CHAPTER I

Showing that Daniel’s Prophecies teach us, When the latter day glory will commence; when the kingdoms of this world shall be broken in pieces, and carried away by the glorious kingdom of Christ; when the judgment shall set, and the books shall be opened

In the 2nd chapter of Daniel, beginning with the 31st verse and ending with the 45th, we have a prophecy of the four kingdoms which would arise in the world, from that same time, until the end of all earthly kingdoms. This prophecy was revealed, first, to Nebuchadnezzar, afterwards to Daniel in a dream, together with the interpretation thereof. It was represented by an image, whose brightness to excellent, and the form thereof terrible. The head of the image “was of ‘fine gold,” representing, as Daniel has explained it in the 38th verse, the Chaldean kingdom under Nebuchadnezzar. “The breast and arms of silver,” denoted the Mede and Persian kingdom, which began in Cyrus after the destruction of the Babylonish kingdom, and was composed of two lines of kings, first the Medes, afterwards the Persians, very fitly represented by breast and arms. This Kingdom began about 536 before Christ, and ended 336, lasting about 200 years. “Belly and thighs of brass,” representing the Grecian monarchy which began to fulfil this prophecy under Alexander the conqueror 336 years before Christ, and lasted about 178 years, including the four kingdoms into which Alexander’s was divided at his death, and finally subdued by the Romans about 158 years before Christ, which last kingdom is properly and fitly represented, by the “legs and feel” of the image, “part iron and part clay.” “He saw until a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, which smote the image upon his feet which were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them” Daniel 2:34, 35. The reader will readily perceive, that the kingdoms of this world must be totally and utterly destroyed when this prophecy is fulfiled. For all that is like the gold, the silver, the brass, the iron and the day must be swept away together, and that the kingdom of Christ, represented by the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, will fill the whole earth. In the 7th chapter of Daniel, we have another prophecy of the same things, which Daniel calls a vision, in which he saw, under the figure of “four great beasts,” coming up from the sea, diverse one from the other. “The first was like a Lion and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.” Daniel 7:4. This verse alludes clearly to the Chaldean kingdom under Nebuchadnezzar; the lion denoting power and great authority, the eagle’s wings the exaltation and glory, being plucked, showed Nebuchadnezzar that his exaltation and glory would depart from him for a season, and be would be taught that he was no more than a man, for after suffering the want of his reason for a little time, he would have a man’s heart restored to him, and learn that the most high ruled-this is the head of gold.ESH 7.1

The “second beast like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it, between the teeth, and they said thus unto it, arise devour much flesh.” This is a prophecy of the Mede and Persian kingdom; which conquered Babylon, by the, figure of the bear, representing that lust for conquest, and showing by the figure, that this government would have three separate kingdoms under its authority, by the “three ribs in the mouth of it,” to wit. Chaldean, Mede, and Persian, and that it would be governed by a line of kings from one of these nations only, when it began its conquests. “Raised up itself on one side,” Cyrus the conqueror of Babylon being a Mede; and by the expression, “arise, devour much flesh,” we are taught that they would subdue many and populous kingdoms, which proved to be true, for in the days of Ahasuerus, he reigned from India even unto Ethiopia over an hundred and twenty-seven provinces. This kingdom agrees with the breast and arms of silver. Daniel 7:5.ESH 8.1

“And after this I beheld and, lo, another like Leopard which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.” Daniel 7:6. This beast represents the Grecian kingdom under Alexander the first king, which kingdom was divided into four parts at his death, shown in the vision, by the four wings of a fowl, and also established into four separate kingdoms, denoted by the four heads. Alexander it is said conquered the then known world, which is expressly noticed in the vision of the image, Daniel 2:39, “which shall bear rule over all the earth,” and also in the vision under consideration by these words, “and dominion was given to it.” This Grecian kingdom then is the same as the belly and thighs of brass in the image vision.ESH 8.2

And “after this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly: and it bad great iron teeth: it devoured and break in piece, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.” 7th verse. This is a very noted prophecy of the Roman kingdom and much is contained in this vision of the fourth kingdom represented by this dreadful and terrible beast-not like any other least, or Daniel would have told us what one. But like them all, as represented by John, Revelation 13:2 “And the beast that I saw was like unto a Leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a Bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion.” This has been fulfilled in the Roman government, for Rome conquered with the celerity of an Alexander or Leopard. She stamped upon and as many provinces as the Medes and Persians, the bear. She claimed, and exercised the same authority as Nebuchadnezzar; exalting and opposing herself above all that is called God. And like Nebuchadnezzar she destroyed Jerusalem, and has persecuted the people of the living God, like the lion. “And it had ten horns,” answering to the ten toes of the image, and both together allude to the ten kingdoms, into which the Western or Roman empire was divided, about A. D. 476 by the Goths, Huns, and Vandals. “I considered the horns, and, behold there came up among them a little horn.” This little horn is in my opinion the papal power which arose on, or among these ten kingdoms, immediately after these pagan kings were converted to Christianity, they, by the dazzling splendor of this new religion, gave up a large share of their authority to the bishop of Rome, by which means he soon claimed and exercised the papal power. “Before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots,” viz. Spain, Italy, and Germany, and given to Charlemagne, of France, by the Pope’s authority. “And, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of men, and a mouth speaking great things.”-Showing that this power would, like man, lust after the riches and honors of the world, and exercise great authority. “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 like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” 9th verse. This verse is so obvious, that it needs no comment. It is a description of the Judge of all the earth when he comes to Judgment.ESH 8.3

