Sept. 1, 1865.

was the sixth. Verse 11 tells us of " an eighth" (not a head in himself, but an individual portion of an head) "who is of the seven;"—who is the last and greatest of all manifestations of the power of the beast, so much so as to be actually called the beast himself; all the power of the beast being apparently revived by and merged into, and concentrated in him; and yet who, being only an individual, is not deemed worthy of representation by any separate eighth head, but goes to fill up the complement of one of the preceding seven. I have already alluded to the opinion entertained by several writers, that the relationship of this eighth to the preceding seven is, that he will be actually one of them raised from the dead. Thus they regard him as all the more fit to simulate our adorable Lord, and to say of himself, "I am the Christ of God!" To this opinion, although I agree in very many other respects with those who hold it, there seems to me to be several objections. If it be so, in the first place, all the seven heads must needs be individuals, my reasons for questioning which, I have already stated. But, further, such an opinion seems at manifest variance with the predictions concerning the Antichrist which we meet in Daniel. In chap. vii. 8, he is described as a little horn coming up among the other horns." In chap. xi. 21, he is described as "a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom, but he shall come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom by flatteries."

It seems to me exceedingly difficult indeed to reconcile such predictions as these with the idea of one supernaturally appearing in resurrection power. Besides, is it not ascribing too much power to Satan to affirm that he shall raise up an individual from the dead? Is not resurrection the exclusive prerogative of the Lord Jesus Christ? The ground of this belief seems to be in the first place a supposed necessity for resurrection power in one who is successfully to personate the Messiah. But may we not ask to whom is this representation to be made, and with whom will it succeed? Will it not be mainly, if not exclusively, with unbelieving Jews, who, be it remembered, reject with scorn the notion of Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, or of his having risen from the dead; and whose sole expectation of Messiah is of a mighty temporal deliverer, the character in which, and not that of a crucified and risen Redeemer, the Antichrist will offer himself to them. Unbelieving Gentiles are also, no doubt, in vast numbers to worship the Antichrist; but they will do so, it is evident, not through any mistaken notion of his being the risen and glorified Redeemer, but either attracted to him by the principle of hero-worship or worship of wealth and power, or else compelled to yield him homage through the dread of persecution and death. Neither of these instances, however, will by any means necessitate his being a resurrection person in order to his reception. But this opinion is further grounded upon the expressions as applied in Revelation to the Antichrist, that "he ascended out of the bottomless pit," and that "he was, and is not, and yet is" (or shall be). Here, however, it is but fair to ask if the beast be not represented (chap. xiii. 1.) as "rising up out of the sea?" Is not this manifestly a figurative expression, and if so, is not the ascent of the beast out of "the bottomless pit," or "abyss" figurative also? Again, is not the bottomless pit, or "abyss" an altogether

Sept. 1, 1865.

different place from either Hades or the grave? Is it not a place for devils, not the intermediate place of either the souls or the bodies of lost men? Compare Luke viii. 31, Greek, with Rev. xi. 7; xvii. 8; xx. 1-3.

Is it not from Hades that the soul, or from the grave that the body, of a resurrection Antichrist, supposing him to be such, should ascend? Is not his ascent from the bottomless pit, the place of devils, not of men, evidently a figurative expression, like that of the ascent from the sea, denoting the Satanic origin and character of the power which he is to exercise? Again, as regards the expression "was, is not, and yet is," can we not find for it a much more simple and satisfactory, a much less violent or unlikely exposition than that of a dead monarch of the past thus raised again to life? It seems to me that we can. It is, as we have seen, a remarkable feature in the history of the beast that he becomes non-existent and revives again. If we suppose a period in his history at which any one of his seven successional heads (the life of a beast is in his head) dies without its successor springing up into immediate vitality, does not the interval between the death of the one head and the rise of that successor furnish us with the time of his nonexistence? If then with this thought in our minds, we turn to chap. xiii. 3, we read in the vision of the beast there given (the same sevenheaded and ten-horned beast), "I saw one of his heads wounded," or, as we read it in the margin, "slain to death." Does not this seem clearly to indicate the reason why, and the time at which this beast "that was" "is not," is in his state of non-existence ?

