CHAPTER III.

EXTINCTION OF THE MAHOMMEDAN POWERS OF TURKEY

AND PERSIA.

The termination of this important period is apparently the first in order, and not far distant. Daniel, after what is generally considered a prediction of the papal apostacy, ch. xI. 36-39, proceeds to describe the successful invasion of the Roman eastern empire by the Saracens and Turks, concerning which the best commentators are agreed. The reader is requested to refer to the remainder of this chapter, verses 40-45. It will be perceived that it is the latter clause with which we are more particularly concerned, viz. “And he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." Rev. IX. 1-11, is understood to describe the conquests and ravages of the Saracens; and of the Turks from ver. 12, to the end; but the termination of the period of the latter, or "king of the north," is not mentioned as in Daniel, this being reserved to the pouring out of the sixth vial, ch. xvi. 12, viz., “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 prepared." But we revert to the ninth chapter. There are some who think that the bishop of Rome, as representative of his church, was the star which fell from

heaven; that church having introduced general corruption into the church of Christ. And thus, opening a door for the imposture of Mahommed, was dispossessed of its authority in the east, so far as the destructive influence of Mahommedism prevailed. The latter is represented as the smoke of a great furnace, arising out of the bottomless pit, and by which the atmosphere of the ruling power of those countries, civil and ecclesiastical, was darkened. The bottomless pit seems to denote the source of Mahommedism, as destitute of foundation in truth; "The smoke which came out of the pit signifying the multitude who embraced that religion." The devouring or plundering armies of the Arabians" which came out of that smoke" are compared to locusts, swarms of which often arise in Arabia Felix, and thence infest the neighbouring nations, and so a very fit type of these numerous armies invading the Romans.”

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The father-in-law of Mahommed, Abubecr, while marching his army into Syria under Yezid, commanded that no palm-trees should be destroyed, nor any fields of corn burnt, nor any fruit trees cut down, while the apostate professors of Christianity were not spared. They had not power, however, to "kill," or extinguish them, as a political body. They ravaged both the Latin and Greek churches, but did not conquer the empire.*

The torment occasioned by the cruelties of the Saracens, is here repeated, probably because excessive in its kind; and

"It was given them that they should be tormented five months," five prophetical months, each consisting of thirty days, and each day denoting a year, amounting to one hundred and fifty years; and accordingly, from the time that Mahommed began to propagate his imposture, A. D. 612, to the building of Bagdad, when they ceased from their ravages, A. D. 763, are just one hundred and fifty years.-Bagster.

such must have been the miserable condition of the ungodly professors of Christianity more especially, that while they beheld the ravages of death around them, they doubtless preferred annihilation to the terrible yet immediate prospect of entering on the unseen world.

In the 7th verse the numerous cavalry of these conquerors seems to be foretold, and their irresistible power and policy. "The hair of women, and the teeth of lions:" the one denoting their comeliness, the other their majestic and terrible appearance, and insatiable rapacity. "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."† Their breastplates, as of iron, may signify their strength in battle; (many "were armed with cuirasses ;") and their wings, the extraordinary number and activity of their cavalry, forming the wings of their armies. Their tails, may either denote their armies, (as in Isai. vII. 4,) or their false teachers, the sting of whose conquests lay between the choice of proselytism or death.

At the commencement of this prophecy, ver. 1, we read that the key of the bottomless pit was given to him who is styled a star which fell from heaven;" of both Jews and Gentiles, the Abaddon and Apollyon, the Murderer and Destroyer: Sir Isaac Newton supposed the caliph of the Saracens, the chief governor, as well in religious as civil affairs, to be signified by "the angel of the bottomless pit."

All who are acquainted with the history of those periods, are aware of the terrible destruction of mankind occasioned by the ravages of the Saracens. The conquest of Jerusa

*Nat. Hist. lib. vi., cap. 28. See note by Bishop Newton. Keith's Signs of the Times.

lem by the Crusaders, and their forced relinquishment of that conquest, complete the horrors of this woe.

"The Saracens began to invade the Romans, A. D. 634, and to reign at Damascus, A. D. 637. They built Bagdad, A. D. 766, and reigned over Persia, Syria, Arabia, Egypt, Africa, and Spain. They afterwards lost Africa to Mahades, A. D. 910; Media, Hyrcania, Chorasan, and all Persia to the Dailamites, between the years 927 and 935; Mesopotamia and Miafarekin to Nasiruddaulas, A. D. 930; Syria and Egypt to Achsjid, A. D. 935. And now being in great distress, the caliph of Bagdad, A. D. 936, surrendered all the rest of his temporal power to Mahomet, the son of Rajici, king of Wasit in Chaldea, and made him emperor of emperors. But Mahomet within two years lost Bagdad to the Turks; and thenceforward Bagdad was sometimes in the hands of the Turks, and sometimes in the hands of the Saracens, till Togrulbeig conquered Chorasan and Persia; and, A. D. 1055, added Bagdad to his empire, making it the seat thereof. His successors Olub Arslan and Melechschah conquered the regions upon Euphrates; and these conquests, after the death of Melechschah, brake into the kingdoms of Armenia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Cappadocia. The whole time that the caliphs of the Saracens reigned with a temporal dominion at Damascus and Bagdad together, was 300 years, viz., from the year 637 to the year 936 inclusive. Now locusts live but five months; and therefore, for the decorum of the type, these locusts are said to hurt men five months and five months, as if they had lived about five months at Damascus, and again about five months at Bagdad; in all ten months, or 300 prophetic days, which are years."

* Sir Isaac Newton's Observ. p. 303.

mences.

Now the sixth angel sounds, and the second woe comIt is from the golden altar, which typifies the access of the saints to God by prayer, that the "voice," the Almighty mandate, issues, which is to "loose" or dissolve the authority of the reigning sovereigns of the four kingdoms or sultanies bordering on the Euphrates, to which the Turks were confined till after the period of the Crusades. In respect to this more vigorous and extensive invasion of Christendom by the Turks, an intimation is given of the vast number of their cavalry-two hundred millions, [Gr. dúo pvpiádes μvpiádwv, or, myriads,] which, though the prophet "heard the number of them," is perhaps an hyperbole, could we even reckon their amount from the commencement to the termination of their empire.

The colours of fire, jacinth, and brimstone may be considered to represent the scarlet, blue, and yellow, for which the Turks are remarkable. Artillery, which they used, is also clearly foretold. This was an irresistible mode of warfare at that period, combined with their otherwise powerful armies.

In Isaiah Ix. 15, we find that" the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.". These "tails were like unto serpents, and had heads," doing hurt, propagating lies, and murdering all who resisted the propagation of their false doctrine, thus instigated by the old Serpent who was a murderer from the beginning.

We now offer Sir Isaac Newton's further remarks on these prophecies: "The sixth trumpet sounded to the wars, which Daniel's king of the north" (the Turks) "made against the king above-mentioned, who did according to his will," (i. e. Papal Rome.) "In these wars the king of the north, according to Daniel, conquered the empire of