cious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full 
 of abominations and nlthiness of her fornication : 5 : And 
 upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon 
 the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the 
 Earth. 
 
 In verse 19 of the preceding chapter, we were 
 informed that " great Babylon came in remembrance 
 before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of 
 the fierceness of his wrath." The apostle now takes 
 up more particularly the subject of this Great Baby- 
 lon ; and in order to a full presentation of it, goes 
 back and gives some of the facts of her past history. 
 That this apostate woman is a symbol of the Roman 
 Catholic church, is generally believed by Protestants. 
 
 '(747) 
 
748 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 Between this church and the kings of the earth there 
 has been illicit connection, and with the wine of her 
 fornication, or her false doctrines, the inhabitants of 
 the earth have been made drunk. 
 
 This prophecy is more definite than others 
 applicable to the Roman power, in that it distin- 
 guishes between church and State. We here have 
 the woman, the church, seated upon a scarlet-colored 
 beast, the civil power, by which she is upheld, and 
 which she controls and guides to her own ends, as a 
 rider controls a horse. 
 
 The vesture and decorations of this woman, as 
 brought to view in verse 4, are in striking harmony 
 with the application made of this symbol ; for purple 
 and scarlet are the chief colors in the robes of popes 
 and cardinals ; and among the myriads of precious 
 stones which adorn her service, according to an eye- 
 witness, silver is scarcely known, and gold itself looks 
 but poorly. And from the golden cup in her 
 hand, symbol of purity of doctrine and profession, 
 which should have contained only that which is 
 pure, upright, and in accordance with truth, there 
 came forth only abominations, and wine of her for- 
 nication, fit symbol of her abominable doctrines, and 
 still more abominable practices. 
 
 This woman is explicitly called Babylon. Is Rome, 
 then, Babylon, to the exclusion of all other religious 
 bodies ? No ; from the fact that she is called the 
 mother of harlots, which shows that there are other 
 independent religious organizations, which consti- 
 tute the apostate daughters, and belong to the same 
 great family. 
 
CHAPTER XVII, VERSES 6-10. 749 
 
 YERSE 6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood 
 of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus ; 
 and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7. 
 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel ? 
 I -will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast 
 that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 
 
 Why should John wonder with great astonish- 
 ment when he saw the woman drunken with the 
 blood of saints ? Was persecution of the people of 
 God any strange thing in his day ? Had he not 
 . c een Rome launch its most fiery anathemas against 
 the church, being himself in banishment under its 
 cruel power at the time he wrote ? Why, then, 
 should he be astonished as he looked forward and 
 saw Rome still persecuting the saints ? The secret 
 of his wonder was just this: All the persecution he 
 had witnessed had been from pagan Rome, the open 
 enemy of Christ. It was not strange that pagans 
 should persecute Christ's followers. But when he 
 looked forward and saw a church professedly Chris- 
 tian, persecuting the followers of the Lamb, and 
 drunken with their blood, he could but wonder with 
 great amazement. 
 
 VERSE 8. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not ; 
 and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into per- 
 dition ; and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, 
 whose names were not written in the book of life from the 
 foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that 
 was, and is not, and yet is. 9. And here is the mind which 
 hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on 
 which the woman sitteth. 10. And there are seven kings ; 
 five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come ; 
 
750 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11. 
 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, 
 and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 
 
 The beast of which the angel here speaks is evi- 
 dently the scarlet beast. A wild beast like the one 
 thus introduced, is the symbol of an oppressive and 
 persecuting pow.er ; and while the Roman power, as 
 a nation, had a long, uninterrupted existence, it 
 passed through certain phases, during which this 
 symbol would be inapplicable to it, and during 
 which time, consequently the beast, in such prophe- 
 cies as the present, might be said not to be, or not to 
 exist. Thus : Rome in its pagan form was a perse- 
 cuting power in its relation to the people of God, 
 during which time it constituted the beast that was. 
 But the empire was nominally converted to Chris- 
 tianity. There was a transition from paganism to 
 another phase of religion, falsely called Christian ; 
 and during a brief period, while this transition was 
 going on, it lost its ferocious and persecuting char- 
 acter, and then it could be said of the beast, that it 
 was not. Time passed on, and it degenerated into 
 popery, and again assumed its blood-thirsty and 
 oppressive character, and then constituted the beas,t 
 that " yet is," or in John's day was to be. 
 
 The seven heads are explained to be, first, seven 
 mountains, and then seven kings or forms of govern- 
 ment; for the expression in verse 10, " and there are 
 seven kings," should read, and these are seven kings. 
 Five are fallen, says the angel, or passed away ; one 
 is ; the sixth , was then reigning : another was to 
 
CHAPTER XVII, VERSES 8-11. 751 
 
 . _ _ 
 
 come, and continue a short space ; and when the 
 beast -re-appeared in its bloody and persecuting char- 
 acter, it was to be under the eighth form of govern- 
 ment which was to continue till the beast went into 
 perdition. The seven forms of government that have 
 existed in the Roman empire, are usually enumerated 
 as follows: 1. Kingly. 2. Consular. 3. Decem- 
 virate. 4. Dictatorial. 5. Triumvirate. 6. Impe- 
 rial ; and 7. Papal. Kings, Consuls, Decemvirs, 
 Dictators, and Triumvirs, had passed away in John's 
 day. He was living under the imperial form. Two 
 more were to arise after his time. One was only to 
 continue a short space, and hence is not usually reck- 
 oned among the heads ; while the last, which is usu- 
 ally denominated the seventh, is in reality the eighth. 
 The head which was to succeed the imperial and 
 continue a short space could not be the papal ; for 
 that has continued longer than all the rest put 
 together. We understand, therefore, that the papal 
 head is the eighth, and that a head of short continu- 
 ance intervened between the imperial and papal. In 
 fulfillment of this, we read that after the imperial 
 form had been abolished, there was a ruler who, for 
 about the space of 60 years, governed Rome under 
 the title of the " Exarchate of Ravenna." Thus we 
 have the connecting link between the imperial and 
 papal heads. The third phase of the beast that was, 
 and is not, and yet is, is the Roman power under the 
 rule of the papacy, and in this form it ascends out of 
 the bottomless pit, or bases its power on pretensions 
 which have no foundation but a mixture of Chris- 
 tian errors and pagan superstitions. 
 
752 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 VERSE 12. And the ten horns which them sawest are ten 
 kings, which have received no kingdom as yet ; but receive 
 power as kings one hour with the beast. 13. These have 
 one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the 
 beast. 14. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the 
 Lamb shall overcome them ; for he is Lord of lords, and 
 King of kings ; and they that are with him are called, and 
 chosen, and faithful. 
 
 On the subject of the ten horns, there is no con- 
 troversy. All agree that they symbolize the ten 
 kingdoms that arose out of the Roman empire, 
 namely, the Huns, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, 
 Vandals, Suevi, Burgundians, Heruli, Anglo-Saxons, 
 and Lombards. They receive power one hour [ Gr. 
 pa, hora, an indefinite space of time,] with the 
 beast ; that is, they reign a length of time contem- 
 poraneously with the beast, during which time they 
 give to it their power and strength. 
 
 Croly in his work on the Apocalypse, offers this 
 comment on verse 12 : " The prediction defines the 
 epoch of the papacy by the formation of the ten 
 kingdoms of the western empire. ' They shall receive 
 power one hour with the beast.' The translation 
 should be, ' in the same era ' ( fiiav fyav ). The ten 
 kingdoms shall be contemporaneous, in contradis- 
 tinction to the ' seven heads/ which were successive!' 
 
 This language must refer to the past, when the 
 kingdoms of Europe were unanimous in giving their 
 support to the papacy, and upholding it in all its 
 pretensions. It cannot apply to the future ; for 
 after the commencement of the time of the end, they 
 were to take away its power, and consume and destroy 
 
CHAPTER XVII, VERSES 15-18. 753 
 
 it to the end ; Dan. 7 : 26 ; and the treatment which 
 these kingdoms are finally to bestow upon it, is 
 expressed in verse 16, where it is said that they shall 
 hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat 
 her flesh, and burn her with fire. 
 
 These make war with the Lamb, verse 14. Here 
 we are carried into the future to the time of the 
 great and final battle ; for at this time the Lamb 
 has assumed the title of King of kings and Lord of 
 lords, a title which he does not assume till his second 
 coming. Chap. 19 : 11-16. 
 
 VERSE 15. And he saith unto me, The waters .which thou 
 sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, 
 and nations and tongues. 16. And the ten horns which 
 thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and 
 shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, 
 and burn her with fire. 17. For God hath put in their 
 hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their king- 
 dom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be ful- 
 filled. 18. And the woman which thou sawest is that great 
 city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. 
 
 In verse 15, we have simply a definition of the 
 scripture symbol of waters ; they denote peoples, 
 multitudes, nations, and tongues. The angel told 
 John, while calling his attention to this subject, that 
 he would show him the judgment of this great har- 
 lot. In verse 16, that judgment is specified. This 
 chapter, has, we think, more especial reference to 
 the old mother, or Catholic Babylon. In the- next 
 chapter, if we mistake not, we find brought to view 
 the character and destiny of another great branch 
 
 of Babylon, namely, the harlot daughters. 
 48 
 
XVIII. 
 
 BABYLON THE DAUGHTERS. 
 
 VERSE 1. And after these things I saw another angel 
 come down from Heaven, having great power ; and the earth 
 was lightened with his glory. 2. And he cried mightily 
 with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is 
 fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold 
 of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful 
 bird. 3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the 
 wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have 
 committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the 
 earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delica- 
 cies. 
 
 Some movement of mighty power is symbolized 
 in these verses. The consideration of a few facts 
 will guide us unmistakably to the application. In 
 chapter 14, we had a message announcing the fall 
 of Babylon. Babylon is a term which embraces 
 not only the Roman Catholic church, but religious 
 bodies which have sprung from her, bringing many of 
 her errors and traditions along with them. 
 
 The fall of Babylon here spoken of cannot be lit- 
 eral destruction ; for there are events to take place in 
 Babylon after her fall, which utterly forbid this idea ; 
 as, for instance, the people of God are there after her 
 fall, and are called out in order that they may not 
 
 (754) 
 
CHAPTER XVIII, VERSES 2-3. 755 
 
 receive of her plagues ; and in these plagues is em- 
 braced her literal destruction. The fall is therefore 
 a moral one ; for the result of it is, that Babylon 
 becomes the habitation of devils, and the hold of every 
 foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful 
 bird ; she, as a consequence of her fall, piles up an 
 accumulation of sins even to the heavens, and 
 becomes subject to the judgments of God which can 
 no longer be delayed. 
 
 And since the fall here introduced is a moral one, 
 it must apply to some branch of Babylon besides, or 
 outside of, the pagan or papal divisions ; for the 
 false character of the one. and the corrupt character 
 of the other, of these was fully developed before they 
 were introduced into prophecy. And, further, as 
 this fall is said to occur but a short period before 
 Babylon's final destruction, certainly this side of the 
 rise and blasphemous career of the papal church, 
 this testimony cannot apply to any religious organ- 
 izations but such as have sprung from that church. 
 These started out on reform. They run well for a 
 season, and had the approbation of God ; but fetter- 
 ing themselves with creeds, they have failed to keep 
 pace with the advancing light of God's truth, and 
 hence have been left in a position where they will 
 finally develop a character as evil and odious in the 
 sight of God, as that of the church from which they 
 first started out as dissenters or reformers. As the 
 point before us is to many a very sensitive one, 
 we will let members of these various denominations 
 here speak for themselves. 
 
756 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 The Tennessee Baptist says : " This woman 
 [popery] is called the mother of harlots and abom- 
 inations. Who are the daughters ? The Lutheran, 
 the Presbyterian, and the Episcopalian churches are 
 all branches of the [Roman] Catholic. Are not 
 these denominated ' harlots and abominations ' in the 
 above passage ? I so decide. I could not with the 
 stake before me decide otherwise. Presbyterians 
 and Episcopalians compose a part of Babylon. They 
 hold the distinctive principles of Papacy, in common 
 with Papists." 
 
 Alexander Campbell says : " The worshiping 
 establishments now in operation throughout Chris- 
 tendom, incased and cemented by their respective 
 voluminous confessions of faith, and their ecclesias- 
 tical constitutions, are not churches of Jesus Christ, 
 but the legitimate daughters of that mother of har- 
 lots the Church of Rome." 
 
 Again he says : " A reformation of popery was 
 attempted in Europe full three centuries ago. It 
 ended in a Protestant hierarchy, and swarms of dis- 
 senters. Protestantism has been reformed into 
 Presbyterianism that into Congregationalism 
 and that into Baptistism, etc., etc. Methodism has 
 attempted to reform all, but has reformed itself into 
 many forms of Wesleyanism. All of them retain 
 in their bosom, in their ecclesiastic organizations, 
 worship, doctrines, and observances, various relics 
 of popery. They are at best a reformation of 
 popery, and only reformations in part. The doc- 
 trines and traditions of men yet impair the power 
 
CHAPTER XVIII, VERSES 1-3. 757 
 
 and progress of the gospel in their hands." On 
 Baptism, p. 15. 
 
 Mr. O. Scott (Wesleyan Methodist,) says : " The 
 church is as deeply infected with a desire for 
 worldly gain as the world. 
 
 " The churches are making a god of this world. 
 
 " Most of the denominations of the present day 
 might be called churches of the world, with more 
 propriety than churches of Christ. 
 
 "The churches are so far gone from primitive 
 Christianity that they need a fresh regeneration 
 a new kind of religion." 
 
 Says the Golden Rule : " The Protestants are 
 out-doing the Popes in splendid, extravagant folly 
 in church building. Thousands on thousands are 
 expended in gay and costly ornaments to gratify 
 pride and a wicked ambition, that might and 
 should go to redeem the perishing millions ! Does 
 the evil, the folly, and the madness of these proud, 
 formal, fashionable worshipers, stop here ? 
 
 "These splendid monuments of popish pride, 
 upon which millions are squandered in our cities, 
 virtually exclude the poor for whom Christ died, 
 and for whom he came especially to preach." 
 
 The report of the Michigan Yearly Conference, 
 published in the True Wesleyan of Nov. 15, 1851, 
 says : " The world, commercial, political, and eccle- 
 siastical are alike, and are together going in the 
 broad way that leads to death. Politics, commerce, 
 and nominal religion, all connive at sin, reciprocally 
 aid each other, and unite to crush the poor. False- 
 
758 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 hood is unblushingly uttered in the forum and in 
 the pulpit; and sins that would shock the moral 
 sensibilities of the heathen, go unrebuked in all the 
 great denominations of our land. These churches 
 are like the Jewish church when the Saviour 
 exclaimed, 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, 
 hypocrites/ " It is certainly no better now. 
 
 Robert Atkins, in a sermon preached in London, 
 says: "The truly righteous are diminished from 
 the earth, and no man layeth it to heart. The pro- 
 fessors of religion of the present day, in ever}' 
 church are lovers of the world, conformers to the 
 world, lovers of creature-comfort, and aspirers after 
 respectability. They are called to suffer with 
 Christ, but they shrink even from reproach. 
 
 "Apostasy, apostasy, apostasy, is engraven on 
 the very front of every church ; 'and did they know 
 it, and did they feel it, there might be hope ; but 
 alas ! they cry, * We are rich, and increased in goods, 
 and stand in need of nothing.' " 
 
 Abundance of similar testimony might be pro- 
 duced, from persons in high standing in these vari- 
 ous denominations, written, not for the purpose of 
 being captious and finding fault, but from a vivid 
 sense of the fearful condition to which these 
 churches have fallen. The term Babylon, as 
 applied to them, is not a term of reproach, but is 
 simply expressive of the confusion and diversity of 
 sentiment that exists among them. Babylon need 
 not have fallen, but might have been healed, Jer. 
 51 : 9, by the reception of the truth. Rejecting it, 
 
CHAPTElt XVIII, VERSES 1-3. 750 
 
 confusion and dissensions still reign within her 
 borders, and worldliness and pride are fast choking 
 out every plant of heavenly growth. 
 
 But at what time do the verses now before us 
 have their application ? When may the movement 
 here symbolized be looked for ? If the position we 
 have taken is correct, that these churches, this 
 branch of Babylon, experienced a moral fall by the 
 rejection of the first message of chapter 14, the an- 
 nouncement in the chapter under consideration could 
 not have gone forth previous to that time. It is, 
 then, either synonymous with the message of the fall 
 of Babylon, in chapter 14, or it is given at a later 
 period than that. Is it synonymous with that ? It is 
 not ; for that merely announces the fall of Babylon, 
 while this adds several particulars, which at that 
 time were neither fulfilled nor in the process of ful- 
 fillment. As we are therefore to look this side of 
 1844, where the previous message went forth, for 
 the announcement brought to view in this chapter, 
 we inquire, Has any such message been given since 
 that time to the present ? The answer must still be 
 in the negative ; hence this message is yet future. 
 But we are now having the third angel's message, 
 which is the last to be given before the coming of 
 the Son of Man. We are therefore held to the con- 
 clusion that the first two verses of this chapter con- 
 stitute a feature of the third message, to appear 
 when this message shall be proclaimed with power, 
 and the whole earth be lightened with its glory. 
 
