صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

work necessitates him to be a political fabric, as well as a spiritual one. Having shown briefly, but truly, that the fifth symbol predicted the rise of a great and good people, as a nation in the latter day, we shall particularize all of its prophetic biography.

2. The purity and nobleness of the national character of the ancient of days. These are represented by his garment and his hair; "whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool." The garment of dignity and honor, worn by ancient priests and princes, was white. The hoary head represents honor, age, and great superiority and wisdom.(Sym. Dic.)

3. The nature of his throne. 1. "His throne was like the fiery flame." The word of God is represented as a fire: as, "behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire.”—Jer. v. 14. Fire is also used as the symbol of energy, and purity, and strength: as, "he maketh his angels winds, his ministers a flaming fire." This fiery throne, therefore, represents the purity and energy of God's church. 2. "His wheels as burning fire." These wheels represent locomotion, and the speed with which the nation progresses. Being of fire, and burning fiercely, shows that its progress was irresistible; that its velocity was incalculable; and, that it was a progressive nation. No symbol could more impressively and appropriately express the nature of a lightning age; nor better symbolize expansion over the world. The throne was not to be stationary; it was on wheels; it was to travel; it was to do so rapidly; it was to do so irresistibly; it was to roll forward in terror and fury upon Roman monarchy in Europe and everywhere. 3. The

diffusiveness and destructiveness of his external influence on Europe. This is vividly symbolized. "A fiery stream issued and came forth before him." Fire signifies destructiveness to all impurity; it denotes war and furious vengeance; and also light and truth. A river of lava not only lights up the darkness of the night, but devastates all before it; it removes forests and towns, disrupts hills and mountains, and is utterly resistless. This "fiery stream issuing from, and going before, this Christian nationality, and rolling as a river of lava, indicates not only light and heat, but the terrible revolutions it was to instigate by its influences that went before it. This stream went out against the world, before the nation engaged in judging the world.

4. The number of people that waited upon the ancient, as ministering servants, plainly represent the people who composed this new nationality, and adhered to its Christian principles. Their number is distinctly stated to be "thousand thousands;" this sum is just three millions. It does not say there were thousand or thousands; the word of would have implied multiplication, and as it is left out, the addition of these is rather to be implied. The phrase "time times" is just three times, and so "thousand thousands" is just three thousand. Each thousand, it would seem, should be multiplied into itself, as "the ten thousand times ten thousand" of the wicked are who stood before the judge. Now, multiply each thousand by itself, and add the sums, and they are equal to just three millions.

5. The number that were to be judged. Those who stood before the ancient, were plainly them who were to be judged, and their number is "ten thousand times

ten thousand." This is just equal to a hundred millions of people.

6. The persons to be judged were Europeans. These facts are seen from the very nature of the case. The ancient of days destroyed the beast and the little horn, which represent Roman Europe, church and state together. The judgment when it was set, and the books when they were opened, were set and opened on account of the great words spoken by the little horn, and the ravenous character of the beast.

7. The ancient of days was to have two epochs in his history. The first is that of his rise, or coming; and, the second, that of his destruction of the beast. These facts are seen in the text. "Until the ancient of days. came, and judgment was given to the saints," is plainly one epoch; and "the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom," is plainly another. The sitting of the ancient of days, is also a different epoch from that in which "the judgment was set and the books were opened."

8. The judgment was to be a political one. This is manifest in the work the ancient accomplishes, which is the destruction of the fourth monarchy. Again; as "all judgment is committed to the Son," and as the Son of Man is represented as coming after the judgment of the ancient of days was over, it is plain that the spiritual judgment is not here implied, but a judgment day of a political nature only. This judgment of the ancient corresponds clearly with the one which St. John mentions as occurring at the beginning of the Millennium, for both occur immediately after the destruction of Rome, or after "the thrones were cast down."

[ocr errors]

9. The government of the ancient of days is expressly stated to be a government of the Christians, or a Christian democracy. The term, "the ancient of days and JUDGMENT was given to the saints of the Most High, and the saints possessed the kingdom," is full proof of this. The strength of our affirmation rests in the true definition of the term "judgment given to the saints." The term saints, when the latter day is spoken of, or the Christian dispensation, signifies Christians, for so the Apostles all applied the term. The term judgment, signifies authority to rule or govern, as well as interpret law, or to condemn. We commonly, in our country, give it the specific meaning of the law-interpreting power. But, in scripture, it has a generic sense, and signifies both interpreting and executive power; for, among the Israelites, the shaphetim, or chief executive officer, was called the judge; and these judges interpreted and executed law. Christ says also of the Apostles, that they should sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Here the term judging plainly signifies executive or governmental authority. The "judgments of the Lord," are used by Moses and David, repeatedly, as synonymous with statute law. Indeed, nothing can be plainer, than that the term judgment, as used in the Bible, signifies executive and legislative, as well as interpreting power; it signifies the whole body of government. Governmental authority being, therefore, given into the hands of the saints, or Christians, is, from the nature of the case, synonymous with a democracy.

Again; the very antagonism of the ancient of days to the whole system of monarchy which he destroys, is

prima facie evidence that he was a democracy; and, as his forces were Christians, he represents a Christian democracy.

10. The sitting of the judgment on the beast, represents the decision of the ancient to destroy monarchy, and the accomplishment of it. The opening of the books shows, that the democracy brought up all the history of monarchy, and, on account of its universal character in history, it determined its doom; it represents the actual beginning of the political judgment on Europe.

11. The ancient was plainly a nation beyond the limits of the Roman empire. For a universal monarchy and a great Christian republic, could not exist upon the same territory.

12. The name of the ancient of days, implies its priority of existence, as a nationality in kind. It had ceased to exist, but now rises into being again; indeed, the very coming of the ancient, implies his absence from a position he once occupied. As it was in a Christian dress, it is evident that it must have existed previously in a different style. As there was no democracy in olden times, with which the ancient could be compared except the Hebrew republic of ancient days, it is clear that the allusion is to that. And, as the restoration of Israel to nationality in the latter day, was promised, and, as that nationality was to be a Christian one, it is conclusive, that the ancient of days was the promised nationality of Israel restored-the democracy of Israel in a Christian dress.

13. The exact time of the rise of the ancient of days, is seen in the statement, that three and a half times after the union of church and state in Europe, this Christian

« السابقةمتابعة »