Again, in chap. xvii. 11, we read, "and the beast that was and is not even he is the eighth." Does not this point to "the eighth which is of the seven," as the one in whom the non-existent beast becomes revivified? If so the period of non-existence must of necessity fall in between the seventh head and the eighth, and the seventh must be the one that is slain by the sword. (Chap. xiii. 14.) We have, moreover, further confirmation of this in the statement (chap. xiii. 3.) that "the deadly wound is healed," and verse 14, that "the beast which had the wound did live," both taken in connection with the assertion (Chap. xvii. 11.) that "the beast which was and is not even he is the eighth-that is, he is revived in the eighth, whose existence is not so much a separate one as a continuation or revivication of that of the seventh. If then, it can be shown from history that the seventh head, supposing such to be not an individual, but a distinct form of government, was slain-came, in the dynasty and the individual by whom its power was wielded, to a sudden and violent end :-that for a period of thirty-seven years it continued dead, and the beast without a head, and therefore non-existent, and that after that period of non-existence that very same form of government was restored in the restoration most sudden and unexpected of the former dynasty, and in the rise of another individual assuming the same name, and wielding under similar titles the same authority; does not this look very like a fulfilment of the prophecy without our being compelled to await its fulfilment in the resurrection of one of the old Roman Emperors from the dead? Does not this view also meet and remove the objection of the seventh head being only an individual, inasmuch as, if it be correct, the seventh

Sept. 1, 1865.

head is a form of government, differing in origin, character, titles, in all, in short, that can constitute difference from the preceding, and exercised by two individuals with a predicted interval between ?

Upon the very remarkable fulfilment of this portion of the vision, (if we are indeed to interpret it thus,) which is at this present time taking place before our eyes, it is not my present purpose to enlarge. It is sufficiently obvious to all. I am as far as any of the readers of, or writers in THE RAINBOW can possibly be, from regarding the last Antichrist as actually revealed at present. I believe that if he exists at all it is but in embryo. That he must so exist for some short time previous to his full development, I think that the predictions of Daniel already quoted put beyond question, That prayerful, watchful students of God's prophetic word will see enough in the circumstances of his embryo condition, to cause them to entertain at least a very strong suspicion, amounting almost, if not altogether to certainty, as to who and what he is, is, I think, what we may reasonably expect. Of course the unwatchful and the unbelieving, and may we not add, those who are obstinately wedded to preconceived systems of prophetic interpretation, will turn all such suspicions into ridicule will neither detect him in embryo, nor in full revelation by-and-bye, I believe that the times in which our lot is cast are beyond expression the most momentous, the most significant of any that have as yet come upon our world. I believe that while alike upon the social, the religious, the political horizons, there is the dense gathering of appalling thunder clouds-there are in each alike (visible it is true, only to the uplifted eye of faith,) the bright streaks that herald a rapidly approaching dawn. It is under this conviction that I venture to contribute this attempt at a consistent interpretation of this remarkable prophecy to the pages of our much needed and most useful periodical, humbly trusting that the God who brings strength out of weakness, may thereby stir up its readers the more vigilantly to watch, and the more carnestly to pray.