 The work brought to view in verse 2, is in proc- 
 
760 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 ess of accomplishment, and will soon be completed, 
 by the work of spiritualism. Spirits of devils are 
 secretly but rapidly working their way into the re- 
 ligious denominations above referred to, the creeds 
 of which, having been formulated under the influ- 
 ence of the wine [errors] of Babylon, render theso de- 
 nominations unable to resist their insidious approach. 
 
 Verse 3 shows the wide extent of the influence of 
 Babylon, and the evil that has resulted from her 
 course, and hence the justness of her punishment. 
 The merchants of the earth are waxed rich through 
 the abundance of her delicacies. Who take the 
 lead in all the extravagances of the age ? Church 
 members. Who load their tables with the richest 
 and choicest viands ? Church members. Who are 
 foremost in extravagance in dress, and all costly at- 
 tire ? Church members. Who are the very per- 
 sonification of pride and arrogance ? Church mem- 
 bers. Where shall we look for the very highest ex- 
 hibition of the luxury, vain show, and pride of life, 
 resulting from the vanity and sin of the race ? Ans. 
 To a modern church assembly on a pleasant Sunday. 
 
 But there is a redeeming feature in this picture. 
 Degenerate as Babylon has become as a body, there 
 are exceptions to the general rule ; for God has still 
 a people there ; and she must be entitled to some 
 regard on their account until they are called from 
 her communion. Nor shall we have to wait long 
 for this call ; for soon, if we mistake not, Babylon 
 will become so fully leavened with the influence of 
 these evil agents, that her condition will be fully 
 
CHAPTER XVIII, VERSES 4~S- 761 
 
 manifest to all the honest in heart, and the way be 
 all prepared for the work which the apostle now in- 
 troduces. 
 
 VERSE 4. And I heard another voice from Heaven, say- 
 ing, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers 
 of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5. For 
 her sins have reached unto Heaven, and God hath remem- 
 bered her iniquities. 6. Reward her even as she rewarded 
 you, and double unto her double according to her works ; 
 in the cup which she hath tilled, fill to her double. 7. 
 How much she iiath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, 
 so much torment and sorrow give her ; for she saith in her 
 heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sor- 
 row. 8. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, 
 death, and mourning, and famine ; and she shall be utterly 
 burned with fire ; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth 
 her. 
 
 The voice coming from Heaven, denotes that it 
 will be a message of power, attended with heavenly 
 glory. The fact that God's people are called out so 
 as not to be partakers of her sins, shows that it is 
 not till a certain time that people become guilty by 
 being connected with Babylon ; and this explains 
 how it can be said of the 144,000, Rev. 14 : 4, many 
 of whom are the very ones here called out, that 
 they were not denied with women. 
 
 Verses 6 and 7 we regard as a prophetic declara- 
 tion that she will be rewarded or punished accord- 
 ing to her works. As she has filled up the cup of 
 persecution to the saints, so the angel of the Lord 
 will persecute her, Ps. 35 : 6, and judgments from 
 on high will bring upon her, in a two-fold degree, 
 
762 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 the evil which she thought to bring upon the saints. 
 The day in which her plagues come, mentioned in 
 verse 8, must be a prophetic day, or at least cannot 
 be a literal day ; for it would be impossible for 
 famine to come in that length of time. The plagues 
 of Babylon are without doubt the seven last plagues 
 which have been already examined ; and we infer 
 from the language of this verse, in connection with 
 Isa. 34 : 8, that a year will be occupied in that ter- 
 rible visitation. 
 
 VERSE 9. And the kings of the earth, who have com- 
 rnited fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall buvvail 
 her and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of 
 her burning, 10, Standing afar off for the fear of her tor- 
 ment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that 
 mighty city ! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11. 
 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over 
 her ; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more. 
 
 The infliction of the very first plague must result 
 in a complete suspension of traffic in those articles 
 of luxury for which Babylon is noted. And when 
 the merchants of these things, who are to a great 
 extent citizens of this symbolic city, and who have 
 been made rich by their traffic in these things, sud- 
 denly find themselves and their neighbors smitten 
 with putrefying sores, their traffic suspended, and 
 their vast stores of merchandise on hand, but none 
 to buy them, they lift up their voices in lamenta- 
 tion for the fate of this great city ; for if there is 
 anything which will draw from the men of this 
 generation a sincere cry of distress, it is that which 
 
CHAPTER XV1I1, VERSES 12, IS. 763 
 
 touches their treasures. And there is a fitness in 
 this retribution. They who but a short time before 
 had Issued a decree that the saints of God should 
 neither buy nor sell, now find themselves put under 
 the same restriction by a far more effectual process. 
 The question may arise how persons involved in 
 the same calamity can stand afar off and lament 
 etc. But it must be remembered that this desola- 
 tion is brought to view under a figure ; and that 
 figure is a city visited with destruction. Should 
 calamity come upon a literal city, it would b nat- 
 ural for its inhabitants to flee from that city, if they 
 had opportunity, and standing afar off, lament its 
 fall; and just in proportion to their terror and 
 amazement at the evil impending, would be the dis- 
 tance at which they would stand from their de- 
 voted city. Now the figure of the apostle would 
 not be complete without a feature of this kind ; and 
 so he uses it, not to imply that people would liter- 
 ally flee from the symbolical city, which would be 
 impossible, but to denote their terror and amaze- 
 ment at the descending judgments. 
 
 VERSE 12. The merchandise of gold, and silver, and 
 precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, 
 and ailk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner 
 vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious 
 wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13, And cinna- 
 mon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, 
 and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and 
 horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. 
 
 In these verses we have an enumeration of great 
 Babylon's merchandise, among which, it will be 
 
THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 noticed are slaves and souls of men. The church 
 has been the great bulwark of American slavery ; 
 and previous to the great rebellion, at least six hun- 
 dred thousand slaves were held by members of the 
 different churches in the South. The movement for 
 the emancipation of these slaves, did not originate 
 with the churches, north or south. Hence they are 
 in nowise relieved from the guilt of this sin, by the 
 fact that the government, as a military necessity, 
 has abolished slavery. Had the matter been left to 
 the church, literal slavery would have continued to 
 the end ; but may there not be allusion here also to 
 slavery of conscience, by the creeds of these bodies, 
 which in some cases is more oppressive than phys- 
 ical bondage ? 
 
 VERSE 14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are de- 
 parted from thee, and all tilings which were dainty and 
 goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no 
 more at all. 
 
 The fruits here mentioned we learn by reference 
 to the original to be " autumnal fruits." In other 
 words, the " delicacies of the season," upon which 
 the luxurious professor so sets his pampered appe- 
 tite, will be suddenly cut off. This of course is the 
 work of the famine, which is the result of the fourth 
 vial. Chap. 16:8. 
 
 VERSE 15. The merchants of these things, which were made 
 rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, 
 weeping and wailing, 16, And saying, Alas, alas, that great 
 city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, 
 and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls ! 17. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII, VXWSX8 15-28. 
 
 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And 
 every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, 
 and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 18, And cried 
 when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city 
 is like unto this great city ! 19. And they cast dust on their 
 heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, 
 that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in 
 the sea by reason of her costliness ! for in one hour is she 
 made desolate. 
 
 The reader can readily imagine the cause of this 
 universal voice of mourning, lamentation, and woe. 
 Imagine the plague of sores preying upon men, the 
 rivers turned to blood, the sea like the blood of a 
 dead man, the sun scorching men with fire, their 
 traffic gone, and their silver and gold unable to de- 
 liver them, and we need not wonder at their excla- 
 mations of distress, nor that shipmasters and sailors 
 join in the general wail. Very different is the emo- 
 tion the saints are called upon to exercise, as the 
 following testimony shows : 
 
 VERSE 20. Rejoice over her, thou Heaven, and ye holy 
 apostles and prophets ; for God hath avenged you on her. 
 21. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill- 
 stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence 
 shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be 
 found no more at all. 22. And the voice of harpers, and 
 musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard 
 no more at all in thee ; and no craftsman, of whatsoever 
 craft he be, shall be found any more in thee ; and the sound 
 of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee ; 23 ; 
 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee ; 
 and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be 
 heard no more at all in thee ; for thy merchants were the 
 
THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 great men of earth ; for by thy sorceries were all nations de- 
 ceived. 24. And in her was found the blood of prophets, 
 and of saints and of all that were slain upon the earth. 
 
 The apostles and prophets are here called upon 
 to rejoice over great Babylon in her destruction, as 
 it is in close connection with this destruction that 
 they will all be delivered from the power of death 
 and the grave by the first resurrection. 
 
 Like a great millstone, Babylon sinks to rise no 
 more. The various arts and crafts that have been 
 employed in her midst, and have ministered to her 
 desires, shall be practiced no more. The pompous 
 music that has been employed in her imposing but 
 formal and lifeless service, dies away forever. The 
 scenes of festivity and gladness, when the bride- 
 groom and bride have been led before her altars, 
 shall be witnessed no more. 
 
 Her sorceries constitute her leading crime ; and 
 sorcery is a practice which is involved in the spir- 
 itualism of to-day. "And in her was found the 
 blood of all that were slain upon the earth." From 
 this we infer that ever since the introduction of a 
 false religion into the world, Babylon has existed. 
 In her has been found all along opposition to the 
 work of God, and persecution of his people. In 
 reference to the guilt of the last generation, see 
 on chap. 16:6. 
 
XIX. 
 
 THE TRIUMPH OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 YERSE 1. And after these things I heard a great voice of 
 much people in Heaven, saying, Alleluia : Salvation, and 
 glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God ; 2 ; 
 For true and righteous are his judgments ; for he hath 
 judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with 
 her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants 
 at her hand. 3. And again they said, Alleluia. And her 
 smoke rose up forever and ever. 
 
 Continuing the subject of chap. 18, the apostle 
 here introduces the song of triumph which the 
 redeemed saints strike up on victor harps, when 
 they behold the complete destruction of that great 
 system of opposition to God and his true worship, 
 comprehended in great Babylon. This destruction 
 takes place, and this song is sung in connection 
 with the second coming of Christ at the commence- 
 ment of the thousand years. There can but one 
 query arise on this scripture, and that is, how it 
 can be said that her smoke rose up forever and 
 ever. Does not this language imply eternity of 
 suffering ? Let it be remembered that this is bor- 
 rowed language, and to gain a correct understand- 
 ing of it we must go back to its first introduction 
 
 (767) 
 
768 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 and consider its import as there used. In Isa. 34 } 
 will be found the language from which, if we mis- 
 take not, such expressions as these are borrowed. 
 Under the figure of Idumea a certain destruction 
 is brought to view, and it is said of that land that 
 its streams should be turned into pitch, its dust 
 into brimstone, that it should become burning 
 pitch and not be quenched night nor day, but that 
 its smoke should go up forever. Now this language 
 is spoken, as all must concede, of one of two things ; 
 either of some particular country called Idumea, or 
 of the whole earth under that name. In either 
 case it is evident that the language must be limited. 
 We think the whole earth is meant, from the fact 
 that the chapter opens with an address to the earth 
 and all that is therein, the world and all that come 
 forth of it; and the indignation of the Lord is 
 declared to be upon all nations. Now whether this 
 refers to the depopulation and desolation of the 
 earth at the second advent, or to the purifying fires 
 that shall purge it of the effects of the curse at the 
 end of the thousand years, the language must still 
 be limited ; for after all this, a renovated earth is 
 to come forth, and be the abode of the nations of 
 the saved throughout eternity. Three times this 
 expression of smoke going up forever is used in the 
 Bible: once here in Isa. 34, of the land of Idumea 
 as a figure of the earth; again in Rev. 14, of the 
 worshipers of the beast and image ; and again in 
 the chapter we are now considering, referring to the 
 destruction of great Babylon ; and all of them, we 
 
CHAPTER XIX, VERSES 4-8. 769 
 
 understand, apply to the very same time and 
 describe the same scenes, namely, the destruction 
 visited upon this earth, the worshipers of the 
 beast, and all the pomp of great Babylon, at the 
 second advent of our Lord and Saviour. 
 
 VERSE 4. And the four and twenty elders and the four 
 beasts fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne, 
 saying, Amen ; Alleluia, 5. And a voice came out of the 
 throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye 
 that fear him, both small and great. 6. And I heard as it 
 were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of 
 many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, 
 saying, Alleluia ; for the Lord God omnipotent reign- 
 eth. 7. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him ; 
 for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath 
 made herself ready. 8. And to her was granted that she 
 should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white ; for the 
 fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 
 
 The Lord God omnipotent, the Father, reigneth, 
 is the language of this song. He reigns at the 
 present time, and has ever reigned, in reality, 
 though sentence against an evil work has not been 
 executed speedily ; but now he reigns by open 
 manifestations of his power in the reduction of all 
 his foes. 
 
 "Rejoice for the marriage of the Lamb 
 
 is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." 
 Who is the " bride, the Lamb's wife," and what is 
 the marriage ? A vast field for thought is here 
 opened, and material furnished for a more lengthy 
 exposition than time or space will permit us here 
 
 to give. We hold, in brief, that the Lamb's wife is 
 49 
 
770 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 the New Jerusalem which is above. This will be 
 noticed more fully on chapter 21. The marriage of 
 the Lamb is his reception of this city. When he 
 receives this city, he receives it as the ornament 
 and metropolis of his kingdom ; hence he receives 
 with it, his kingdom and the throne of his father 
 David. This we understand to be the event desig- 
 nated by the marriage of the Lamb. That the 
 marriage relation is often taken to illustrate the 
 union between Christ and his people, is granted ; 
 but the marriage of the Lamb here spoken of, 
 is a definite event to take place at a definite 
 time; and if the declaration that Christ is the 
 head of the church as the husband is the head 
 of the wife, Eph. 5: 23, proves that the church 
 is now the Lamb's wife, then the marriage of the 
 Lamb took place ages in the past ; but that can- 
 not be, according to this scripture, which locates 
 it in the future. Paul told his Corinthian con- 
 verts that he had espoused them to one husband^ 
 even Christ. This is true of all converts. But 
 while this figure is used to denote the relation that 
 they then assumed to Christ, was it a fact that the 
 marriage of the Lamb took place in Corinth in 
 Paul's day, and that it has been going on for the 
 past eighteen hundred years ? Further remarks 
 on this point are deferred to a consideration of 
 chap. 21. 
 
 But if the city is the bride, it may be asked how 
 it can be said that she hath made herself ready ? 
 Answer. By the figure of personification, which 
 
CHAPTER XIX, VERSES 9, 10. 
 
 attributes life and action to inanimate objects. See 
 a notable instance in Ps. 114. Again, a query may 
 arise on verse 8, how a city can be arrayed in the 
 righteousness of the saints. But if we consider 
 that a city without inhabitants would be but 
 a dreary and cheerless place, we see at once how 
 this is. Reference is had to the countless number 
 of its glorified inhabitants in their shining apparel. 
 This raiment was granted to her. What is granted 
 to her ? Isa. 54, and Gal. 4 : 21-31, will explain- 
 To the new-covenant city are granted many more 
 children than to the old. These are her glory and 
 rejoicing. The goodly apparel of this city, so to 
 speak, consists of the hosts of the redeemed and 
 immortal ones who walk its golden streets. 
 
 VERSE 9. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they 
 which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. 
 And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 
 10. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said 
 unto me, See thou do it not ; I am thy fellow-servant, and 
 of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus ; worship 
 God ; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 
 
 Many are the allusions to this marriage supper in 
 the New Testament. It is referred to in the para- 
 ble of the marriage of the king's son, Matt. 22 : 1-14, 
 again in Luke 14 : 16-24. It is the time when we 
 shall eat bread in the kingdom of God, when we are 
 recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Luke 
 14 : 12-15. It is the time when we shall drink the 
 fruit of the vine new with our Redeemer in his 
 heavenly kingdom. Matt. 26:29; Mark 14:25; 
 
772 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 Luke 22 : 18. It is the time when we shall sit at 
 his table in the kingdom, Luke 22 : 30, and he will 
 gird himself and come forth and serve us. Luke 
 12:37. Blessed indeed are they who have the 
 privilege of partaking of this glorious feast. 
 
