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النشر الإلكتروني

Paragraph III.

THIRD PERIOD OF ROME REORGANIZATION.

Vision."I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time."

It is remarkable that no interpretation of this point is given by the prophets. The other parts of the vision being understood, there will be no trouble in understanding this. As the vision was a chronological one, and as it is plain that the fourth beast was the Roman empire, it is also equally plain, that the broken state represented by the horns, is an entirely different one from that represented by the beast after the coming of the ancient of days. The body of the empire having been broken up, it must of course exist again, in order to realize the prediction, which says, "the beast was slain and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame." The reorganization of the fourth kingdom seems, therefore, inevitable, in order to its final and total destruction as described.

The taking away of the dominion of those beasts, or empires, whose capitals were in Asia, and the prolongation of their lives for some period beyond the destruction of Europe, coincides with the other prophets, who show the Millennial government first to embrace America and Europe, or the white race, and allow Asia to remain pretty much in its former condition. Ancient Rome was an empire in three continents, and so at its reconstruction it will embrace similar portions of three

continents. This coincides with the feet, gold, silver, and brass, of the former vision, with the willful king, who possesses portions of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and with the eighth head of the beast, allied with the kings, who is to be taken with the false prophet, as related by St. John.

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SECTION V.

FIFTH KINGDOM, OR THE ANCIENT OF DAYS, Or United
STATES OF AMERICA.

This vision of Daniel, coincides throughout, with that of Nebuchadnezzar; the one presents us with six kingdoms, so does the other. The final kingdom of the mountain, in the first, corresponds with the final kingdom of the Son of Man, in the second; and the four kingdoms of gold, silver, brass, and iron, coincide with the four kingdoms of the beasts; and the remaining fifth kingdom of stone, in the former, coincides with the fifth kingdom of the ancient of days in the latter.

We may remark, that no regular and systematic interpretation of the ancient of days, has ever been attempted. Opinions, as to its signification, have been given, but the best expositors have passed over it as inexplicable. in their day. We affirm, that it symbolizes the United States of America. Our proofs will be, the coincidence of our country with every point of character the ancient of days was to possess. We now quote Daniel's description:

Vision."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 flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth 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."

Interrogation.—"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; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."

Interpretation.-"But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end."

We shall now show that these passages predict the rise, and progress, and triumph of a Christian empire, or Israel outside of Europe; and, that it was to rise just 1,451 years after church and state union, or on the 4th of July, 1776. Some persons have said, that the ancient of days, was God the Father. Dr. Clarke says, "He is never so called in the scripture elsewhere, nor ever represented as incarnate." This bare assertion by wise men, is by no means sufficient proof of its truth, and the very fact, that no proof its truthfulness was ever pretended, is prima facie evidence of its error. Indeed, nothing can be farther from the truth. We shall not, however, spend time in combating unsustained opinion, but proceed at once, to interpret the vision, and let logical exposition stand opposed to blind conjecture.

1. The ancient of days and his chariot throne, are symbols of a Christian people with a dual nationality. That this man and his throne are symbols, is presumable, because all the rest of the vision is symbolic, and this

part must be so, also, to preserve the harmony of the prophecy. Again; the very fact of its being interpreted to Daniel, shows that it was not literal, but symbolic; and, again, the interpretation itself, shows plainly that it was symbolic.

The whole vision was interpreted in two brief sentences, in which the four beasts are said to be four monarchies, and all the rest of the vision is said to predict the triumphs of the saints or Christians. "These great beasts, which are four, are four kings which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever."

As, therefore, the ancient of days was symbolic, we inquire what it symbolizes. The answer is, that a man as a symbol, always represents a government of some kind or other. Thus, Judah is put for the Jewish nation; so, also, is Israel, and Ephraim, and Jacob. The great image of Nebuchadnezzar's vision, also, represents a body of government; and so, also, does the "Man of sin." The two horned beasts, or false prophet in the book of Revelations, also symbolizes a nation; so, also, a woman is put for an ecclesiastical government; and, in general, a human person represents any organized body of power.

The ancient of days, therefore, as a symbol, must represent a body of government. The throne upon which he sits, being also a symbol, represents a government of some kind. A throne, in scripture, is put for a kingdom; thus, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "only in the throne will I be greater than thou." Again; kingdom and throne are used synonymously; thus, "to translate

the kingdom from the house of Saul; and to set up the throne of David over Israel."-2 Sam. iii. 10. By all the oneirocritics, a throne is explained of power. These two symbols representing governments, must, as they are united, represent a dual government. And this dual character exactly coincides with the two departments of Israel that were to be restored in the latter day, called Judah and Israel, or the Christian church, and the civil government arising from it.

Again; as the ancient of days coincides with the stone kingdom, his throne must coincide with the mountain, out of which the stone was carved. This position is further proved by the text itself.

The vision represents the ancient of days as destroying Roman Europe; this is a clear case. It also represents him as giving the kingdom to the Son of Man, after he had taken it. Now, the interpretation says, the saints shall take the kingdom, and the people of the saints shall possess it: the saints and the people of the saints. are represented as synonymous with the throne and the ancient upon it. Again; the vision emphatically shows that these people of saints, existed in a terrible and glorious organization; for all of the imagery representing them is most vividly organic. Again; the thousand thousands that ministered to the ancient, shows that an organic mass of people were united to execute one single design. But farther still; the work which the ancient had on hand, shows that he represents a nationality: his work was to destroy a mighty empire; to overthrow Europe; to cast down thrones; to sit in judgment on a hundred millions of people, and to annihilate the empire church, as well as the Roman state of Europe. Such a

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