fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; 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. 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, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. "The political existence and superiority of the last beast still continues in ten kingdoms, which include most of the nations of Europe, and which are set forth by the ten horns of the beast. The great image in Dan. II. teaches the same things. Both of these passages inform us that a heavy weight of divine vengeance will fall upon the ten kingdoms of this fourth tyranny. . . . . In Dan. II. this judgment is set forth by the figure of a stone smiting the ten toes, (which symbolize the ten kingdoms,) and pursuing the work of destruction until the whole of this great image becomes like the chaff of the summer's threshingfloor, and is carried away of the wind, while the stone becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth." * Daniel VII. 19-26. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet. 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 things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon * Cox's Thoughts on The Coming and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 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 first, and he shall subdue three kings. And 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 y a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. Daniel, predicting the conquest of Darius by Alexander the Great, and the four kingdoms into which his empire was divided after his death, continues to describe the Roman empire, thus: Daniel VIII. 9-12. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceedingly great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even a to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. 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. And a host was given him against the B "This evidently points out the papal supremacy, in every respect diverse from the former, which from small beginnings thrust itself up among the ten kingdoms, till at length it successively eradicated three of them, the kingdom of the Heruli, of the Ostrogoths, and of the Lombards."—Bagster's Compr. Bible. "In token of this circumstance the pope now wears three crowns upon his mitre; and in farther commemoration of it, a piece of mosaic work was made for his palace, in which St. Peter is represented with three keys in his lap, signifying that they are the three keys of this part of his pa trimony." (Newton on Daniel, p. 86-88.) Brooks. See Supplement, No. VI. and VII. y i. e. "Three and a half years, or, reckoning thirty days to a month, 1260 days, equal to the same number of years in prophetic language; which, dated from the decree of Phocas, constituting him the supreme head of the church, A. D. 606, will terminate 1866;" or, if dated from the edict of the emperor Justinian, A. D. 533, have expired in 1793; or if from 583, as Mr. Habershon supposes, in 1843 or 1844, and to which we shall refer in this Chapter. a Isai. XIV. 13. b Josh. v. 14, 15; Heb. n. 10. F daily sacrifice, by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. Also, ver. 23-25. In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 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; d but he shall be broken without hand. This prophecy has been applied to the Saracens and Turks by some authors, but it has been observed, with more probability, that it was against "the true Messiah," the Prince of princes, that this king stood up. "For it was by the authority of the Romans that He was condemned and crucified; and his followers were persecuted with the most unrelenting cruelty, first by the Roman emperors, and then by the Roman pontiffs."* It has also been suggested, and with some probability, that the prophecy may have a regard to both the Roman and Mahommedan powers. How "terrible" and how "dreadful" have been the unsparing conquests of the Romans! and how destructive the mutual contests of the ten kingdoms of the western empire throughout the greater portion of their history! Diverse, also, from all before it, has been the cemented civil and ecclesiastical power of "the little horn," exercised to 8 Heb. "people of the Holy Ones.” y Or, "prosperity." c Dan. XI. 36; Rev. xIx. 16. d Dan. II. 34, 35, 44, 45; vii. 26; Job. xxxiv. 20; Rev. xix. 19—21. * Bagster. such a "marvellous" extent "against the God of gods!"-speaking great things!" 66 It is scarcely necessary to reiterate how incalculably the saints have suffered from the cruel wars, crusades, inquisitions, and exterminating murders of the church of Rome! How have the various systems of infidelity, which have emanated from the bosom of this satanic power, exercised the faith of thousands and tens of thousands of the followers of Christ!—and how has "the love of many waxed cold," through her impious and ungodly example! In short, the "iniquity" resulting from her apostacy every where "abounds." But a fiercer persecution, as predicted, is yet to arise from her "sorceries," though the time will be short. 66 By the imposition of unholy fasts, the celebration of blasphemous festivals, &c., "the little horn" has likewise thought to change times," and it has ever been his anxious endeavour to subvert and misapply the "laws of Christ" by the most tyrannous acts and decrees,—and, says Dr. Gill," to dispense with both the laws of God and man." In short, all has been "given into his hand" for a season. The rapidity of the conquests of the Romans is foretold in the eighth chapter, including that of Palestine. By their "taking away the daily sacrifice, and casting down the place of the sanctuary of the Prince of the host," the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem are foretold; as, apparently, the artful and decisive "policy" of the Romans: the "understanding of dark sentences," or, the regard which they paid to the ambiguous answers of their sibyls, &c. and the superstitious practice of augury. perial Rome at length destroyed "the mighty," (probably Im the Redeemer is here signified, as "mighty to save,”) and "the people of the Holy Ones;" which passage, it should be observed, appears to predict the death of Christ, and at the same time discloses the persons of the ever-blessed Trinity, as conjointly effecting our salvation. "In Rev. XIII. there is mention made of two beasts; the former" (ver. 1-10)" describes the Roman empire, the second" (ver. 11-18) " describes the Papacy. The description of the latter is similar to that of Daniel's little horn." Revelation XIII. 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. 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 him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 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. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, a Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, b and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 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. 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. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: B Or, "names." IX. 2, 11, 12, 24. y Gr. "slain." a Rev. XVIII. 18. b John 1. 14; Gr., Col. 11. 9; Heb. c Isai. XIV. 2. |