 A word on verse 10, in reference to those who 
 think they find here an argument for consciousness 
 in death. The mistake which such persons make on 
 this scripture is in supposing that the angel declares 
 to John that he is one of the old prophets, com-, 
 back to communicate with him. The person em- 
 ployed in giving the Revelation to John, is called an 
 angel, and angels are not the departed spirits of the 
 dead. Whoever takes the position that they are, is 
 to all intents a spiritualist; for this is the very 
 foundation-stone of their infamous theory. But 
 the angel says no such thing. He simply says that 
 he is the fellow-servant of John, as he had been the 
 fellow-servant of his brethren the prophets. The 
 term fellow-servant implies that they were all on a 
 common footing as servants of the great God ; hence 
 he was not a proper object for John to worship. 
 See on chap. 1:1," His angel." 
 
 VERSE 11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white 
 horse ; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and 
 True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 
 12. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were 
 many crowns ; and he had a name written, that no man 
 knew, but he himself. 13. And he was clothed with a vest- 
 ure dipped in blood ; and his name is called the Word of 
 God. 14. And the armies which were in heaven followed 
 him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 
 
CHAPTER XIX, VERSES 11-21. 773 
 
 15. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it 
 he should smite the nations ; and he shall rule them with a 
 rod of iron ; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness 
 and wrath of Almighty God. 16. And he hath on his vest- 
 ure and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and 
 Lord of lords. 17. And I saw an angel standing in the sun ; 
 and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the, fowls that 
 fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves to- 
 gether unto the supper of the great God ; 18 ; That ye may 
 eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh 
 of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit 
 on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both 
 small and great. 19. And I saw the beast, and the kings of 
 the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war 
 against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 
 20. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet 
 that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived 
 them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that 
 worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake 
 of fire burning with brimstone. 21. And the remnant were 
 slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which 
 sword proceeded out of his mouth ; and all the fowls were 
 filled with their flesh. 
 
 With verse 11 a new scene is introduced. We 
 are here carried back to the second coming of 
 Christ, this time under the symbol of a warrior rid- 
 ing forth to battle. Why is he represented thus ? 
 Because he is going forth to war, to meet "the 
 kings of the earth and their armies," and this would 
 be the only proper character in which to represent 
 him on such an occasion. His vesture is dipped in 
 blood. See a description of the same scene in Isa. 
 53 : 1-4. The armies of Heaven, the angels of God, 
 follow him. Verse 15 shows how he rules the 
 
774 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 nations with a rod of iron, when they are given him 
 for an inheritance, as recorded in the second Psalm, 
 which popular theology interprets to mean the con- 
 version of the world. But would not such expres- 
 sions as " treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and 
 wrath of Almighty God," be a very singular descrip- 
 tion of a work of grace upon the hearts of the 
 heathen for their conversion ? 
 
 Christ has at this time closed his mediatorial 
 work, and laid off his priestly robes for kingly at- 
 tire ; for he has on his vesture and on his thigh a 
 name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords. 
 This is in harmony with the character in which he 
 here appears ; for it was the custom of warriors an- 
 ciently to have some kind of a title inscribed upon 
 their vesture. Verse 17. What is to be understood 
 by the angel standing in the sun ? In chap 16 : 17, 
 we read of the seventh vial being poured out into 
 the air ; from which it was inferred that as the air 
 envelops the whole earth, that plague would be uni- 
 versal. May we not apply the same principle of 
 interpretation here, and conclude that the angel 
 standing in the sun and issuing his call from thence 
 to the fowls of heaven to come to the supper of the 
 great God, denotes that his proclamation will go 
 wherever the sun's rays touch upon this earth ? 
 And the fowls will be obedient to the call, and fill 
 themselves with the flesh of kings, captains, mighty 
 men, and horses. Thus while the saints are par- 
 taking of the marriage supper of the Lamb, the 
 wicked are themselves food for the fowls of heaven. 
 
CHAPTER XIX, VERSES 11-21. 775 
 
 The beast and the false prophet are taken. The 
 false prophet is the one that works miracles before 
 the beast. This proves him to be identical with the 
 two-horned beast of chap. 13, to whom tlje same 
 work, for the very same purpose, is there attributed. 
 The fact that these are cast alive into the lake of 
 fire, shows that these powers will not pass away 
 and be succeeded by others, but be living powers at 
 the second advent of Christ. 
 
 It appears from verse 21 that there is a remnant 
 not numbered with the beast or false prophet. 
 These are slain by the sword of him that sits upon 
 the horse, which sword proceeds out of his mouth, 
 This sword is doubtless what is spoken of else- 
 where as the spirit of his mouth, and breath of his 
 lips, with which the Lord shall slay the wicked at 
 his appearing and kingdom. Isa. 11:4; 2 Thess. 
 2:8. 
 
 n < c\ 
 
XX. 
 
 THE FIRST AND SECOND RESURRECTIONS. 
 
 VEUSE 1. And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, 
 having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his 
 hand. 2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, 
 which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand 
 years, 3, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him 
 up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the na- 
 tions no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled ; 
 and after that he must be loosed a little season. 
 
 The event with which this chapter opens seems 
 to follow, in chronological order, the events of the 
 preceding chapter. The inquiries that here arise 
 are, Who is the angel that comes down from 
 Heaven ? What is the key and chain which he has 
 in his hand ? What is the bottomless pit ? and, 
 What is meant by binding Satan a thousand years ? 
 
 1. The angel. Is this angel Christ, as some sup- 
 pose ? Evidently not. A bright ray of light is 
 thrown from the old typical service directly upon 
 this passage. Thus : Christ is the great High Priest 
 of this ' dispensation. On the day of atonement, 
 anciently, two goats were taken by the priest, upon 
 which lots were cast, one for the Lord, and the 
 other for the scape-goat. The one upon which the 
 
 (776) 
 
CHAPTER XX, VERSES 1-S. 777 
 
 Lord's lot fell, was then slain and his blood carried 
 into the sanctuary, to make an atonement for the 
 children of Israel, after which the sins of the people 
 were confessed upon the head of the other, or scape- 
 goat, and he was sent away by the hand of a fit 
 man into the wilderness, or place not inhabited. 
 Now as Christ is the priest of this dispensation, so, 
 by arguments, a few of which we here introduce, 
 Satan is shown to be the antitypical scape-goat. 
 
 (1.) The Hebrew word for scape-goat, as given in 
 the margin of Lev. 16 : 8, is Azazel. On this verse, 
 Jenks, in his Comprehensive Commentary, remarks : 
 " Scape-goat. See diff. opin. in Bochart. Spencer, 
 after the oldest opinion of the Hebrews and Chris- 
 tians, thinks Azazel is the name of the devil; and 
 so Rosenmiiller, whom see. The Syriac has, Azzail 
 the angel (strong one) who revolted." The devil is 
 here evidently pointed out. Thus we have the defi- 
 nition of the Scripture term in two ancient lan- 
 guages, with the oldest opinion of the Christians, 
 in favor of the view that the scape-goat is a type of 
 Satan. 
 
 Chas. Beecher, in " Redeemer and Redeemed," pp. 
 07, 68, says : " What goes to confirm this is, that the 
 most ancient paraphrases and translations, treat 
 Azazel as a proper name. The Chaldee paraphrase, 
 and the targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, would 
 certainly have translated it if it was not a proper 
 name, but they do not. The Septuagint, or oldest 
 Greek version, renders it by arroirofnraio^ (apopom- 
 paios), a word applied by the Greeks to a malign 
 
778 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 deity, sometimes appeased by sacrifices. Another 
 confirmation is found in the book of Enoch where 
 the name Azalzel, evidently a corruption of Azazel, 
 is given to one of the fallen angels, thus plainly 
 showing what was the prevalent understanding of 
 the Jews at that day. 
 
 " Still another evidence is found in the Arabic, 
 where Azazel is employed as the name of the Evil 
 Spirit. In addition to these, we have the evidence 
 of the Jewish work Zohar, and of the Cabalistic and 
 Rabbinical writers. They tell us that the following 
 proverb was current among the Jews : ' On the day 
 of atonement, a gift to Sammael.' Hence, Moses 
 Ger undine nsis feels called to say that it is not a 
 sacrifice, but only done because commanded by God. 
 
 "Another step in the evidence is, when we find 
 this same opinion passing from the Jewish to the 
 early Christian church. Origen was the most learned 
 of the Fathers, and on such a point as this, the mean- 
 ing of a Hebrew word, his testimony is reliable, 
 Says Origen: 'He who is called in the Septuagint 
 cnroTTOjUTraioc, and in the Hebrew Azazel, is no other 
 than the devil/ 
 
 "In view, then, of the difficulties attending any 
 other meaning, and the accumulated evidence in 
 favor of this, Hengstenberg affirms with great con- 
 fidence, that Azazel cannot be anything else but 
 another name for Satan." 
 
 (2.) In the common acceptation of the word, the 
 term "scape-goat " is applied to any one who has be- 
 come obnoxious to the claims of justice ; and while 
 
CHAPTER XX, VERSES 1-3. 779 
 
 it is revolting to all our conceptions of the charac- 
 ter and glory of Christ, to apply this term to him, 
 it must strike every one as a very appropriate des- 
 ignation of the devil, who is styled in Scripture, 
 the accuser, adversary, angel of the bottomless pit, 
 Beelzebub, Belial, dragon, enemy, evil spirit, father 
 of lies, murderer, prince of devils, serpent, tempter, 
 etc., etc. 
 
 (3.) Our third reason for this position is the very 
 striking manner in which it harmonizes with the 
 events to transpire in connection with the cleansing 
 of the heavenly sanctuary, as far as revealed to us 
 in the Scriptures of truth. 
 
 We behold in the type, 1. The sin of the trans- 
 gressor imparted to the victim. 2. We see that sin 
 borne by the ministration of the priest and the 
 blood of the offering, into the sanctuary. 3. On the 
 tenth day of the seventh month we see the priest 
 with the blood of the sin-offering for the people, re- 
 move all their sins from the sanctuary, and lay 
 them upon the head of the scape-goat. 4. The goat 
 bears them away into a land not inhabited. 
 
 Answering to these events in the type, we behold 
 in the antitype, 1. The great offering for the world, 
 made on Calvary. 2. The sins of all those who 
 avail themselves of the merits of Christ's shed blood, 
 by faith in him, borne, by the ministration of Christ 
 while pleading his own blood, into the new-covenant 
 sanctuary. 3. After Christ, the minister of the 
 true tabernacle [Heb. 8 : 2], has finished his minis- 
 tration, he will remove the sins of his people from 
 
780 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 the sanctuary, and lay them upon the head of their 
 author, the antitypical scape-goat, the devil. 4. 
 The devil will be sent away with them into a land 
 not inhabited. 
 
 This we believe to be the very event described in 
 the verses under notice. The sanctuary service 
 is, at the time here specified, closed. Christ lays 
 upon the head of the devil the sins which have been 
 transferred to the sanctuary, and which are imputed 
 to the saints no more, and the devil is sent away, not 
 by the hand of the High Priest, but by the hand of an- 
 other person, according to the type, into a place here 
 called the bottomless pit. Hence this angel is not 
 Christ. For a full exposition of this subject see the 
 work on " The Sanctuary and its Cleansing." 
 
 2. The key and chain. It cannot be supposed that 
 the key and chain are literal; they are rather used 
 merely as symbols of the power and authority with 
 which this angel is clothed upon this occasion. 
 
 3. The bottomless pit. The original word signi- 
 fies an abyss, bottomless, deep, profound. Its use 
 seems to be such as to show that the word denotes 
 any place of darkness, desolation, and death. Thus 
 in Rev. 9:1, 2, it is applied to the barren wastes of 
 the Arabian desert, and in Rom. 10: 7, to the grave. 
 But the passage which specially throws light upon 
 the meaning of the word here, is Gen. 1 : 2, where 
 we read that " darkness was upon the face of the 
 deep." The word there rendered deep, is the same 
 word that is here rendered bottomless pit ; so that that 
 might have been translated, "Darkness was upon the 
 
CHAPTER XX, VEMSES 1-3. 781 
 
 face of the abyss, or bottomless pit." But we all 
 know what is meant by the word " deep " as there 
 used; it is applied to this earth in its chaotic state. 
 Precisely this we believe it means in this third verse 
 of Revelation 20. At this time, let it be borne in 
 mind, the earth is a vast charnel house of desolation 
 and death. The voice of God has shaken it to its 
 foundations, the islands and mountains have been 
 moved out of their places, the great earthquake has 
 leveled to the earth the mightiest works of man, the 
 seven last plagues have left their all-desolating foot- 
 prints over the earth, the burning glory attending the 
 coming of the Son of man has borne its part in ac- 
 complishing the general desolation, the wicked have 
 been given to the slaughter, and their putrefying 
 flesh and bleaching bones lie unburied, ungathered, 
 and unlamented, from one end of the earth, to the 
 other end thereof. Thus is the earth made empty 
 and waste, and turned upside down. Isa. 24:1. 
 Thus is it brought back again, partially at least, to 
 its original state of confusion and chaos. See Jer. 
 4:19-26, especially verse 23. And what better 
 term could be used to describe the earth thus roll ing 
 on its course of darkness and desolation for a thou- 
 sand years, than that of the abyss, or bottomless pit? 
 Here, we understand, Satan will be confined during 
 this time, amid the ruin which, indirectly, his own 
 hands have wrought, unable to flee from his habita- 
 tion of woe, or to repair in the least degree its hid- 
 eous ruin. 
 
 4. The binding of Satan. We well know that 
 
782 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 Satan in order to work must have subjects upon 
 whom to work. Without these he can do nothing. 
 But during the thousand years of his confinement to 
 this earth, all the saints are in Heaven beyond the 
 power of his temptations, and the wicked are all in 
 their graves, beyond his power to deceive. His 
 sphere of action is circumscribed, he being at this 
 time confined to this earth ; and thus is he bound, 
 being condemned throughout this period to a hopeless 
 state of inactivity and imbecility. This, to a mind 
 that has been so busy as his has been for the past six 
 thousand years in deceiving the world, must be 
 a punishment of the most intense severity. 
 
 Some attempt to grow merry over this exposition 
 of the binding of Satan, which makes it to mean the 
 placing beyond his reach of the subjects upon which 
 he works, and which makes his being loosed to 
 mean their being brought again, by a resurrection, 
 under his influence. They tell us that we have mis- 
 taken the parties, and have the wicked bound, not 
 the devil. Yet how often do we hear in the daily 
 transactions of life such expressions as these: My 
 way was completely hedged up ; my hands were 
 completely tied, etc. But do we understand, when 
 persons make such expressions, that some insur- 
 mountable obstacle was literally thrown across the 
 path they were traveling, or that their hands were 
 literally confined with ropes and cords? No; but 
 simply that a combination of circumstances rendered 
 it impossible for them to act. Just so here; and 
 why will not people grant to inspiration the same 
 
CHAPTER XX, VERSES 4-6. 783 
 
 liberty of speech that they give without question 
 and without ridicule to their fellow-men in the 
 common intercourse of life ? 
 
 VERSE 4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, 
 and judgment was given unto them ; and I saw the souls 
 of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and 
 for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the 
 beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark 
 upon their foreheads, or in their hands ; and they lived and 
 reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5. But the rest of 
 the dead lived not again until the thousand years were fin- 
 ished. This is the first resurrection. 6. Blessed and holy 
 is he that hath part in the first resurrection ; on such the 
 second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of 
 God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand 
 years. 
 
 The exaltation of the saints. From the devil in 
 his gloomy confinement, John now directs our at- 
 tention to the saints in victory and glory, the saints 
 reigning on thrones, all who are blessed and holy, 
 and who, consequently, have part in the first resur- 
 rection. From that general assembly John then se- 
 lects two classes as worthy of especial attention: 
 first, the martyrs, those who have been beheaded foi 
 the witness of Jesus ; and secondly, those who had 
 not worshiped the beast and his image. This class, 
 the ones who refuse the mark of the beast and his 
 image, are of course the ones who hear and obey the 
 third message of Rev. 14; but these are not the ones 
 who are beheaded for the witness of Jesus, as some 
 have supposed who have contended that the last gen- 
 eration of saints were all to be slain. The word 
 
784 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 rendered which, in the expression, " and which had 
 not worshiped the beast," etc., shows that there is 
 another class introduced. The word is bong (hostis), 
 and is defined by Liddell and Scott, "Whosoever, 
 whichsoever, any one who, anything which; "and by 
 Robinson, " One who, some one who, whosoever, 
 whatsoever." As one class, John saw the martyrs, 
 and as another, he saw those who had not worshiped, 
 the beast and his image. 
 
 It is true that baric is sometimes used as a simple 
 relative, as in 2 Cor. 3: 14; Eph. 1: 23, but never in 
 such constructions as this, preceded by the conjunc- 
 tion teal. 
 