THE Psalmist refers to the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he says, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed; saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." The "anointed" is that blessed One who is appointed to be king over all the earth. Jehovah says concerning Him-"Yet have I set my king upon the holy hill of Zion;" and he says to him-" Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." This is the inheritance which belongs to the Church in virtue of her

Sept. 1, 1865.

joint-heirship with Christ. Thus we have another landmark of truthviz., that each member of the body of Christ enters on the kingdom through his union with Christ, it being a part of that which Christ purchased for him, and confers on him in free unmerited grace. Another landmark of truth was given, with Scripture proof, in our last article, viz., that Christ giving the kingdom to all His members, apportions the places in it, according to His own will, in the way which He has laid down for Himself—that is, having prepared them for their several places during their walk and service now, he sets them in those several places then. Thus he once said to a few of them :-" Ye which have followed me-in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory-ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

If we revert to the second Psalm, we shall get another landmark of truth. The Psalmist after stating Jehovah's promise to the Anointed One, which has been already quoted :-"Ask of me," &c.—says, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." It is thus, that is by judgments,—— that "the Son of Man shall send forth His angels (or messengers,) and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;" and it is to this that the prophets also speak:-"When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." (Isaiah xxvi. 9.) "Behold, is it not of the Lord of Hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Habak. ii. 13, 14. All the Lord's people expect a time when peace and righteousness shall prevail on the earth. This is too clearly set forth in the word of God for any one to remain in doubt respecting it. Many Christians are expecting the introduction of this reign of Christ and universal blessing, through the gradual progress of the Gospel, An increasing number of the Lord's people, searching God's word to know the truth, confidently look for things and men to wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived-iniquity abounding, and the love of many waxing cold-Antichrist permitted to rise, and "head up" the iniquity of the last perilous times-the cup of iniquity filled to the brim-and then the kingdom taken by Christ, who gathers His people to himself, and then comes forth with them, as we read in Jude " Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 14, 15. The Scriptures then give us this further landmark of truth, that is not by the gradual progress of Gospel truth, but amid the fearful judgments which attend His personal appearing and presence that the Lord sets up and establishes his kingdom.

The Church is bid to wait and watch for her Lord; and in respect to other purposes of God which concern Israel and the Gentiles, they wait for the consummation of this evil age. The disciples on the Mount of Olives, enquired:-"What is the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matt. xxiv. 3.) It is the end of the age or dispen

Sept. 1, 1865.

"Thou

sation which is also referred to in the same chapter-" the end is not yet"-" then shall the end come; " also in the last verse of Matthew's Gospel-"I am with you always, unto the end of the age;" and also in Luke xxi., "the end is not by and by."-" When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh."-" When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." We read in Hebrews, ii. 5, "Unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the habitable earth to come [or in the coming age] whereof we speak;" and the Apostle goes on to say, quoting the Eighth Psalm, that it is under Jesus as God's man-even the God-man-that it is put. madest him a little [while] lower than the angels; [then] thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things in subjection under his fect." The Apostle, however, clearly points out that this putting of all things under the feet of Jesus is then in purpose only, for he adds, "But now we see not yet all things put under him." It is at the end of the age, and during the progress of "the day of the Lord," that all things shall be seen put under Him, and He shall reign in manifested power. The day of His manifested dominion is also the day of "the manifestation of the Sons of God." (Rom. viii. 19.) Meanwhile, and until that day, Christ sits at Jehovah's right hand, as we read-" The Lord said unto my lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." But when that day arrives, the "great voices in heaven shall declare that "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever;" and when Christ thus reigns, "crowned with glory and honour," we shall reign with Him, for "the Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and IF CHILDREN, THEN HEIRS; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

Peter in his address to the men of Israel in Solomon's porch, said, "He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Adding this scripture to that which we have already seen, we identify the kingdom in its manifestation with the "times of restitution." Let us look into the Word of God again, and endeavour to arrive at a general outline of the things to be restored. In Genesis we shall find:-

1st. God's six days of creation work, and God looking on "everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."

2nd. Man made in the image and likeness of God, and having dominion over everything which God had created on the earth.

3rd. Paradise, or the Garden of Eden, planted in the midst of the earth as the abode of our first parents.

4th. God vouchsafing to his creatures the privilege of communion and intercourse with himself.

Into the midst of all that, Satan enters-sin is introduced-man becomes a fallen creature, and God's creation is brought under a curse.