صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

its existence, but teaches us that it was to have a representative existence down to the very end of monarchy. Thus Daniel said, that though the empire should be broken, the strength of iron should abide in it until the destruction of the reconstructed empire should transpire; and John says, it should have a representative existence in seven heads and ten horns, or in ten great empires and many small kingdoms. These empires have been the Western, Charlemagne's, the Papal, the empire of Charles V., the British, the French, and now Russia is the seventh, or eighth. Eight empires are found, by counting in the Roman before its disruption, and seven since that time.

Russia, being the last power of the seven, is to go into destruction, and is the one at which the king of the south is to "push."

The ships of Chittim, and arms, and the willful king, and the strange god, of this prophecy, coincide with the iron, and iron and clay, of the great image; with the fourth beast, his ten horns, and little horn; and with the little horn from one of the four horns of the he goat, and the king of fierce countenance. The willful king is, also, synonymous with ARMS, and Chittim.

This period endings of

Twelfth. "And at the time of the end." was to be that between the first and last the three and a half times, or between 1776 and 1878, or between the 1290 and 1335 days. During this period, this willful king was to come to his end; but, before his end, he was to engage in war for some outlying countries, and was to be interrupted by two great powers, but was to conquer and prosper, till the "last end of the indignation." As this was to be the great

monarchy power represented by the image that was to be broken by the stones, (since it was Rome,) it is evident that its head must be in Europe, and must be the empire represented by the septimo-octave head of the beast in Revelation. Now, the great power which fills half of Europe and overshadows and controls the rest, is the rising colossus Russia; Russia, therefore, must be the power intended, as falling in the holy mountain. Now, as Ezekiel, almost literally, describes Russia as falling on the mountains of Israel, in the latter day, he furnishes further evidence that the fourth kingdom, in the time of the end, was to be resurrected in, or by, Russia. The willful kingdom, was an autocrat among nations, and so is the Russian kingdom.

Thirteenth. "The king of the south, shall push or butt at him; and the king of the north, shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships."

The two kingdoms, under the names north and south, are to be identified by their relative positions to the Russian power, or to each other. The king, or kingdom of the south, would, very naturally, apply to Turkey, on the south of Russia, but as Turkey exists by the sufferance of France and England, it is possible, that the two great western powers, which hold to each other the relation of north and south, may be intended. At any rate, the southern king makes a short fight of it, if any thing is to be understood by the figure of butting at the willful king, or he brings on the fight. The kingdoms of Syria and Egypt, called the kingdoms of the north and south, held about the same close relation to each other, and to Rome, that England and France do to each other and to

Russia; only, they were on the east of Rome, and the case is now just reversed. The king of the north, is Great Britain. This is evident from its northern position, as a great power, and from the immense naval, as well as land forces, it possesses. No nation, but a very great one, would attack the autocratic king; and no nation has such a navy as Britain. This north nation, was to come like a whirlwind, with his great naval and land forces, which are indicated by "many ships," and chariots, and horsemen." The attack was to be great and furious, but, finally, unsuccessful; for the autocrat moves right on to his purpose, and more than gains it, according to the prophet.

[ocr errors]

Fourteenth. "He shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow, and pass over."

His entering the countries, intimates that this was his original design, in which he had been interrupted by the two great powers that had confederated against him. England and France, or England and Turkey, will unite against Russia. And it seems as if a considerable effort was to be made to check Russia's designs; yet Russia is to take the countries this side the crossings, and is then to pass over into Asia, it would seem. The word "overflow," signifies the great increase of his armies. and triumphs. To "pass over," implies the advancement of conquest, by some great crossing, into a new scene of warfare.

Fifteenth. "He shall enter into the glorious land." This at once reveals his advancement into Palestine. and shows that the passing over related to the conquest of Asia Minor, and the Turkish empire generally.

Sixteenth. "Many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon." This would literally imply the conquest of a great portion of Asiatic Turkey, with some exceptions. These were conquests in Asia.

Seventeenth. "He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape." This expression implies the exertion of severe sovereignty. African countries are here referred to, as Egypt is used as a specific for a generic term, or a part for the whole. "He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt."

Eighteenth. "The Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his steps." This still further teaches the unlimited dominion over Africa in the west and south. Thus having obtained nearly all Europe, Asia, and Africa, he becomes indomitable, and his empire almost limitless; it emulates old Rome, as the possessor of three continents.

Nineteenth. "But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him." While engaged in these southern conquests, he hears news, from two directions, which enrages him. The eastern news may be from Asia or America, and the northern news is from Europe or Britain.

Twentieth. "Therefore shall he go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many." The Russian empire has two great final works to do; the first is to destroy the Roman church in Europe, and the other is to attack the United States. The tidings from the east and north, may be the news of the disaffection

of the papal power on account of the superiority which Russia gives to the Greek church, and on account of holy places in Judea. The word tidings seems also to indicate great insurrections.

Twenty-first. "He shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain.” As the Roman power restored was to attack Israel restored, and be overthrown, so the willful king, or autocrat, is here seen planting his imperial tents for battle in the land of Israel restored. The term "holy mountain," signifies the Christian country and government. The term "between the seas," is most graphically expressive of the situation of our Christian democracy between the Atlantic and the Pacific; and, we doubt not but the description here is to the same effect as that given by Ezekiel, when he says Russia shall fall on the mountains of Israel: "He shall come to his end, and none shall help him.'

[ocr errors]

SECTION IV.

MICHAEL-UNITED STATES.

"And at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince, which standeth for the children of thy people." We shall now show that the United States is represented by Michael, and that the time of trouble is the destruction of monarchy by our country.

First. The time of the standing up of Michael, is the time of the destruction of the willful king, which we have seen was to be in "the time of the end," and

« السابقةمتابعة »