 Lest any one should say that our rendering, who- 
 soever, would include millions of heathens and sin- 
 ners who have not worshiped the beast, and promise 
 to them a reign with Christ of a thousand years, we 
 would call attention to the fact that the preceding 
 chapter states that the wicked had all been slain, and 
 the seal of death set upon them for a thousand years; 
 and John is viewing only the righteous company 
 who have part in the first resurrection. 
 
 The rest of the dead lived not again till the thou- 
 sand years were finished. Whatever may be said to 
 the contrary, no language could more plainly prove 
 two resurrections ; the first, a resuri^ction of the 
 righteous at the commencement of the thousand 
 years, and the second that of the wicked at the end of 
 that period. On such as have part in the first resur- 
 rection, the second death will have no power. They 
 can pass unharmed through the elements which de- 
 
CHAPTER XX, VEHSES 4-6. 785 
 
 stroy the wicked like chaff. They will be able to 
 dwell with devouring fire, and everlasting burnings ; 
 Isa. 33:14, 15; they will be able to go forth and 
 look upon the carcasses of the men who have trans- 
 gressed against the Lord, as the quenchless fire and 
 undying worm are preying upon them. Isa. 66: 24. 
 The difference between the righteous and the wicked 
 in this respect is seen again in the fact that, while 
 God is to the latter a consuming fire, he is to his peo- 
 ple, both a sun and shield. 
 
 The wicked who are raised at the end of the thou- 
 sand j^ears, as really live again as they have once 
 lived on the earth. To deny this, is to do violence to 
 this scripture. In what physical condition they will 
 be raised, we are not informed. It is usual to say 
 on this point, that what we have lost unconditionally 
 in Adam, is restored unconditionally in Christ. 
 With respect to physical condition this should not 
 perhaps be taken in an unlimited sense; for we have 
 lost greatly in stature and vital force, which need 
 not be restored to the wicked. If they are brought 
 back to the average mental and physical condition 
 which they enjoyed during life, or the period of 
 their probation, would not that be sufficient for them 
 to receive at last understandingly the reward of 
 their deeds? 
 
 VERSE 7. And when the thousand years are expired, Sa- 
 t.-m shall be loosed out of his prison, 8, And shall go out to 
 doceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the 
 earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle ; 
 
 the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9. And 
 50 
 
786 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed 
 the camp of the &aints about, and the beloved city ; and fire 
 came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 
 10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake 
 of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, 
 and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. 
 
 At the end of the one thousand years, the holy 
 city, the New Jerusalem, in which the saints have 
 dwelt in Heaven during that period, comes down, 
 and is located upon the earth, and becomes the camp 
 of the saints, around which the resurrected wicked 
 come up numberless as the sand of the sea. The 
 devil deceives them and thus brings them up to this 
 battle. The deception must of course have reference 
 to some advantage to be gained by fighting against 
 the saints. They are probably deluded into the hope 
 that they can overcome the saints, dispossess them of 
 their city, and still hold possession of the earth. But 
 fire comes down from God out of Heaven and de- 
 vours them. The word here rendered devour, Prof. 
 Stuart admits is, " intensive," and signifies " to eat 
 up, devour, so that it denotes utter excision." This 
 is the time of the perdition of ungodly men, the time 
 when the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the 
 earth also, and when the works that are in the earth 
 shall be burnt up. 2 Pet. 3 : 1, 10. In the light of 
 these scriptures, we can see how the wicked are to 
 receive their recompense in the earth; Prov. 11:31; 
 we can see also that it is not eternal life in misery, but 
 an "utter excision," entire and complete destruction. 
 
 Two views deserve a passing notice at this point. 
 

 CHAPTER XX, VERSES 7-10. 737 
 
 The first is that the earth is renewed at the second 
 coming of Christ, and is the habitation of .the saints 
 during the thousand years. The other .is that when 
 Christ appears the second time, he sets up his king- 
 dom in Palestine, and performs, in connection with 
 his saints, a work of conquest over the nations that 
 are left on the earth during the thousand years, and 
 finally subdues them to himself. 
 
 One, among many objections to the first view, is } 
 that it makes the wicked in their resurrection, come 
 up, with the devil at their head, and tread with 
 their unhallowed feet upon the purified and holy 
 earth, and the saints who have held possession for a 
 thousand years, are obliged to yield possession, and 
 flee into the city. But we cannot believe that the 
 saints' inheritance will ever be thus marred, or that 
 the fair plains of the earth made new, will ever be 
 polluted with the impious tread of the resuscitated 
 wicked; for besides outraging all ideas of propriety, 
 there is no scripture from which even an inference 
 can be drawn to support it. 
 
 And as to the second view, one among many of its 
 absurdities is, that notwithstanding Christ and his 
 saints have conquered the earth during the thousand 
 years, at the end of this period the wicked get the 
 upper hands of them, they lose their territory, 
 the work of a thousand years is undone, and they 
 are compelled to beat an ignominious retreat into the 
 city for shelter, leaving the earth to their undisputed 
 sway. Those who wish may rack their brains in 
 trying to harmonize the ::: insistencies and absurdi- 
 
788 THOUGHTS Oy THE REVELATION. 
 
 ties of such theories, or may endeavor to draw con- 
 solation from the dubious prospect. For ourselves, 
 we prefer better employment and a brighter hope. 
 
 In contrast with these theories, there is a beauti- 
 ful harmony in the view herein presented ; namely, 
 that the saints are with Christ in Heaven during 
 the thousand years, while the earth lies desolate; 
 that at the end of that time, the saints and the city 
 come down, the wicked dead are raised, and come 
 up against it ; that the latter there receive their 
 judgment; and that from the purifying fires which 
 destroy them, come forth the new heavens, and new 
 earth, to be the abode of the righteous throughout 
 endless ages. 
 
 From verse 10 some have argued that the devil 
 alone was to be tormented day and night. But the 
 testimony of this verse is more extensive than that. 
 The verb, shall be tormented, is in the plural, and 
 agrees with the beast and false prophet ; whereas it 
 would be in the singular number if it referred to 
 the devil alone. It will be noticed that in the ex- 
 pression, " where the beast and false prophet are," 
 are is a supplied word. It would be more proper 
 to supply the words, were cast, answering to what 
 was spoken of the devil just before. The sentence 
 would then read, " The devil was cast into the lake 
 of fire where the beast and false prophet were cast." 
 They were cast in there and destroyed at the com- 
 mencement of the thousand years. The individuals 
 of which tfyose organizations were composed, come 
 up in the second resurrection, and a similar and 
 final destruction is now visited upon them. 
 
CHAPTER XX, VERSES 11, 12. 789 
 
 The Lake of Fire. Some reader may be inclined 
 to ask for a definition of the lake of fire. As a com- 
 prehensive definition, may it not be called a symbol of 
 the agencies which God employs to close up his con- 
 troversy with the living wicked at the beginning of 
 the thousand years, and with all the hosts of the un- 
 godly at the end of that period ? Literal fire will 
 of course be largely employed in this work. We can 
 better describe its effects than the thing itself. At 
 the second coming of Christ, it is the flaming fire in 
 which the Lord Jesus is revealed ; it is the spirit of 
 his mouth and brightness of his coming by which the 
 Man of Sin is to be consumed ; it is the fire in which 
 great Babylon shall be utterly burned. Rev. 18:8. 
 At the end of the thousand years, it is the day that 
 burneth as an oven ; Mai. 4:1; it is the fervent heat 
 that shall melt the elements and the earth, and burn 
 up the works that are therein ; it is the fire of To- 
 phet " prepared for the king " (the devil and his an- 
 gels, Matt. 25 : 41), the pile whereof is deep and large, 
 and which " the breath of the Lord like a stream of 
 brimstone doth kindle." Isa. 30 : 33. It is the fire 
 that comes down from God out of Heaven. On the 
 expression, " tormented day and night forever and 
 ever," see on chap. 19 : 1-4. 
 
 VERSE 11. And I saw a great white throne, and Him that 
 sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled 
 away ; and there was found no place for them. 12. And I 
 saw the dead, small and great, stand before God ; and the 
 books were opened ; and another book was opened, which is 
 the book of life ; and the dead were judged out of those 
 
790 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 things which were written in the books, according to their 
 works. 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; 
 and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in 
 them ; and they were judged every man according to their 
 works. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of 
 fire. This is the second death. 15. And whosoever was not 
 found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 
 
 With verse 11, John introduces another scene to 
 take place in connection with the final doom of the 
 ungodly. It is the great white throne of judgment 
 before which they are assembled to receive their 
 awful sentence of condemnation and death. 
 
 1. The Books of Record. They are judged out of 
 the things written in the books; from which we learn 
 the solemn fact that a record of all our deeds is kept 
 on high. A faithful and unerring record is made by 
 the angelic secretaries. The wicked cannot conceal 
 from them any of their deeds of darkness. They 
 cannot bribe them to pass over in their record any of 
 their unlawful acts. They must meet them all again, 
 and be judged accordingly. 
 
 2. The Execution of the Sentence. They are 
 to be punished according to their works. The 
 Scriptures declare that they shall be rewarded ac- 
 cording to their deeds. There are, then, to be degrees 
 in the punishment of the wicked ; and it may be 
 asked how this can be harmonized with the view that 
 death is the punishment for sin, and comes upon all 
 alike. Let us ask believers in eternal misery how 
 they will maintain degrees in their system. They 
 tell us the intensity of the pain endured will be in 
 
CHAPTER XX, VERSES 11-15. 79 \ 
 
 each case proportioned to the guilt of the sufferer. 
 But how can this be ? Are not the flames of hell 
 equally severe in all parts ? and will they not equally 
 affect all the immaterial souls cast therein ? But 
 God can interpose, it is answered, to produce the ef- 
 fect desired. Very well, then, we reply, cannot he 
 also interpose, if necessary, and graduate the pain at- 
 tendant upon the sinner's being reduced to a state of 
 death as the climax of his penalty ? So, then, this 
 view is equal with the common one in this respect, 
 while it possesses great advantage over it in another ; 
 for while that has to find its degrees of punishment 
 in intensity of pain alone, the duration in all cases 
 being equal, this may not only have degrees in pain, 
 but in duration also ; for while some may perish in a 
 short space of time, the weary sufferings of others 
 may be long drawn out. But yet, we apprehend 
 that the bodily suffering will be but an unnoticed 
 trifle, compared with the mental agony, that keen 
 anguish which will rack their souls as they get a 
 view of their incomparable loss, each according to his 
 capacity of appreciation. The youth who had but 
 little more than reached the years of accountability, 
 and died perhaps with just enough guilt upon him to 
 debar him from Heaven, being less able to compre- 
 hend his situation and his loss, will of course feel it 
 less. To him of older years, more capacity, and con- 
 sequently a deeper experience in sin, the burden of his 
 fate will be proportionately greater. While the man 
 of giant intellect and almost boundless comprehen- 
 sion, who thereby possessed greater influence for evil, 
 
792 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 and hence was the more guilty for devoting his pow- 
 ers to that evil, being able to understand his situa- 
 tion fully, comprehend his fate, and realize his loss, 
 will feel it most keenly of all. Into his soul indeed 
 the iron will enter most intolerably deep. And thus, 
 by an established law of mind, the sufferings of each 
 may be most accurately adjusted to the magnitude 
 of their guilt. 
 
 That the degree of suffering which each one is to 
 endure, is taken into the account as a part of the 
 punishment of their crimes, is evident from Rom. 2 : 
 6-10; Paul here speaking of the future "judgment 
 of God," says : 
 
 " Who will render to every man according to his 
 deeds : to them who by patient continuance in well- 
 doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, [he 
 will render] eternal life. But unto them that are 
 contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey un- 
 righteousness, [he will render] indignation and wrath, 
 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man 
 that doeth evil, of the Jew first and also of the Gen- 
 tile." 
 
 Why, it is asked, is the book of life brought forth 
 on this occasion, when all who have part in the sec- 
 ond resurrection, beyond which this scene is located, 
 are already forejudged to the second death ? We 
 answer, That it may be seen that none of the names 
 of all the multitude who die the second death, are in 
 the book of life, and why they are not there ; and if 
 the names have ever been there, why they were not 
 retained ; that all the intelligences of the universe 
 
CHAPTER XX, VERSES 11-15. 
 
 793 
 
 may see that God acts with strict j ustice and impar- 
 tiality. 
 
 And whosoever was not found written in the book 
 of life was cast into the lake of fire. Reader, is your 
 name written in the book of life ? Are you striving 
 to avert in your own case the fearful doom that 
 awaits the ungodly ? Rest not till you have reason 
 to believe that your name is registered in the list of 
 those who are to share at last in the blessings of 
 eternal life. 
 
XXI. 
 
 THE NEW JERUSALEM. 
 
 YETISE 1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth ; for 
 the first heaven and the first earth were passed away ; and 
 there was no more sea. 
 
 The New Heaven and Earth. By the first 
 heaven and first earth, John unquestionably means 
 the present heaven and earth, the heaven and earth 
 which now are. Some have supposed that when 
 the Bible speaks of the third Heaven, in which are 
 paradise and the tree of life, 1 Cor. 12 : 2; Rev. 2 : 
 7, it refers to the Heaven which is yet future, and 
 does not prove that there is a paradise and tree of 
 life literally in existence at the present time. They 
 base their view on the fact that Peter speaks of three 
 heavens and earths ; those before the flood, the ones 
 which now are, and the ones which are to come. 
 But all theories based upon this one fact are over- 
 turned by this first verse of Rev. 21 ; for John here 
 reckons but two heavens and earths : the ones which 
 now are, he calls the first, so that the future new 
 heavens would be the second, and not the third, as 
 Peter reckons. Hence it is certain that Peter did 
 not design to lay down a numerical order, that we 
 should speak of the one as the first, the other as the 
 
 (794) 
 
CHAPTER XXI, VERSE 1. 795 
 
 second, and the last as the third. The object of his 
 reasoning was simply to show that as a literal 
 heaven and earth succeeded to the destruction of 
 the earth by the flood, so a literal heaven and earth 
 would result from the renovation of the present sys- 
 tem by fire. There is no proof, therefore, that the 
 Bible, when it speaks of the third heaven, refers 
 simply to the third state of the present heavens and 
 earth, for then all the Bible writers would have been 
 uniform in their reckoning on this point. Thus the 
 arguments of those who would endeavor to disprove 
 of the idea of a literal paradise and tree of life at 
 the present time, fall to the ground. We believe 
 the Bible recognizes three heavens all existing in the 
 present constitution of things; namely, the first, or 
 atmospheric heaven, which the fowls of the air in- 
 habit; the second, the planetary heaven, the region 
 of the sun, moon, and stars ; and the third, high above 
 them all, where paradise and the tree of life are 
 found, Rev. 2 : 7, where God has his residence and 
 his throne, Rev. 22: 1, 2, to which Paul was caught 
 up in heavenly vision, 1 Cor. 12: 2, to which Christ 
 ascended when he left the earth, Rev. 12:5, where 
 he now shares the throne of his Father as priest- 
 king, Zech. 6: 13, and where the glorious city stands 
 awaiting the saints when they enter into life. Verse 
 2. Blessed be God that from that bright land intel- 
 ligence has been brought to this f ar-ofT world of ours ; 
 and thanks be to his holy name that a way has been 
 opened from the dark places of earth, which leads 
 like a strait and shining path of light up to those 
 blest abodes. 
 
796 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 Because John says "And there was no more sea," 
 the question is sometimes asked, " Is there, then, to 
 be no sea in the new earth?" It does not seem to 
 follow from this text that -there will be none; for 
 John is speaking only of the present heaven, and 
 earth, and sea. It might be translated thus: "For 
 the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, 
 and the sea [ ovu taw tn ] was no more;" that is, 
 the old sea no longer appeared, any more than the 
 old heaven, and old earth. And still a new sea 
 might be located in the new earth. 
 
 Dr. Clarke on this passage says: "The sea no 
 more appeared than did the first heaven and earth. 
 All was made new, and probably the new sea occu- 
 pied a different position and was differently distrib- 
 uted, from that of the old sea." 
 
 The river of life, of which we read in the follow- 
 ing chapter, proceeding from the fiirone of God, and 
 flowing through the broad street of the city of j asper 
 and gold, must discharge its waters somewhere; and 
 where else but into the new earth sea? But that 
 three-quarters of the globe will be then, as now, 
 abandoned to a waste of waters, cannot be expected. 
 No more, certainly, may be looked for, than will be 
 for the utility and beauty of the new world. 
 
 VERSE 2. And I John saw the koly city, New Jerusalem, 
 coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride 
 adorned for her husband. 3. And I heard a great voice out 
 of Heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with 
 men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his peo- 
 ple, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 
 
GHAPTEE XXI, VEMSES 2-4. 797 
 
 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and 
 there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, 
 neither shall there be any more pain ; for the former things 
 are passed away. 
 
