the duration of the life, of one monarch only. This violation of consistency or homogeneity is still more apparent when he proceeds to the interpretation of the four beasts of Dan. vii.

There are also some valuable observations in Mr. Frere's Symbolical Dictionary, among which the following is selected, as worthy of consideration.-"We must distinguish, in the Revelation of St. John, between that which makes a part of the machinery of the prophecy, and that which belongs to the prophecy itself. Commentators, from not adverting to this distinction, have interpreted the silence of half an hour, which immediately precedes the sounding of the seven trumpets, as if it were symbolical; whereas it is only part of the machinery, or a pause in the representation," (p. 97.) A writer in the Investigator, (vol. iii. p. 144,) puts the same matter in a forcible manner: "As the whole time of the visions seen by the apostle was clearly the space of a single day, so prophetic intervals of time are never represented as passing in the vision, but are simply stated for the information of the church; when, for the very purpose of avoiding incongruity, there is a change from vision to narrative, and then to vision again. (See chap. ix. 10, xi. 1, 2, 3, 9, xii. 6, 14, xiii. 5, xx. 7—9.) The silence therefore of chap. viii. 1. is single and peculiar, being unlike all other times mentioned, which are prophetic statements for our information. It is an absolute pause in the course of the visions themselves,-a pause as of half an hour, in visions that lasted at the most for a single day, perhaps for only part of a day. If then, instead of reading the book, we enter into the spirit of the record, the mark of the close and recommencement of the visions would be as striking, as if our eye in reading met with a blank of half a page.-"We can conceive no other reason for which such a pause should be made; a rest in the prophetic actions being never so denoted, but by some voice (as chap. xi. 12) implying an interval of time." In a note this writer adds "The above view of the silence in heaven, as a pause in the vision before commencing afresh, and not a prophetic period, (which are always announced, and not seen to pass in the vision,) is strongly confirmed by the indefinite term Es μsæpiov, "about the space of half an hour," in contrast with all the prophetic periods, which are definite; to denote that it was the prophet's estimate of an interval for which he had no certain measure."

Before the subject of symbolical language in the general is dismissed, it will be proper to observe, that in the Apocalypse, as in Daniel, besides those passages of a literal character which are interwoven with all figurative prophecy, and without which they could have no definite meaning,-there is disposed

throughout the book a complete series of explanatory indices, which, like buoys and lighthouses at sea, are intended to afford us special intimation of our bearings.

Some of these shall be instanced for the information of the reader, the literal expository matter being marked in italic letters.

"The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches." Chap. i. 20.

"There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." Chap. iv. 5.

"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." Chap. v. 6. See also Zech. iii. 9, and iv. 16.

"The four-and-twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints." Chap. v. 8.

*

"What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?"—"These are they which came out of THE great tribulation, &c." Chap. vii. 13-16.

"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, &c."— These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the God of the earth." Chap. xl. 3, 4. The reference is evidently to Zech. iv. 2, 3, and 11-14, where matter explanatory of the symbols is to be found.

"Their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, &c." Chap. xi. 8. "Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” Chap. xiii. 18.

"I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the dragon, beast, and false prophet"-For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, &c. Chap. xvi. 13, 14.

"The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth." Chap. xvii. 9.

"The ten horns which thou sawest-are ten kings." Chap. xvii. 12.

"The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Chap. xvii.

15.

"The woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Chap. xvii. 18.

To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine

*The article exists in the original; and it is important to notice it, for some think the allusion in this passage is to the great tribulation spoken of in Dan. xii. 1. and Matt. xxiv. 21.

linen, &c.-for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." Chap

xix. 8.

"I am of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus:"for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

10.

Chap. xix. "The dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan." Chap. xx. 2.

10.

"Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." Chap. xiii.

"Here is the patience of the saints." Chap. xiv. 12. "This is the first resurrection." Chap. xx. 5.

"This is the second death." Chap. xx. 14.

The four last of the above instances, it will be perceived, are not so much the interpretation of symbols as of the whole of a vision, or part of a vision. They are like the descriptive titles under a picture, announcing to us the subject of it. Two others of the examples, viz. the number of the beast, and the seven heads which are mountains, are still explained in an enigma; but this is especially announced to the reader by"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count, &c."-"Here is the mind that hath wisdom."