“A fiery stream issued and came forth from 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.” 10th verse. “This verse represents him coming to burn up the wicked, to raise and bring his saints into his presence, and commence the judgment. “I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld, even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.” 11th verse. In this verse we have a clear prophecy that papal Rome, or the little horn, will not be destroyed until Christ shall come, and then their bodies will be burnt in the conflagration of the world. “As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.” 12th verse. The rest of the beasts spoken of in this verse, are the remainder of the ten horns, or kingdoms which were not plucked up by the little horn, although their power would not be supreme, being more or less under the influence or dominion, of the church of Rome, or little horn; still they would exist in a distinct state until this day of Judgment; and the prophet has now gone back to see what had become of these other kingdoms, that he might have all present at this last grand scene, and he finds them, as he says, with their dominion taken away but their lives prolonged even to the coming of the son of man; for be goes on to say, “I saw in the night vision, and, behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” 13th verse. In this verse we have a plain prophecy of Christ’s second coming when he will present his bride, the church, to the Ancient of days without spot or wrinkle. “And there was given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass, away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” 14th verse. In this passage we are carried into the glorified, and eternal state of the kingdom of Christ, when his elect from among all people, nations, and languages will be brought into his immediate presence, to serve and obey him forever. “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.” 15th verse. “I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made me know the interpretation of the things.” 16th verse. “These great beasts which are four, are four kings which shall arise out of the earth.” 17th verse. The same kingdoms we have before described, viz. Chaldean, Mede and Persian, Grecian, and Roman. “But the saints of the most high shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.” 18th verse. “Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass, which devoured, break in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet.” 19th verse. In this verse we are told that the fourth, or Roman kingdom, would be different from all others; this was true with Rome, for she not only combined all governments into one, but she was actually ruled by all forms of governments-she not only claimed the civil power, but the ecclesiastical also, both in her pagan, and papal state; the devoured land break in pieces the Jews, and has stamped and persecuted the church of Christ, in this verse called “residue,” from its earliest ages to the present period, or until about A. D. 1798. “And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell: even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.” 20th verse. The ten horns are ten kingdoms into which Rome was divided A. D. 476. The principle kingdoms were France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Great Britain-the lesser kingdoms authors disagree in-but Dr. Gill names Portugal, Scotland, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden. That the five first were a part of the Roman Empire there is no doubt, and but little doubt, that a part if not all of the last, are the ten kingdoms alluded to, by the ten horns. “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them,” (21st verse,)-“Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” 22nd verse. One thing is very evident in the above verses, viz. That Antichrist will make war upon the saints and prevail against them until Christ comes to judgment, and teaches us that there can be no universal reign of the church in this militant state. “Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.” 23rd verse. “And the ten horns, out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.” 24th verse. “And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand, until a time and times and the dividing of time.” 25th verse. In the foregoing verses we have a description of the little horn, or Antichrist the papal beast, her blasphemies against God, wearing out the saints, changing the laws of God, and the time she should reign, viz. 1260 years or prophetic days, time being one prophetic year or 360 prophetic days, times being two prophetic years or 720 prophetic days, and a half is 180 prophetic days, making in all 1260 natural years. The scripture rule for reckoning a day for a year will be found in Numbers 14:34, and Ezekiel 4:6, also in the fulfilment of Daniel’s seventy weeks which we shall speak of in its proper place.-“But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.” 26th verse. In this verse, we are informed that when God shall come to judgment, the dominion and power of Antichrist will be wholly destroyed, therefore, we must not expect the complete overthrow of the power of papacy, until the judgment of the great day. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” 27th verse, see also Matthew 13:37 to 43 and 16:27. This is the kingdom which all saints will inherit after their resurrection in the glorious state, because it is to be everlasting, and in the greatness of the kingdom, that is in its completion, it is also after Antichrist ceases to trouble the church or trample on her, for in the kingdom spoken of in this text, “All dominions shall serve and obey him,” that is Christ, “hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart.” Here we have the end of Daniel’s first, or evening vision, and the important things therein prophecied of have a large share of them been already fulfilled, and literally too, according to the true intent and meaning of the figures used. That Daniel considered this vision of great and vital importance, (of great, or why did it trouble him, and why did it cause his countenance to change? Of vital importance, or why keep the matter in his heart?) is evident. And if it was important to him, surely it must be to us on whom the end of the world hath come, and if Daniel was permitted to inquire, when shall these things be? surely we may go on with our inquiry after the truth of these things. If God has revealed to Daniel any thing which concerned the prophet to know at that day, why not us at the present? Some say, prophecy is revealed to us in enigmas, on purpose to perplex or puzzle, if so let me be perplexed, I but fulfil the design. But the writer does not believe this doctrine. That God has revealed himself in good faith, is a sentiment, abundantly proved by the scripture. See Psalm 119:97 to 113. 2 Timothy 3:13 to 17. 2 Peter 1:20, 21. That God has been fit to present important truths to the mind of man by easy figures and families objects, we do not wish to wish to deny, for in this answer truth is more lastingly impressed, and the ideas are conveyed not only through the ear, but by the eye also. For instance-whoever read this vision in Daniel, with any anxiety to understand, and should afterwards see lion, but would remember that in studying the Prominent features, parts, or qualities of the animal, he was learning the same prominent characteristics of the Chaldean kingdom? Or, whoever saw a husbandman sowing his grain, but would remember how the seed of Christ’s kingdom is sowed, and its effects?ESH 9.1