 In connection with the view which John has of 
 the holy city coming down from God out of Heaven, 
 a voice is heard, saying, The tabernacle of , God is 
 with men, and he will dwell with them. The con- 
 clusion naturally follows, that the tabernacle here 
 mentioned is the city. This same city is called in 
 John 14, the Father's house in which there are many 
 mansions. If an objection should arise in any mind 
 that this is too permanent a place to be called & tab- 
 ernacle, we reply that the word tabernacle sometimes 
 has the signification of a permanent dwelling-place. 
 And it seems that the great God takes up his abode 
 on this earth. We do not suppose that God is con- 
 fined to this, or any other one of the worlds of his 
 creation; but he here has a throne, and earth enjoys 
 so much of his presence that it may be said that he 
 dwells among men. And why should this be thought 
 a strange thing ? God's only begotten Son is here 
 as ruler of his special kingdom ; the holy city which 
 is called the Father's house, and which, it is natural 
 to suppose, will be the most beautiful and glorious 
 place in the universe, will be here; the heavenly 
 hosts take an interest in this world probably above 
 what they feel in any other; yea, reasoning from 
 one of the Saviour's parables, there will be more joy 
 in Heaven over one world redeemed, than over ninety 
 and nine which needed no redemption. 
 
798 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 And *God shall wipe away all tears from their 
 eyes. He does this not literally ; for there will be 
 no tears in that kingdom for him to literally wipe 
 away ; but he does it by removing all the causes of 
 tears. 
 
 VERSE 5. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold I 
 make all things new. And he said unto me, Write ; for 
 these words are true and faithful. 6. And he said unto me, 
 It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the 
 end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of 
 the water of life freely. 
 
 He that sits upon the throne is the same being 
 that is mentioned in verses 11, 12, of the preceding 
 chapter. He says, I make all things new; not, I 
 make all new things. The earth is not destroyed, 
 annihilated, and a new one created, but all things 
 are made over new. Let us rejoice that these 
 words are true and faithful. And when this is ac- 
 complished, " it is done." The dark shadow of sin 
 has forever passed away from the universe. The 
 wicked, root and branch, Mai. 4:1, are wiped out of 
 the land of the living, and the universal anthern o'f 
 praise and thanksgiving, Rev. 5:13, goes up from 
 a redeemed world and a clean universe to a cove- 
 nant-keeping God. 
 
 VERSE 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things ; 
 and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8. But the 
 fearful ., and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, 
 and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, 
 shall have their part in the lake which burneth with tire and 
 brimstone ; which is the second death. 
 
 The overcomers are Abraham's seed, and heirs 
 
CHAPTER XXI, VEESES 9-11. 799 
 
 according to the promise. Gal. 3 : 29. The prom- 
 ise embraced the world, Rom. 4:13; and the saints 
 go forth upon the new earth, not as servants or 
 slaves, but as proprietors of the soil. 
 
 But the fearful, unbelieving, etc., have their part 
 in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. 
 The word " fearful " has been a trouble to some 
 conscientious ones, who have had certain kinds of 
 fears all along their pilgrimage. It may be well, 
 therefore, to inquire what kinds of fears are here 
 meant. It is not fears of our own weakness, or 
 of the power of the tempter ; it is not fears of sin- 
 ning, or of falling out by the way, or of coming 
 short at last. But it is a fear connected with un- 
 belief ; a fear of the ridicule and opposition of the 
 world; a fear to trust in God, and walk out upon 
 his promises ; a fear that he will not fullfill what 
 he has declared, and that consequently we shall be 
 left to shame and loss for believing in him. This is 
 mast dishonoring to God. This is the fear which we 
 are commanded not to have. Isa. 51:7. This is the 
 fear which brings into condemnation, and will 
 finally land those who cherish and yield to it, in 
 the lake of fire, which is the second death. 
 
 VERSE 9. And there came unto me one of the seven an- 
 gels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, 
 and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee 
 the bride, the Lamb's wife. 10. And he carried me away 
 in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed 
 me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out 
 of Heaven from God, 11, Having the glory of God ; 
 and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even 
 
800 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 like a jasper stone, clear as crystal ; 12 ; And had a wall 
 great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve 
 angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of 
 the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. 13. On the east 
 three gates ; on the north three gates ; on the south three 
 gates ; and on the west three gates. 14. And the wall of 
 the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of 
 the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 
 
 This testimony is positive that the New Jerusa- 
 lem is the bride, the Lamb's wife. The angel told 
 John distinctly that he would show him the bride, 
 the Lamb's wife ; and we may be sure that he did 
 not practice upon him a piece of deception, but 
 fulfilled his promise to the very letter ; but all that 
 he did show him, was the New Jerusalem. It 
 would be unnecessary to offer a word of proof that 
 this city is not the church, were it not that popular 
 theology has so mystified the Scriptures as to give 
 it this application. This city, then, cannot be the 
 church, because it would be absurd to talk of the 
 church as lying foursquare, and having a north 
 side, a south side, an east side, and a west side. It 
 would be absurd to talk of its having a wall 
 great and high, and in that wall twelve gates, three 
 looking toward each of the four points of the com- 
 pass. Indeed the whole description which we have 
 given of the city in this chapter would be more or 
 less an absurdity, as applied to the church. 
 
 Again, Paul in Galatians speaks of the same city, 
 and says that it is the mother of us all, referring to 
 the church. The church, then, is not the city itself, 
 but the children of the city. And verse 24 of the 
 
CHAPTER XXI, VERSES 9-14. SOI 
 
 chapter under comment, speaks of the nations of the 
 saved, who walk in the light of this city. These 
 nations, which are the saved, and on earth constitute 
 the church, are distinct from the city, in the light 
 of which they walk. Hence we believe the city is 
 a literal city, built of all the precious materials here 
 described. 
 
 But how can this be the bride, the Lamb's wife ? 
 Answer. Inspiration has seen fit to speak of it 
 under this figure, and with us, that should be suffi- 
 cient. The figure is first introduced in Isa. 54. 
 The new-covenant city is there brought to view. 
 It is represented as being desolate while the old 
 covenant was in force, and the Lord's care was con- 
 fined to the Jews and old Jerusalem, but it is said 
 to her that the children of the desolate shall be 
 many more than the children of the married wife. 
 It is further said to her, " Thy Maker is thy hus- 
 band," and the closing promise of the Lord to this 
 city, contains a very similar description to the 
 one which we have here in Revelation ; namely, " I 
 will lay thy stones with fair colors, and thy founda- 
 tions with sapphires, and I will make thy windows 
 of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy 
 borders of pleasant stones, and all thy children 
 shall be taught of the Lord." It is this very prom- 
 ise to which Paul refers, and upon which he com- 
 ments in Galatians, when he says, " But Jerusalem 
 which is above is free, which is the mother of us 
 all;" for he quotes, in the next verse, this very 
 
 prophecy of Isaiah's to sustain the declaration 
 51 
 
802 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 which he makes. Here, then, Paul makes an in- 
 spired application of Isaiah's prophecy, which can- 
 not be mistaken. 
 
 In addition to this we have the positive testi- 
 mony of this twenty-first chapter of Kevelation be- 
 fore us on this point. With this view there is har- 
 mony throughout. We have Christ as the Father 
 of his people, Isa. 9 : 6, the Jerusalem above is 
 called our mother, and we are the children; and 
 under the figure of the marriage, we have Christ 
 as the Bridegroom, the city as the bride, and we, 
 the church, are the guests. There is no confusion 
 of parties here. But the popular view which 
 makes the city the church, and the church the 
 bride, exhibits the inexcusable confusion of making 
 the church to be at the same time, both mother and 
 children, and both bride and guests. 
 
 The names of the twelve apostles in the founda- 
 tions of the city, show it to be a Christian and not 
 a Jewish city ; while the names of the twelve tribes 
 on the gates, show that all the saved from this dis- 
 pensation as well as from the former, are reckoned 
 as belonging to some one of the twelve tribes ; for 
 all must enter the city through some one of these 
 twelve gates. It is this fact which explains those 
 instances in which Christians are called Israel, and 
 are addressed as the twelve tribes, as in Rom. 2 : 28, 
 29 ; 9:6-8; James 1:1; Rev. 7 : 4, etc. 
 
 VERSE 15. And he that talked with me had a golden reed 
 to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 
 16. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as 
 
CHAPTER XXI, VERSES 15-18. g()3 
 
 the breadth ; and he measured the city with the reed, twelve 
 thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the 
 height of it are equal. 17. And he measured the wall 
 thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to 
 the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18. And the 
 building of the wall of it was of jasper ; and the city was 
 pure gold, like unto clear glass. 
 
 We learn from this testimony that the city is 
 laid out in a perfect square, measuring equally on 
 all sides. The measure of the city, John tells us, 
 was twelve thousand furlongs. Twelve thousand 
 furlongs are fifteen hundred miles. We understand 
 that this measure is the measure of the whole cir- 
 cumference of the city, and not merely of one side. 
 This appears, from Kitto, to have been the ancient 
 method of measuring cities. The whole circumfer- 
 ence was taken, and that said to be the measure of 
 the city. According to this rule, the New Jerusa- 
 lem will be three hundred and seventy-five miles 
 on each side. The length, breadth, and height of it 
 are equal. From this language, the question has 
 arisen whether the city was as high as it was long 
 and broad. The word rendered equal, is iaoa, (isos) 
 and from definitions given in Liddell and Scott, we 
 learn that it may have the sense of proportionate : 
 the height was proportionate to the length and 
 breadth. And this idea is strengthened by the fact 
 that the wall was only a hundred and forty-four 
 cubits high. Taking the cubit at about twenty- 
 two inches, the length which is most commonly as- 
 signed to the ancient cubit, it would give only two 
 hundred and sixty-four feet as the height of the 
 
804 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 the wall. Now if the city is just as high as it is 
 long and broad, that is, three hundred and seventy- 
 five miles, this wall of less than three hundred feet 
 would be, in comparison, a most insignificant affair. 
 We think, therefore, that we are to judge of the 
 height of the buildings -of the city, in some measure, 
 by the height of the wall, which is distinctly given. 
 
 The following criticisms on verse 16, the verse 
 which gives the dimensions of the heavenly city, are 
 undoubtedly correct : 
 
 "It has been inferred from the above text that the 
 New Jerusalem City is to be as high as it is long, 
 and that its length will be twelve thousand furlongs, 
 or fifteen hundred miles. It seems to us entirely 
 unnecessary to place such a construction upon the 
 language. The word equal does not always mean 
 the same as to dimensions or position ; it is fre- 
 quently used in the sense of proportion. If we were 
 to say that the length and the breadth and the height 
 of the city were in proportion, we should not violate 
 the language." This view is taken of the text by 
 Jas. Dn Pui, A. M., in his " Exposition of the Apoca- 
 l^pse." The following from Thomas Wicks, author 
 of Lectures on the Apocalypse, presents the same 
 idea: "The language, however, will bear another 
 meaning, which is far more natural. It is not that 
 the length and breadth and height were severally 
 equal to each other, but equal with themselves; that 
 is, the length was everywhere the same, and the 
 breadth everywhere the same, and the height the same. 
 It was perfect and symmetrical in all its proportions. 
 
CHAPTER XXI, VERSES 19, 20. 
 
 This is confirmed by the fact distinctly stated, that 
 the wall was one hundred and forty -four cubits high, 
 or two hundred and sixteen feet, a proper height for a 
 wall ; while it is said that ' the length is as large as 
 the breadth/ " This writer allows but 18 inches to 
 the cubit. 
 
 The Greek word isos, which is translated equal, 
 will, according to Pickering, bear the meaning of 
 proportion. Greenfield, in defining another form of 
 this word (isotes), gives to it the sense of " equal 
 proportion," and refers to 2 Corinthians, 8 : 13, 14, as 
 an example where this definition is quite admissible. 
 
 It would appear, therefore, that the height of the 
 city was proportionate to its length and breadth, and 
 not that it was as high as it was long. The text cer- 
 tainly admits of a more rational interpretation, and 
 the one suggested above frees it from all ambiguity, 
 and shows perfect harmony in the general descrip- 
 tion. 
 
 The building of the wall was of jasper. Jasper is 
 a precious stone usually described as of " a beautiful 
 bright green color, sometimes clouded with white or 
 spotted with yellow." This we understand to be the 
 material of the main body of the wall built upon the 
 twelve foundations hereafter described. And let it 
 be remembered that this jasper wall was " clear as 
 crystal," verse 11, revealing all the glories within. 
 
 VERSE 19. And the foundations of the wall of the city 
 were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The 
 first foundation was jasper ; the second, sapphire ; the third, 
 a chalcedony ; the fourth, an emerald; 20 ; The fifth, sar- 
 
806 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 donyx; the sixth, sardius ; the seventh, chrysolite ; the 
 eighth, beryl ; the ninth, a topaz ; the tenth, a chrysopra- 
 sus ; the eleventh, a jacinth ; the twelfth, an amethyst. 
 
 If we look upon this description as exclusively 
 metaphorical, as is done by the great mass of those 
 who profess to be Bible teachers, and spiritualize 
 away this city into aerial nothingness, how unmean- 
 ing, yea, even bordering upon folly, do these minute 
 descriptions appear. But if we take it, as it is evi- 
 dently designed to be understood, in its natural and 
 obvious signification, and look upon the city as the 
 Revelator evidently designed we should look upon it, 
 as a literal and tangible abode, our glorious inherit- 
 ance, the beauties of which we are to look upon with 
 our own eyes, how is the glory of the scene enhanced ! 
 
 It is in this light, though it is not for mortal man, 
 of himself, to conceive of the grandeur of those 
 things which God has prepared for those that love 
 him, that we delight to contemplate the glimpses 
 that he has given us in his word of our future abode. 
 We love to dwell upon those descriptions which con- 
 vey to our minds, as well as language can do it, an 
 idea of the loveliness and beauty which shall charac- 
 terize our eternal home. And as we become absorbed 
 in the contemplation 'of an inheritance tangible and 
 sure, our courage springs up anew, hope revives, faith 
 plumes her wings, and with feelings of thanksgiving 
 to God that he has placed it within our power to 
 gain an entrance to the mansions of the redeemed, 
 we resolve anew, that, in spite of the world and all 
 its obstacles, we will be among the sharers in the 
 
Wall. 
 
 Jasper. 
 
 Amethyst 
 
 Jacinth. 
 
 Chrysoprasus. 
 
 PLATE XI.-ORDER OF COLORS IN THE FOUNDATION OF THE 
 NEW JERUSALEM, 
 
 NOTE. This illustration is not designed to show the proportion between the founda- 
 tion and the wall, nor the particular construction of the foundation. Some think the dif- 
 ferent stones are arranged around the oity in sections ; others that they are superimposed 
 horizontally upon each other, in the form of terraces, each color extending continuously 
 around the city, the whole being arranged in steps from the ground to the wall, there )>e- 
 ing a sufficient number of steps to each precious stone to make the whole of suitable 
 hight. With this arrangement the city would seem to rest upon a vast and complex rain- 
 bow. And when we consider that the glory of God and the Lamb will shine through all 
 these and blend the colors in dazzling splendor, we may well conclude it will present a 
 scene of glory of which uo inind cau form any adequate conception. 
 
CHAPTER XXI, VERSES 19, 20. 807 
 
 proffered joy. Let us then look at the precious foun- 
 dation stones of that great city through whose gates 
 of pearl we hope soon to enter. 
 
 " The word adorned " [garnished], says Staurt, 
 " may raise a doubt here, whether the writer means 
 to say, that into the various courses of the founda- 
 tion, ornamental precious stones were only here and 
 there inserted. But taking the whole description to- 
 gether, I do not apprehend this to have been his 
 meaning. 
 
 " Jasper, as we have seen above, is usually a stone 
 -of green, transparent color, with red veins. But 
 there are many varieties. 
 
 " Sapphire is a beautiful azure or sky-blue color, 
 almost as transparent and glittering as a diamond. 
 
 "Chalcedony seems to be a species of agate, or 
 more properly the onyx. The onyx of the ancients 
 was probably of a bluish white, and semi-pellucid. 
 
 " The emerald was of a vivid green, and next to 
 the ruby in hardness. 
 
 " Sardonyx is a mixture of chalcedony and cor- 
 nelian, which last is of a flesh-color. 
 
 " Sardius is probably the cornelian. Sometimes, 
 however, the red is quite vivid. 
 
 " Chrysolite, as its name imports, is of a yellow or 
 gold color, and is pellucid. From this was probably 
 taken the conception of the pellucid gold, which con- 
 stitutes the material of the city. 
 
 " Beryl is of a sea-green color. 
 
 " The topaz of the present day seems to be reck- 
 oned as yellow ; but that of the ancients appears to 
 
808 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 have been pale green. Plin. 38, 8, Bellermann. 
 Urim et Thummin, p. 37. 
 
 " Chrysoprasus, of a pale yellow and greenish color, 
 like a scallion ; sometimes it is classed at the present 
 day under topaz. 
 