In this manner then, viz. by determining the verbal meaning of the text, by studying the synchronisms and parallel passages, and by ascertaining the meaning of the symbols, the student may be prepared for the interpretation of the whole, or parts of the apocalypse. And let it not be thought that to be able satisfactorily to determine the meaning even of a part, though it be only one single feature or circumstance of a vision, is unimportant. Mr. Frere has remarked that a correct view of the general system and outline of the apocalypse, solves at once many of the minor questions; and that it is consequently much more profitable to endeavour to obtain a correct view of it as a whole, than to consider only detached portions.* Mr. Cuninghame also considers himself entitled to demand from an expositor the interpretation of the whole, or, at least, an outline and a diagram giving a synoptical view of the arrangement of the entire prophecy, before he will entertain any exposition of a detached part, however plausible. There can be no doubt that superior advantage will lie, where Mr. Frere has justly placed it, in a study of the whole; but in a large and complicated prophecy, like that of the Apocalypse, it appears to be important if we can obtain a sure and fixed interpretation of only one incident of it. The stone which

See his exposition in the Investigator, New Series, vol. i. p. 81; where he illustrates his point by shewing that a correct interpretation of the epistles to the seven churches serves to fix the meaning of Rev. xx. 4-6.

the French discovered in 1798 near Rosetta, on which was an inscription in hieroglyphic and in the Egyptian and Greek languages, would be an important step, if it should ever be properly and clearly deciphered, towards the solution of all the hieroglyphic writings; and why should not similar results follow, in regard to the visions of St. John, if only we could obtain a clue for further developement by the unequivocal signification being determined of any one part?.

The reader may be further assured, that should he be enabled to make no discovery of importance, and apparently but little progress towards understanding the interpretations of others, he will nevertheless derive much personal edification by studying the Apocalypse in connexion with the prophecies of the Old Testament; so true is it that a blessing rests upon "him that readeth, and on them that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein."

CHAPTER X.

ON TIME MYSTICALLY EXPRESSED.

There is one point connected with the symbolical language of Daniel and St. John, which it may be convenient more particularly to discuss in this place, before proceeding to the consideration of the Antichrist, as being intimately connected with the controversies on that subject; viz. the denotation of time by mystical or figurative expressions. Most of the popular treatises on prophecy, particularly those which have obtained since the Reformation, are based upon the principle, that the dates, which are for the most part used in these two prophecies, are couched in enigmatical terms; but this opinion has been by the Roman Catholics in former years vehemently opposed, and is in the present day impugned by some Protestant writers of considerable learning, talents, and piety. If their objections to this mode of interpreting prophecy be valid, and periods of time are always to be literally understood, unless there be an express intimation to the contrary, then must those treatises and expositions, to which allusion has just been made, be discarded, since the interpretations which they offer must of necessity be applied to wrong persons and things. It is impossible, for example, that the PAPACY can be viewed

as Antichrist, if it can be shewn that the term of his duration was to be for no longer a period than 1260 natural days; but if the days, months, and times of Scripture may be proved to be susceptible of a more extended signification, then such an interpretation appears necessary as will at least include the mystical view of the dates. Into this subject, therefore, some inquiry must now be made.

The question resolves itself into two principal heads: first, whether time may be viewed at all as symbolically or enigmatically expressed; and secondly, if it may be so viewed, what portion of time do the terms given signify.

1. The examination of the first point will pretty well determine the second; but in proceeding to it, some excellent remarks of Daubuz, in regard to time expressed symbolically, it will be useful to keep in view. He says "It is not to be expected that we should give philosophical demonstrations of these matters; they will not bear it."-"There is no efficient cause in the symbols, upon which alone philosophical reasonings and demonstrations are grounded."-Affinity and similitude are the principles they go upon."-"But if we may call that a demonstration which fully proves the truth of the proposition by such arguments as are proper to the subject matter, then we may have demonstration even in this matter." Page 53.

We may now turn to a passage in numbers xiv. 33, 34— "And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty YEARS, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness: after the number of the DAYS in which ye searched the land-forty DAYS, each day for a year-shall ye bear your iniquities-forty YEARS; and ye shall know my breach of promise." Here it is clear that a limited period of forty days, which were occupied by a certain transaction, is taken as the ground-work for determining a more extended period of forty years, which is the appointed time for another event. It is not to the present purpose to inquire what relationship there is between the searching of the land and the wandering in the wilderness, that the one should be in some sort erected into the type of the other; or at least that its term or period should be adopted as the miniature scale by which the latter should be measured. I confess I do not see it; but the Lord inserts nothing in the Scriptures in vain; and as it would have been sufficient, were there no significancy intended by this circumstance, simply to have declared that the Israelites should wander forty years, without any reference to the forty days of searching the land, it does appear to me that occasion is here taken obliquely to bring before the Church