 " Hyacinth, of a deep red or violet color. 
 
 "Amethyst, a gem of great hardness and brill- 
 iancy, of a violet color, and usually found in India. 
 
 "In looking over these various classes, we find 
 the first four to be of a green or bluish cast, the fifth 
 and sixth, of a red or scarlet ; the seventh, yellow ; 
 the eighth, ninth, and tenth, of different shades of the 
 lighter green ; the eleventh and twelfth of a scarlet 
 or splendid red. There is classification, therefore, in 
 this arrangement; a mixture not dissimilar to the 
 arrangement in the rainbow, with the exception that 
 it is more complex." 
 
 VERSE 21. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls ; every 
 several gate was of one pearl ; and the street of the city was 
 pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 
 
 Whether we understand that these gates were of 
 solid pearl, or whether composed of pearls thickly set 
 in a frame- work of some other precious material, does 
 not materially affect the testimony. If it should be 
 objected that it would be contrary to the nature of 
 things to have a pearl large enough for a gate, we 
 reply that God is able to produce it ; the objection 
 simply limits the power of God. But in either case 
 the gates would outwardly have the appearance of 
 pearl, and, in ordinary language, would be described 
 
CHAPTER XXI, VEKSES SI, 22. 809 
 
 as gates of pearl. In this verse, as also in verse 18, 
 the city is spoken of as built of gold, pure, like unto 
 clear glass, or, as it were, transparent glass. We do 
 not conclude from this language, that the gold is of 
 itself transparent. Take that, for instance, which 
 composes the street. If it were really transparent, it 
 would simply permit us to look through and behold 
 whatever was beneath upon which the city rested ; 
 and it would not seem that this would have any 
 specially pleasing effect. But let us suppose the 
 golden pavement of the street so highly polished as 
 to have perfect powers of reflection, like the truest 
 mirror, and we can see at once that the effect would 
 be grand and striking in the extreme. Think for a 
 moment what the appearance of a street so paved 
 would be. The gorgeous palaces on either side would 
 be reflected beneath, and the boundless expanse of the 
 heavens above would also appear below ; so that to 
 the person walking those golden streets, it would ap- 
 pear that both himself and the city were suspended 
 between the boundless expanse above and the un- 
 fathomable depths below; while the mansions on 
 either side of the street, having equal powers of re- 
 flection, would marvelously multiply both palaces 
 and people, and conspire to render the whole scene, 
 novel, pleasing, beautiful, and grand beyond con- 
 ception. 
 
 VERSE 22. And I saw no temple therein ; for the Lord 
 God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 
 
 With the temple is connected the idea of sacrifices 
 
THOUGHTS ON THE HE DELATION. 
 
 and a mediatorial work ; but when the city is 
 located upon the earth, there will be no such work to 
 be performed. Sacrifices and offerings, and all medi- 
 atorial work based thereon, will be forever passed : 
 hence there will be no need of the outward 
 symbol of such work. But the temple in old 
 Jerusalem, besides being a place for sacrificial wor- 
 ship, was the beauty and glory of the place; and, 
 as if to anticipate the question that might arise, as 
 to what would constitute the ornament and glory of 
 the new city if there was to be no temple therein, 
 the prophet answers, " The Lord God Almighty and 
 the Lamb are the temple of it." We understand that 
 there is now a temple in the city. Chap. 16 : 17. 
 What becomes of that temple when the city comes 
 down, revelation does not inform us. Possibly it is 
 removed from the city ; or, it may be put to such a 
 different use as to cease to be the temple of God. 
 
 VERSE 23. And the city had no need of the sun, neither 
 of the moon, to shine in it ; for the glory of God did lighten 
 it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24. And the nations 
 of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it ; and 
 the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. 
 25. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day ; for 
 there shall be no night there. 26. And they shall bring the 
 glory and honor of the nations into it. 27. And there shall 
 in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither what- 
 soever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie ; but they which 
 are written in the Lamb's book of life. 
 
 It is in the city alone, probably, that there is no 
 night. There will of course be days and nights in 
 the new earth, but they will be days and nights of 
 
CHAPTER XXI, VJSltSES 23-27. 811 
 
 surpassing glory. The prophet, speaking of this time, 
 says, " Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the 
 light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven-fold, 
 as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord 
 bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the 
 stroke of their wound." Isa. 30 : 26. But if the 
 light of the inoon in that state is as the light of the 
 sun, how can there be said to be night there ? An- 
 swer. The light of the sun shall be seven-fold ; so 
 that, although the night is as our day, the day will 
 be seven-fold brighter, making a contrast between 
 day and night there, as marked, perhaps,, as at the 
 present time; but both will there be surpassingly 
 glorious. 
 
 Verse 24 speaks of nations and kings. The na- 
 tions are the nations of the saved ; and we are all 
 kings in a certain sense, in the new-earth state. We 
 possess a " kingdom," and are to " reign " forever and 
 ever. 
 
 But it appears from some of our Saviour's parables, 
 as in Matt. 25 : 21, 23, that some will occupy in a 
 special sense the position of rulers, and may thus be 
 spoken of as kings of the earth, in connection with 
 the nations of the saved. These bring their glory 
 and honor into the city, when, on the Sabbaths and 
 new moons, they there come up to worship. Isa. 
 66:23. 
 
 Reader, do you want a part in the unspeakable 
 and eternal glories of this heavenly city ? See to it, 
 then, that your name is written in the Lamb's book 
 of life ; for only such can enter there. 
 
XXII. 
 
 THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE. 
 
 VERSE 1. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, 
 clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of 
 the Lamb. 2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either 
 side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare 
 twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month ; 
 and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 
 
 The angel continues to show John the wonderful 
 things of the city of God. In the midst of the 
 street of the city was the tree of life. Although 
 the word street is here used in the singular num- 
 ber, with the definite article " the " before it, we do 
 not understand that there is but one street in the 
 city ; for there are twelve gates and there must of 
 course be a street leading to each gate. But the 
 street here spoken of, is the street by way of dis- 
 tinction; it is the main street, or, as the original 
 word signifies, the broad way, the great avenue. 
 The tree of life is in the midst of this street ; but 
 the tree of life is on either side of the river of life ; 
 hence the river of life is also in the midst of the 
 street of the city. This river proceeds from the 
 throne of God. The picture thus presented before 
 the mind is this : The glorious throne of God at the 
 
 (812) 
 
CHAPTER XXII, VERSES 1,2. 
 
 head of this broad way or avenue, out of that 
 throne the river of life flowing lengthwise through 
 the center of the street, and the tree of life grow- 
 ing on either side and forming a high and mag- 
 nificent arch over that majestic stream, and spread- 
 ing its life-bearing branches far away on either 
 side. How broad this broad street is, we have no 
 means of determining ; but it will be at once per- 
 ceived that a city three hundred and seventy-five 
 miles on each side, would be able to devote quite an 
 ample space to its great avenue. 
 
 The Tree of Life. But how can the tree of life 
 be but one tree, and still be on either side of the 
 river ? 1. It is evident that there is but one tree 
 of life. From Genesis to Revelation it is spoken of 
 as but one the tree of life. 2. To be at once on 
 both sides of the river, it must have more than one 
 trunk, in which case it must be united at the top or 
 in its upper branches, in order to form but one tree 
 John, caught away in the Spirit, and presented 
 with a minute view of this wonderful object, says 
 that it was on either side of the river. Another, 
 who has been privileged to behold in vision the 
 marvelous glories of the heavenly land, has borne 
 similar testimony : " We all marched in, and felt 
 that we had a perfect right in the city. Here we 
 saw the tree of life and the throne of God. Out of 
 the throne came a pure river of water ; and on 
 either side of the river was the tree of life. At first 
 I thought I saw two trees ; but I looked again, and 
 saw that they were united at the top in one tree. 
 
814 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 So it was the tree of life on either side of the river 
 of life. Its branches bowed to the place where we 
 stood, and the fruit was glorious, which looked like 
 gold mixed with silver." Experience and Views, 
 pp. 12, 13. And why should such a tree be looked 
 upon as unnatural or incredible, since we have an 
 illustration of it here upon earth. The banyan tree 
 of India is of precisely the same nature in this re- 
 spect. Of this tree the Encyclopedia Americana 
 thus speaks: " Theseus Indica (Indian fig, or ban- 
 yan tree) has been celebrated from antiquity from 
 its letting its branches drop and take root in the 
 earth, which, in their turn become trunks, and give 
 out other branches, a single tree thus forming a lit- 
 tle forest." Thus we believe the tree of life extends 
 and supports itself. The tree of life bears twelve 
 kinds of fruits, and yields its fruit every month, 
 probably one kind each month. This fact throws 
 light upon the declaration in Isa. 66 : 23, that all 
 flesh shall come up from one new moon to another 
 to worship before the Lord of hosts. The word 
 new moon should be rendered month. The re- 
 deemed come up to the city from month to month 
 to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. Its leaves 
 are for the healing of the nations; literally, the 
 service of the nations, not implying that any will 
 enter the city in a diseased or deformed condition 
 to need healing ; and even if so, the work would 
 soon be done, and then what would the leaves be 
 for ? We understand that the service of the leaves, 
 whatever it is, will be perpetual, like the use of the 
 fruit. 
 
CHAP TEH XXII, VERSES S-8. 
 
 VERSE 3. And there shall be no more curse ; but the 
 throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it ; and his serv- 
 ants shall serve him. 
 
 This language proves that the great God, the 
 Father, is referred to, as well as the Son. 
 
 VEKSE 4. And they shall see his face ; and his name shall 
 be in their foreheads. 
 
 The word, his, in the sentence, "And they shall 
 see his face," refers to the Father ; for it is the one 
 whose name is in their foreheads ; and that is the 
 Father, as we learn from chap. 14 : 1. 
 
 VERSE 5. And there shall be no night there ; and they 
 need no candle, neither light of the sun ; for the Lord God 
 giveth them light ; and they shall reign forever and ever. 
 6. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true ; 
 and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew 
 unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 7. 
 Behold, I come quickly ; blessed is he that keepeth the say- 
 ings of the prophecy of this book. 
 
 Here again we have the declaration that there 
 
 o 
 
 shall be no night in the city ; for the Lord God will 
 be the light of the place. Verse 7 proves that 
 Christ is the speaker, a fact which it is of especial 
 importance to bear in mind in connection with 
 verse 14. To keep the sayings of the prophecy of 
 this book is to obey the duties brought to view in 
 connection with the prophecy, as, for instance, in 
 chap. 14:9-12. 
 
 VERSE 8. And I John saw these things, and heard them. 
 And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship be- 
 fore the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 
 
81 Q THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 9. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not ; for I am thy 
 fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them 
 which keep the sayings of this book ; worship God. 10. 
 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy 
 of this book ; for the time is at hand. 11. He that is un- 
 just, let him be unjust still ; and he which is filthy, let him 
 be filthy still ; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous 
 still ; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12. And 
 behold, I come quickly ; and my reward is with me, to give 
 every man according as his work shall be. 
 
 For remarks on verse 9, see on chap. 19 : 10. In 
 verse 10 John is told not to seal the sayings of the 
 prophecy of this boo!?:. Popular theology says that 
 the book is sealed. One of two things follows from 
 this : either John disobeyed his instructions, or pop- 
 ular theology is fulfilling Isa. 29 : 10-14. Verse 11 
 proves that probation closes, and the cases of all are 
 unalterably fixed before the coming of Christ ; for in 
 the very next verse Christ says, " Behold, I come 
 quickly." What dangerous and insane presumption, 
 then, to claim as Age-to-come believers do, that there 
 will be probation even after that event ! Christ's 
 reward is with him, to give every man as his work 
 shall be ; which is another conclusive proof that 
 there can be no probation after that event ; for all 
 the living wicked, those "who know not God," the 
 heathen, and those " who obey not the gospel of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ," the sinners of Christian lands, 
 2 Thess. 1 : 8, will be visited with swift destruction 
 from Him who then comes in flaming fire to take 
 vengeance on his foes. 
 
 The declaration of verse 11, marks the close of 
 
CHAPTER XXII, VERSES 8-14. 17 
 
 probation, which is the close of Christ's work as 
 mediator. But we are taught by the subject of the 
 sanctuary that this work closes with the examination 
 of the cases of the living in the investigative Judg- 
 ment. When this is accomplished, the irrevocable 
 fiat can go forth. But when the cases of the living 
 are reached in the work of Judgment, we apprehend 
 that what remains to be done will be so speedily ac- 
 complished that all these cases may almost be said to 
 be decided simultaneously. We have therefore no 
 occasion to speculate as to the order of work among 
 the living, that is, whose cases will be decided first, 
 and whose last, nor whether it will be known that 
 any are decided before all is finished. 
 
 VERSE 13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the 
 end, the first and the last. 14. Blessed are they that do His 
 commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, 
 and may enter in through the gates into the city. 
 
 Christ here applies to himself the appellation of 
 Alpha and Omega. As applied to him, the expres- 
 sion must be taken in a more limited sense than when 
 applied to the Father, as in chap. 1:8. Christ is the 
 Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, of the 
 great plan of salvation. Verse 14, as before noticed, 
 is the language of Christ. The commandments of 
 which he speaks are his Father's. Reference can be 
 had only to the ten commandments as delivered on 
 Mt. Sinai. He pronounces a blessing upon those who 
 keep them. Thus in the closing chapter of the word 
 of God, and near the very close of the last testimony 
 
 which the faithful and true Witness there left for his 
 52 
 
818 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 people, he solemnly pronounces a blessing upon those 
 who keep the commandments of God. Let those who 
 believe in the abolition of the law, weigh well this 
 fact. 
 
 VERSE 15. For without are clogs, and sorcerers, and whore- 
 mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth 
 and maketh a lie. 
 
 Dog is the Bible symbol of a shameless and im- 
 pudent man. Who would wish to be left in the 
 company of those whose lot is outside of the city of 
 God ! yet how many will stand condemned as idola- 
 ters, how many as those who make lies, and how 
 many more as those who love them and love to cir- 
 culate them after they are made ! 
 
 VEIISE 16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto 
 you these things in the churches. I am the root and the off- 
 spring of David, and the bright and morning star. 
 
 Jesus testifies these things in the churches, show- 
 ing that the whole book of Revelation is given to the 
 seven churches; which is another incidental proof 
 that the seven churches are representatives of the 
 church through the entire gospel dispensation. Christ 
 is the offspring of David, in that he appeared on earth 
 in the line of David's descendants. He is the root of 
 David, inasmuch as he is the great antitype of David 
 and the maker and upholder of all things. 
 
 VERSE 17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And 
 let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst 
 come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life 
 freely. 
 
CHAPTER XXII, VERSE 17. 
 
 Thus are all invited to come. The Lord's love for 
 mankind would not be satisfied in merely preparing 
 the blessings of eternal life, opening the way to 
 them, and announcing that all might come who 
 would ; but he sends out an earnest invitation to 
 come. He sets it forth as a favor done to himself, if 
 persons will come and partake of the infinite bless- 
 ings provided by his infinite love. His invitation, 
 how gracious ! how full I how free ! None of those 
 who are finally lost will ever have occasion to find 
 fault with the provisions that have been made for 
 their salvation. They can never find fault with the 
 light that has been granted to show them the way of 
 life. They can never find fault with the invitations 
 and entreaties that Mercy has given them to turn 
 and live. From the very beginning there has been 
 a power exerted, as strong as could be and still leave 
 man his own free agent, a power to draw him 
 Heavenward and raise him from the abyss into 
 which he had fallen. Come ! has been the entreaty 
 of the Spirit, from the lips of God himself, from the 
 lips of his prophets, from the lips of his apostles, and 
 from the lips of his Son, even while in his infinite 
 compassion and humility he was paying the debt of 
 our transgression. 
 
 The last message of mercy that is now going forth, 
 is another and final utterance of divine long- suffering 
 and compassion. Come, is the invitation it gives. 
 Come, for all things are ready. And the last sound 
 that will fall from Mercy's lips on the ear of the sin- 
 ner, ere the thunders of vengeance burst upon him, 
 
820 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 will be the heavenly invitation, Come. So great is 
 the loving-kindness of a merciful God to rebellious 
 man. Yet they will not come. Acting independ- 
 ently and deliberately, they refuse to come. So 
 when they shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in 
 the kingdom of God, and themselves thrust out, they 
 will have no one to accuse, no one to blame but their 
 own selves. They will be brought to feel this in all 
 its bitterness; for the time will come in which it will 
 be as described by Pollok, when he says, 
 
 ' And evermore the thunders murmuring spoke 
 From out the darkness, uttering loud these words, 
 Which every guilty conscience echoed back: 
 'Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not.' 
 Dread words ! that barred excuse, and threw the weight 
 Of every man's perdition on himself 
 
 Directly home 
 
 'Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not.' " 
 
 The bride also says, Come. But the bride is the 
 city, and how does that say, Come ? If we could be 
 strengthened to behold the living glories of that 
 city, and live, and should be permitted to gaze upon 
 its dazzling beauty, and be assured that we had a 
 perfect right to enter therein, and bathe in that 
 ocean of bliss and blessedness, and revel in its glory 
 forever and ever, would it not then say to us, Come, 
 with a persuasion which no power could resist ? 
 Who of us in view of this could turn away and say, 
 I have no desire for an inheritance there ? 
 
 But though we cannot now look upon that city, 
 the unfailing word of God has promised it, and that 
 is sufficient to inspire in us an implicit and living 
 
CHAPTER JL2L/Z, VERSE 17. 21 
 
 faith ; and through the channel of that faith it says 
 to us, Come. Come, if you would inherit mansions 
 where sickness, sorrow, pain, and death, can never 
 enter ; if you would have a right to the tree of life, 
 and pluck its immortal fruit, and eat and live ; if 
 you would drink of the water of the river of life, 
 that flows from the throne of God, clear as crys- 
 tal. Come, if you would obtain through those glit- 
 tering gates of pearl an abundant entrance into the 
 eternal city ; if you would walk its streets of trans- 
 parent gold ; if you would behold its glowing foun- 
 dation stones; if you would see the King in his 
 beauty on his azure throne. Come, if you would 
 sing the jubilee song of millions, and share their 
 joy. Come, if you would join the anthems of the 
 redeemed with their melodious harps, and know 
 that your exile is forever over and this is your 
 eternal home. Come, if you would receive a palm 
 of victory, and know that you are forever free. 
 Come, if you would exchange the furrows of your 
 careworn brow for a jeweled crown. Come, if you 
 would see the salvation of the ransomed myriads, 
 the glorified throng which no man can number. 
 Come, if you would drink from the pure fountain 
 of celestial bliss, if you would shine as the stars for- 
 ever in the firmament of glory, if you would share 
 in the unutterable rapture that fills the triumphant 
 hosts as they behold before them unending ages of 
 glory ever brightening, and joys ever new. 
 
 The bride does say, Come. Who of us can resist 
 the invitation ? The word of truth is pledged to us 
 
822 THOUGHTS ON THE ItEVELATION. 
 
 that if we keep the commandments of God and the 
 faith of Jesus, we shall have right to the tree of life, 
 we shall enter in through the gates into the city. 
 And we shall feel that we are at home in our Fa- 
 ther's house, amid those gorgeous splendors, and 
 that these very mansions were prepared for us ; and 
 we shall realize the full truth of those cheering 
 words, " Blessed are they which are called unto the 
 marriage-supper of the Lamb." Rev. 19 : 9. 
 
 " Let him that heareth say, Come." We have 
 heard of the glory, of the beauty, of the blessings, 
 of that goodly land, and we say, Come. We have 
 heard of the river with its verdant banks, of the 
 tree with its healing leaves, of the ambrosial bowers 
 that bloom in the Paradise of God, and we say, 
 Come. Whosoever will, let him come and take of 
 the water of life freely. 
 
 VEUSE 18. For I testify unto every man that heareth the 
 words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add 
 unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that 
 are written in this book. 19. And if any man shall take 
 away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall 
 take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy 
 city, and from the things which are written in this book. 
 
 What is it to add to, or take from, the book of 
 this prophecy ? Let it be borne in mind that it is 
 the book of this prophecy, or the Revelation, which 
 is the subject of remark ; hence the additions or de- 
 tractions are to be from this book. Nothing can be 
 called an addition to this book except something 
 added with an effort to palm it off as a part of the 
 
CHAPTER XX2I, VERSES 20, 21. 323 
 
 genuine book of Revelation. To take from it would 
 be to suppress some of it. As the book of Revela- 
 tion could not be called an addition to the book of 
 Daniel, so if God should see fit to make further rev- 
 elations to us by his Spirit, it would be no addition 
 to the book of Revelation, unless it should claim to 
 be a part of that book. 
 
 VERSE 20. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I 
 come quickly : Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21. 
 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 
 
 The word of God is given to instruct us in refer- 
 ence to the plan of salvation. The second coming 
 of Christ is to be the climax and completion of that 
 great scheme ; it is most appropriate, therefore, 
 that the book should close with the solemn an- 
 aouncement, Behold, I come quickly. Be it ours to 
 join with fervent hearts in the response of the apos- 
 tle, " Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." 
 
 Thus closes the volume of inspiration closes 
 K-'.th that which constitutes the best of all promises, 
 ami the substance of the Christian's hope, the re- 
 turn of Christ. Then shall the elect be gathered 
 and bid a long farewell to all the ills of this mortal 
 life. How rich in all that is precious to the Chris- 
 tian is this promise. Wandering an exile in this 
 evil world, separated from the few of like precious 
 faith, he longs for the companionship of the right- 
 eous, the communion of saints. Here he shall ob- 
 tain it ; for all the good shall be gathered, not from 
 one land only, but from all lands; not from one 
 age only, but from all ages, the great harvest of all 
 
824 
 
 THOUGHT IS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 the good, coming up in long and glorious proces- 
 sion, while angels shout the harvest home, and the 
 timbrels of Heaven sound forth in joyous concert, 
 and a song before unheard, unknown, in the uni- 
 verse, the song of the redeemed, shall add its mar- 
 velous notes of rapture and melody to the universal 
 jubilee. So shall the saints be gathered, to be joy- 
 ful in each other's presence forever and ever, 
 
 " While the glory of God, like a molten sea, 
 Bathes the immortal company." 
 
 This gathering has nothing in it but that which 
 is desirable. The saints can but sigh and pray for 
 it. Like Job, they cry out for the presence of God. 
 Like David, they cannot be satisfied till they awake 
 in his likeness. In this mortal condition we groan, 
 being burdened, not for that we would be un- 
 clothed, but clothed upon. We can but be " upon 
 tiptoe " for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of 
 the body. Our eyes are open for its visions ; our 
 ears are waiting to catch the sounds of the heav- 
 enly music, and our hearts are beating in anticipa- 
 tion of its infinite joy. Our appetites are growing 
 sharp for the marriage supper. We cry out for the 
 living God, and long to come into his presence. 
 Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. No news more 
 welcome than to know that the command has gone 
 forth from the Lord to his angels, Gather together 
 unto me my elect from the four winds of heaven. 
 
 The place of the gathering has nothing but at- 
 traction. Jesus, the fairest among ten thousands, is 
 there. The throne of God and the Lamb, in the 
 
CHAPTER XXII, VERSE SO, SI. 325 
 
 glory of which the sun disappears as the stars van- 
 ish in the light of day, is there. The city of jas- 
 per and gold, whose builder and maker is God, is 
 there. The river of life, sparkling with the glory 
 of God and flowing from his throne in infinite pu- 
 rity and peace, is there. The tree of life, with its 
 healing leaves and life-giving fruit, is there. Abra- 
 ham, Isaac, and Jacob, Noah, Job, and Daniel, 
 prophets, apostles, and martyrs, the perfection of 
 heavenly society, will be there. Visions of beauty 
 are there ; fields of living green, flowers that 
 never fade, streams that never dry, products in va- 
 riety that never end, fruits that never decay, 
 crowns that never dim, harps that know no dis- 
 cord, and all else of which a taste purified from sin 
 and raised to the plane of immortality can form 
 any conception, or think desirable, will be there. 
 
 We must be there. We must bask in the forgiv- 
 ing smiles of a God to whom we have become rec- 
 onciled, and sin no more; we must have access to 
 that exhaustless fount of vitality, the fruit of the 
 tree of life, and never die ; we must repose under 
 the shadow of its leaves, which are for the service 
 of the nations, and never again grow weary ; we 
 must drink from the life-giving fountain, and thirst 
 nevermore ; we must bathe in its silvery spray, and 
 be refreshed; we must walk on its golden sands, 
 and feel that we are no longer exiles ; we must ex- 
 change the cross for the crown, and feel that the 
 days of our humiliation are ended; we must lay 
 down the staff and take the palm branch, and feel 
 
826 THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION. 
 
 that the journey is done ; we must put off the rent 
 garments of our warfare, for the white robes of tri- 
 umph, and feel that the conflict is ended and the 
 victory gained ; we must exchange the toil-worn, 
 dusty girdle of our pilgrimage, for the glorious vest- 
 ure of immortality, and feel that sin and the curse 
 can nevermore pollute us. day of rest and 
 triumph, and every good, delay not thy dawning ! 
 Let the angels at once be sent to gather the elect. 
 Let that promise be fulfilled which bears in its 
 train these matchless glories. Come, Lord Jesus, 
 come quickly. 
 
 Jl f 
 I ' >^^ 
 
 \c. 
 
 
GENERAL INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 ABOMINATION OP DESOLATION, set up how and when, 346-351 
 
 A characteristic of sacred writings, .... 25 
 
 Arianism opposed to the papacy, .... 165 
 
 African war, A. D. 533, against Arians, . . . 175 
 
 Arianism overthrown, ...... 176 
 
 Actium, battle of, fulfills Dan. 11: 25, . . . 329 
 
 A difficulty explained, 36 
 
 Alexander the Great, first king of the Grecian king- 
 dom, 66, his disgusting self-conceit, 68, his char- 
 acter and death, 69 
 
 Antiochus Magnus fulfills Dan. 11:13, 15, . . 306,309 
 Antiochus Theus, Laodice, and Berenice, fulfill Dan. 
 
 11:6, 299 
 
 Antony and Caesar fulfill Dan. 11:27, . . .333 
 
 Artaxerxes Longimanus, his decree to build Jerusalem, 
 
 263, date of his seventh year, .... 273 
 
 A time, meaning of, ....... 112 
 
 Alpha and Omega, meaning of, 446 
 
 Angel of the church, who, 454 
 
 Antipas, who, 465 
 
 A door in heaven opened, . . . . . . . 505 
 
 A happy unrest, ....... 512 
 
 Ancient books, form of, ...... 514 
 
 An angelic challenge, ...... 516 
 
 An impressive representation, ..... 520 
 
 A clean universe, ....... 525 
 
 An angel ascending from the East, .... 570 
 
 Alaric, the Gothic chieftain, 596 
 
 Attila, the Hun, 605 
 
 (827) 
 
828 GENERAL INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Augustulus, the last emperor of the West, . . . 608 
 
 A remarkable command, 618 
 
 Arabian horsemen, . . . . . . . 623 
 
 A remarkable prophetic period, 629 
 
 A parenthetical prophecy, 637 
 
 A blasphemous watchword, ..... 655 
 
 Apostate Christendom, 759 
 
 Amazing judgments, 762 
 
 A startling contrast, 774 
 
 Azazel, the devil, 777 
 
 A second lake of fire, ...... 789 
 
 Absurdity of Age-to-come views, .... 787 
 
 All tears wiped away, ...... 798 
 
 A difficulty explained, . . . . . 813 
 
 Adding to, or taking from, the Revelation, . . . 822 
 
 BABYLONISH EMPIRE, when founded, 52, its extent, 52, 
 Babylon, city, description of, 54, stratagem of Cy- 
 rus by which it was taken, 59, steps by which it 
 was finally utterly ruined, .... 61-63 
 
 Barnes on Dan. 7:24, 166 
 
 Bear, symbol of the Persian Kingdom, . . . 148 
 Beast, great and terrible, symbol of Rome, . . 152 
 Belshazzar, his impious feast, 120, supposed to be an 
 annual celebration of the victory of the Babylo- 
 nians over the Jews, 121, selected by Cyrus as the 
 best time to undertake the reduction of the city, 58, 127 
 Belshazzar's feast, poetical description of, . . 127-135 
 Black Sea, opened to Russia, 381, but lost in the Cri- 
 mean war, 381 
 
 Bonaparte's dream of Eastern glory, .... 365 
 
 Bonaparte repulsed by the Turks, .... 368 
 
 Bonaparte's prediction of Russian progress, . . 382 
 
 Benediction by the Lord, ...... 425 
 
 Book of life, 478 
 
 Belisarius subdues Italy, ...... 610 
 
GENERAL INDEX. $29 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Beginning of the seventh trumpet, . . . . 644 
 
 Bartholomew's massacre, 655 
 
 CAESAR, AUGUSTUS, fulfills Dan. 11:20, . . . 319 
 " Julius, his war with Egypt, 316, fulfills Dan. 
 
 11:18,19, 317,318 
 
 " Tiberius, fulfills Dan. 11:21, 22, . . 321-324 
 
 Captivity, 70 years', Jer. 25:12, understood by Daniel, 243 
 Chittim, where this country was situated, 338, ships 
 
 of, came against Rome in fulfillment of Dan. 11 : 30, 338 
 Christ crucified in A. D. 31, 272, under Tiberius Csesar, 
 
 in fulfillment of Dan. 11:22, .... 324 
 
 Christian Era, date of, (note), 269 
 
 Clarke, note on Dan. 11:44, 374 
 
 Commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, . 268-274 
 
 Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, fulfills Dan. 11:17, . . 313 
 Connivance of the pope with the emperor of the East, 171, 173 
 Cowles, H., D.D., his position refuted, . . 72, 78 
 
 Crimean war, a fulfillment of Dan. 11:44, . . . 374 
 Criticism on Bush and Whiting's translation of Dan. 
 
 12:2, . 396 
 
 Cyrus, his relation to the kingdoms of Media and Per- 
 sia, 64, his stratagem in the conquest of Babylon, 58 
 Christ's angel, ........ 423 
 
 Churches in Asia, significance of, .... 427 
 
 Christ the prince, 432 
 
 Christ's coming visible, ...... 435 
 
 Church's response, ....... 437 
 
 Church of Ephesus, meaning of, .... 453 
 
 Christ at the heart, 498 
 
 Christ's two thrones, 504 
 
 Christ takes the book, 517 
 
 Chronology of the dark day, . . . . . 559 
 
 of the sealing work, 568 
 
 Constantinople taken, 629 
 
 Close of prophetic time, 643 
 
830 GENERAL INDEX, 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Christ amid earthly scenes, ..... 668 
 
 Christian persecuting powers, .... 677-698 
 
 Church and State, ....... 747 
 
 Christ's mediation forever finished,, .... 810 
 
 DANIEL, his wisdom, 21, acknowledged a prophet by 
 Christ, 22, prophets who were contemporary with 
 him and succeeded him, 22, objections to his 
 prophecy by Porpkyry, 24, date of his captivity, 
 24, 26, his age, 24, his first experience in the court 
 of Babylon, 28-33, God's providence in his behalf 
 in the matter of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, 41, de- 
 livered from the lions, 136-144, Ijis vision of the 
 four beasts, 145, of the ram, he goat, and little 
 horn, 189, his last vision, 283, what is meant by 
 his standing in his lot, .... 414 
 
 Daniel, book of, written in Chaldee from chap. 2:4 to 
 
 the end of chap. 7, all the rest in Hebrew, . 38, 189 
 
 Darius, who took the throne of Babylon, his efforts to 
 deliver Daniel, 141, his sentence against Daniel's 
 accusers, 141, his decree, .... 143 144 
 
 Darius Codomannus, last king of the old Persian mon- 
 archy, 65, his great humiliation and death, . 66, 67 
 
 D'Aubigne on the influence of the Popes, . . . 174 
 
 Days, the 2300, 209, why not explained in chap. 8, 242, 
 explained in chap. 9, 255-260, genuineness of the 
 reading, . 276 
 
 Days, the 1335 explained, 411 
 
 Dates for the commandment to restore and build Jeru- 
 salem, considered, 263 
 
 Decree, one of the oldest on record, 108, nature of, by 
 
 Medes and Persians, 133 
 
 Decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes reckoned as 
 
 one, . 275 
 
 Date of the Revelation, 444 
 
 Darkening of the sun, .... 550 
 
GENERAL INDEX. 831 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Death of Theodosius, 596 
 
 Destruction of Leo's fleet, 603 
 
 Different forms of Roman government, . . . 751 
 
 EASTERN QUESTION, what it is, . . . . 378, 384 
 Elajn fulfilled prophecy of Isaiah and Jeremiah against 
 
 Babylon, 190 
 
 Egypt invaded by the French, ..... 366 
 Ezra, his commission from Artaxerxes, . . 264, 266 
 
 Experience of John, 438 
 
 Eye-salve, 494 
 
 Encouragement for the Christian, .... 595 
 Extent of Gothic conquests, .... 697-599 
 
 Extinction of Western Rome, 604 
 
 Exaltation of the Bible, 657 
 
 Euphrates, drying up of, . . . . 732-736 
 
 Execution of the sentence, . . . . 790 
 
 FASTING, of what it sometimes consisted, . . . 285 
 Financial condition of Turkey, ..... 385 
 France, prophecy of revolution in, . . . 353-363 
 " alone, once atheistic, ..... 355 
 French complaints against Egypt, .... 365 
 
 Falling of the stars, 652 
 
 Fall of Chosroes, king of Persia, . . . 613-616 
 
 Five months of torment, 625 
 
 Fall of the Ottoman supremacy, .... 633 
 
 France makes war on the Bible, .... 655 
 
 Fate of the fearful and unbelieving, . . . .799 
 
 GABRIEL, an angel not a man, 237, commanded to 
 make Daniel understand the vision, 237, effect of 
 his appearance on Daniel, 238, Christ's angel, 237, 
 286, explains to Daniel in chap. 9 and onward 
 what he omitted in chap. 8, .... 249 
 
832 GENERAL INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Goat, symbol of Grecia, 192, 240, fitness of the symbol, 
 
 [192, 193 
 
 Goddess of Reason, 359 
 
 Great words of little horn heard in 1870, . . .157 
 
 Gathering to the battle, 738 
 
 Graphic description of a hail storm, .... 742 
 
 God's armory, 744 
 
 God's tabernacle with men, 797 
 
 Geiiseric, the Vandal, 600 
 
 HALE, APOLLOS, in "Advent Manual " on taking away 
 
 the daily, 344 
 
 Heads, meaning of four on leopard, 150, their names, . 150 
 
 Horns, ten, on the 4th beast of Dan. 7 signify ten king- 
 doms, 152, their names, 152 
 
 Horn, the little, of the 4th beast of Dan. 7, a symbol 
 
 of the papacy, 161-186 
 
 Horns, three, plucked up before the little horn, and 
 
 their names, 165-176 
 
 Horn of the goat, symbol of Alexander, 192, nature of 
 
 his conquests, 194 
 
 Horns, four of the goat, symbolize four divisions of Al- 
 exander's empire, 196, their names, 196, the gen- 
 erals who secured these divisions for themselves, . 196 
 
 Horn, little of Dan. 8, not a symbol of Antiochus 
 Epiphanes, 198, but a symbol of Rome, 200-204, 
 how it came forth from one of the horns of the 
 goat, 201, accurate fulfillment by Rome, . . 201 
 
 Host given to papal horn, 179 
 
 Heaven a real place, 522 
 
 " opened, 772 
 
 How the bride says, Come, 820 
 
 IMAGE, the great, of Dan. 2, interpreted, ... 51 
 In the Spirit, meaning of, 441 
 
GENERAL INDEX. 333 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 JERUSALEM, captured. 26, destroyed by Nebuchadnez- 
 zar, 26, decree for restoring and building, 64, de- 
 stroyed finally in A. D. 70, .... 335 
 
 Judea invaded by the Romans, and the terrible distress 
 
 predicted by Moses fulfilled, .... 335 
 
 Judgment, temporal, on the papacy, 162, by saints in 
 union with Christ, 162, executed on the papacy at 
 the end of the 1,000 years, .... 162 
 
 Justinian's decree making the pope the head of all the 
 
 churches, 347 
 
 Jezebel, who, . . . 471 
 
 John Palseologus, death of, 628 
 
 " overcome by his glorious vision, . . . 815 
 
 KINGDOM OF GOD not set up at first advent, 75, when 
 established, 87-94, not the church, 90, how intro- 
 duced in Dan. 2, p. 89, a matter of hope to the 
 church, 89, objections answered, 90-93, taken by 
 the Son of man at the close of his priestly work, 
 157, 158, possessed at last by the saints with Christ 
 
 at their head, 159 
 
 Knowledge greatly increased since the time of the end, 403 
 
 Key of David, what, 481 
 
 Kingly priesthood of Christ, 501 
 
 LAND divided for gain, Dan. 11:39, .... 362 
 
 League between Jews and Romans, .... 327 
 Legs of the great image do not denote the Eastern and 
 
 Western empires of Rome, 80 
 
 Leopard, symbol of Grecia, 149 
 
 Libyians and Ethiopians, who, ..... 374 
 
 Lion a symbol of Babylon, 147 
 
 London congress of nations, 383 
 
 Lot, meaning of in Dan. 12: 13, 415 
 
 Leo's efforts against Genseric, 602 
 
 53 
 
834 GENERAL INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 MAGICIANS, astrologers, sorcerers, etc, who, 37, their 
 cunning, 38, issue of the struggle between them 
 and Nebuchadnezzar, .... 39, 40 
 
 Marriage abolished in France, 356 
 
 Matthew, Henry, note from, 117 
 
 Mede's view of Dan. 7:24, 166 
 
 Michael, who was he, 291, 390, his standing up, . 295, 390 
 
 Millennium, temporal, a fable of the last days, . . 155 
 
 Moldavia and Bessarabia acquired by Russia, . . 381 
 
 Magnitude of the heavenly temple, .... 524 
 
 Majorian's effort against Genseric, .... 601 
 
 Mark of the beast, 707 
 
 Monthly worship in the New Jerusalem, . . . 814 
 
 NEBUCHADNEZZAR, his character, 31, 47, his personal 
 interest in the Hebrew captives, 35, his dream 
 adapted to his condition, 49, extent of his empire, 
 52, his idolatrous image, 98-107, his humiliation, 
 108-119, faith and state of mind in which he 
 probably died, . . . . . ; .119 
 Newton's view of Dan. 7:24, . . . . .166 
 
 Nicsea, council of, 165 
 
 North, king of, who, 297, 298, 364 
 
 Nicolaitanes, who, 456 
 
 Neither cold nor hot, 488 
 
 New Jerusalem, a Christian city, .... 584 
 
 Number of Turkish warriors, 630 
 
 Number of hia name, ....... 695 
 
 New heaven and new earth, ..... 794 
 
 No more sea, 796 
 
 No night in heaven, ....... 810 
 
 ODOACER, his work and belief, .... 167, 170 
 
 Opposition to papal yoke, ...... 170 
 
 Ostrogoths were Arians, 168 
 
GENERAL INDEX. 35 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Overturn, overturn, overturn", Eze. 21:25-27, how ful- 
 filled, 239 
 
 Othman, founder of the Ottoman empire, . . . 626 
 
 " invades Nicomedia, ..... 626 
 
 Our deeds recorded, 790 
 
 PAGANISM, overthrown in A. D. 508, . . . 341, 346 
 Papacy, titles of, 177, 178, symbolized by little horn of 
 fourth beast of Dan. 7, 152, 161, its war against the 
 saints, 161, 178-183, attempts to change times and 
 laws, 183, its supremacy established in 538, 184, 
 346-350, overthrown at the end of the 1260 years, 
 185, how destroyed at last, 186, recent striking 
 
 fulfillment of prophecy concerning, . . . 187 
 
 Papal power, origin of, 164 
 
 Passovers, only four attended by the Saviour, . . 270 
 Persian Kingdom conquered Babylon B. c. 538, 64, its 
 character, 63, conquered by Grecia B. c. 331, 194, 
 
 Newton's testimony, 194 
 
 Persecution, papal, predicted, Dan. 11:33, . . 351 
 
 Pompey, first of the Romans who conquered Judea, . 311 
 
 Pope established by decree of Justinian, see papacy, . 347 
 
 Popes the authors of religious wars, .... 169 
 
 Progress of Bonaparte's campaign in Egypt, . . 366 
 
 Prophecies, why repeated, 148 
 
 Prayer, remarkable power of, . . . . 290, 291 
 
 Ptolemy, King of Egypt, fulfilled Dan. 11:5, . . 299 
 
 " Philadelphus, " " 11:6, . . 299 
 
 " Euergetes, " " 11:7-9, . . 301 
 
 " Philopator, " " 11:11,12, . 304 
 
 Pulse, what, .33 
 
 Paradise, translated, 458 
 
 Philadelphia defined, 481 
 
 Paraphrase of 1 Cor. 15:24-28, 502 
 
 Prayer, sweet incense to God, 521 
 
836 GENERAL INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Popery beyond reformation, . . . . . 756 
 Papal power still felt, 756 
 
 RAM, symbol of Medo-Persia, .... 191, 239 
 
 Ranke on Arian troubles, 169 
 
 Reformation, the great, predicted, Dan. 11:34, . . 352 
 Resurrection of Dan. 12: 2, what, . . . .395 
 
 Robbers of God's people, who, 307 
 
 Rome succeeds Grecia, 69, testimony of Gibbon, 70, 
 interfered in behalf of Egypt, 308, fulfills Dan. 
 11: 16, 17, 311, 313, its divided state to continue 
 to the end, 83, no universal kingdom to succeed it, 86 
 Russia disregards treaty of 1856, . . . . 379 
 
 Russo-Turkish war of 1877, 384 
 
 Revelation, character and object of the book of, . 422 
 
 Rise of Mohammedanism, ..... 616-619 
 
 Rulers and the ruled, . . .... 812 
 
 Rome and Persia in the 7th century, . . . 612-616 
 
 Reward of obedience, 817 
 
 Response of the church, 825 
 
 SACRIFICE, daily, meaning of, 206, 209, taken away, 
 
 how and when, 341-346 
 
 Sanctuary, the, not the earth, 211, not the land of 
 Canaan, 212, not the church, 215, but the first 
 tabernacle built by Moses, 217, which Paul calls 
 the sanctuary of the first covenant, 219, secondly, 
 the sanctuary or tabernacle pitched not by hands, 
 but which is in the heavens, 223-226, how 
 cleansed, 228, importance of the subject, . . 235 
 Sea, symbolic meaning of, .... . 147 
 
 Sea of Azof wrested by Russia from the Turks, . . 381 
 Spiritual not temporal power referred to in Dan. 7: 
 
 24,25, . . .167 
 
 Seleucus, king of Syria, fulfills Dan. 11:5, . . 299 
 
GENERAL INDEX. 837 
 
 PASE. 
 
 Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus Magnus fulfill Dan. 
 
 11:10, . 303 
 
 Shame of resurrected wicked not everlasting, . . 401 
 
 Shushan, where, 190 
 
 South, king of, who, 298, 299, 364 
 
 Stand up, meaning of, 391 
 
 Stanley on extent of Arianism, 168 
 
 St. Jean d'Acre, Bonaparte first repulsed at, . . 368 
 Stone cut out of the mountain without hands, not a 
 
 symbol of the church, 88 
 
 Seven spirits, meaning of, 430 
 
 Smyrna, message to the church of, . . . 460 
 
 Satan's seat, 464 
 
 Sardis, chronology of message to, .... 476 
 
 Seven lamps before the throne, 509 
 
 Sea of glass, 510 
 
 Symbols of the seven seals explained, . . 531-541 
 
 Souls under the altar, 541 
 
 Spiritual Sodom, 654 
 
 Satan defeated, 672 
 
 THE CRIMEA won by Catherine, 381 
 
 The pope dominated by Theodoric, .... 172 
 
 The Turk must go, 377, 380, 388 
 
 The world indebted to the righteous for all their bless- 
 ings, 45, 46 
 
 The three worthies, their constancy and reward, . 98, 107 
 Time, times, and half a time, meaning of, . . 184, 185 
 Time of the end, when it commenced, . 353, 364, 639 
 
 Time of trouble in Dan. 12:1, what, . . . .394 
 Toes of the image represent divisions of Rome, . . 78 
 
 True reading of Dan. 7:9, 154 
 
 Turkey, king of the north, Dan. 11:40, 364, made 
 Egypt tributary, 373, prospect of her soon fulfilling 
 Dan. 11 : 44, testimony of the correspondent of the 
 
838 GENERAL INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 N. Y. Tribune, 377, Boston Journal, 378, Hartford 
 
 Churchman, 379, and the San Francisco Chronicle, 383 
 
 Turkish loss of territory, 386 
 
 The Lord's day, 442 
 
 Tree of life, where, 457 
 
 The ten persecutions, 461 
 
 The new name, ........ 467 
 
 The temple opened, 482, 663 
 
 The last church, 487 
 
 Tried gold, signification of, 492 
 
 Token of Christ's love, 498 
 
 The four and twenty elders, . . . .507 
 
 The four living beings, 511 
 
 The seven seals, ....... 530 
 
 The great earthquake at Lisbon, 548 
 
 The moon became as blood, 551 
 
 The seal of the living God, .... 570-577 
 
 The 144,000, 583 
 
 The true Israel, 584 
 
 The nations of the saved, 587 
 
 The seven trumpets, .... . 592 
 
 Tripartite division of the Roman Empire, . . . 600 
 
 The scourge of God, 606 
 
 Theodoric, the Ostrogoth, 609 
 
 The Roman senate abolished, 611 
 
 The bottomless pit, . ... 616, 780 
 
 The use of fire-arms foretold, 631 
 
 The book opened, 638 
 
 The mystery of God finished, ... . 645 
 
 The two witnesses, 649-664 
 
 The revolution of 1848, 661 
 
 The gospel church symbolized, 665 
 
 The great red dragon, 665 
 
 The church in the wilderness, . . . 668 
 
 The leopard beast and little horn identified, . . 680 
 
GENERAL INDEX. 839 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 The exarchate of Ravenna, 683 
 
 Titles of the pope, 684 
 
 The United States in prophecy, .... 685-694 
 
 Three notable messages, 699 
 
 Tormented forever and ever, ..... 714 
 
 The seven last plagues, 724 
 
 The voice of God, 741 
 
 The seventh plague universal, . . 741 
 
 The eighth head, 751 
 
 The tea horns, 752 
 
 The will for the deed, 766 
 
 The marriage of the Lamb, 769 
 
 The bride the Lamb's wife, .... 769, 800 
 
 The marriage supper of the Lamb, .... 771 
 
 The beast taken, 775 
 
 The lake of fire, 775 
 
 The binding of Satan, 781 
 
 The exaltation of the saints, 783 
 
 The second resurrection, 784 
 
 Tormented day and night, 788 
 
 The great white throne, 789 
 
 The New Jerusalem, 796 
 
 The jasper wall, 805 
 
 The city literal, 806 
 
 The rainbow foundations, ...... 807 
 
 The gates of pearl, 808 
 
 The tree and river of life, 812 
 
 The home of peace, ....... 811 
 
 The healing leaves, ....... 814 
 
 The aagel not one of the prophets, . . . . 772 
 
 The gracious invitation, ...... 819 
 
 The Lord's assurance, ...... 823 
 
 The heavenly gathering, 824 
 
 UNIVERSAL, meaning of as applied to kingdom, . . 52 
 
 Until, singular use of the word, 35 
 
840 GENERAL INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Ultimatum of the great powers, ..... 634 
 
 Unclean spirits, 736 
 
 VICABIUS FUJI DEI, 697 
 
 Verbs of will and endeavor, use of, . . . 698 
 
 WEEKS, the seventy, explained, ..... 261 
 
 Will of Peter the Great, 380 
 
 Winds, symbolic meaning of, ..... 146 
 
 White raiment, what, 478 
 
 " " meaning of, 494 
 
 War in heaven, 669 
 
 Waning away of papal power, 752 
 
 Water as a symbol explained, ..... 753 
 
 Wonderful dimensions of the holy city, . . . 803 
 
 WTiose commandments, ...... 817 
 
 Without the city, . 818 
 
 YE knew your duty but ye did it not, . . . 820 
 
- SHOWING 
 
 The Relation of Any Motion to Every Other Motion, 
 
 and Answering* at a Glance over 500 Questions in 
 
 Parliamentary Practice; together with a Key 
 
 containing Concise Hints and Directions 
 
 for conducting the Business of 
 
 Deliberative Assemblies. 
 
 IT IS TO THE STUDY OF PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE WHAT 
 A MAP IS 10 THE STUDY OF GEOGRAPHY. 
 
 TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 From J. WARREN KEIFER, Speaker of the House of 
 Representatives, Washington. 
 
 I have carefully examined the volume, and take pleasure in 
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 so as to indicate to either the casual reader or even an expert the 
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 Your work seems to have been thoroughly done, and I cheerfully 
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 From the N. Y. Independent, March 9, 1882. 
 
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 Mr. Uriah Smith has put more of the essence of parliamentary 
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 H Cent Each, Alcoholic Poison. Tobacco-Using 
 A Relic of Barbarism. True Temperance. Alcohol, 
 What Is It? 
 
 OTHER LANGUAGES. 
 
 The Association has -M different works in Danish- 
 Norwegian, '23 in Swedish, 31 in German, 15 iu 
 French, and 1 in Hi Hand, besides the regular peri- 
 odicals already noticed in those tongues. 
 
 (tJ => Full Catalogues of all our publications in En- 
 glish, and the various Foreign Languages, furnished 
 fret, on application. 
 
 For anything in this Catalogue ad.Iress 
 
 REVIEW AND Tnen.AT.Ti, 
 
 Battle Creek, Mich. 
 
asws. 
 
 
 I 
 
 50m-8,'26 
 
'C 4C73I" 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 

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