Then let us proceed to the study, and endeavor to understand the 8th chapter of Daniel, which is his morning vision, and which stands inseparably connected with the three last beasts in the former vision, and the three last in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, called kingdoms. Daniel 8:1. “In the third year of the reign of king, Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me. Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.” In this verse the reader is informed of three things, which it appears the Prophet thought of importance to understand. The first when he saw the vision, in the third year of Belshazzar’s reign; the second thing, it was revealed to Daniel; and the third thing, we are informed that it was after, that is, similar, or like his former vision, or “first” vision, as he would seem to be understood. 2nd verse. “And I saw in a vision; (and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan, in the palace which is in the province of Exam;) and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river Ulai.” Here the prophet tells us where he was, when he had the vision, in Shushan in the Palace, not in the night on his bed, as in his former vision; but in the day time at the palace, where it is very likely Daniel had gone to transact business relating to the state, and when he had the vision he either supposed himself by the river Ulai, or was transported in spirit to the said river. 3rd verse. “Then I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram, which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.” The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia, said the Angel to Daniel, (see 20th verse,) and the higher coming up last, denoted that the Persian line of kings would be most powerful, they being the last of that government. 4th verse. “I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beast might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will and became great.” This verse, shows that the Mede and Persian government would push their conquests to three points of the compass, north, west, and south, and that no government would be able to stand before their power, of resist their conquest. This was fulfilled under Cambyses, Xerxes and other Persian monarchs. 5th verse.” And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west, on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.” The angel informed Daniel, (verse. 21,) “And the rough goat is the king of Grecia, [or kingdom,] and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king,” (Alexander;) on the face of the whole earth, shows that the whole world would be at his command, this was true with Alexander, for it is a noted fact by the historians of those times, that he conquered the world; and touched not the ground, a prophecy of the celerity of his movements, and his rapid progress in conquering the Persians, which he is said to have performed in less than two years, 328-9 before Christ, and nothing seemed to impede his progress. 6th verse. “And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.” 7th verse. “And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him; and smote the ram and break his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.” 8th verse. “Therefore the he goat waxed very great, and when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and for it came up four notable ones, toward the four winds of heaven.” The Angel in his instruction says, 22nd verse, “Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation; but not in his power.” The fulfilment of the above prophecy is as follows. Alexander, king of Greece, after conquering all the west, overran and conquered almost all Asia, and died a drunken sot in Babylon about the age of 33. After his death, four of his principal generals divided his empire into four parts, Persia in the east, Egypt in the south, Macedon and the Grecian Isles in the west, and the Syrian in the north. 9th verse. “And out of one of them came forth a little horn which waxed exceeding great, towards the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.” It is very evident that Rome is here meant by the little horn, because, in waxing exceeding great toward the south, east and north, which I understand the words pleasant land to mean, as Jerusalem was, and had been for a long time, under the control of the Assyrian or northern kingdom. Then the western kingdom must be the one which in process of time subdued and brought into subjection the other three. No other kingdom after this had the control of all these kingdoms but the Romans, Macedon becoming a Roman province 168 before Christ. 10th verse. “And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.” By the host of heaven, we can only understand the people of God, the Jews; by stars, I understand rulers, such as kings, high-priests or sanhedrim, which was fulfiled by the Romans depriving the Jews of their right to appoint their own kings, or high-priests, and taking away from the 70 elders or sanhedrim the power of life or death over the Jews themselves; the Romans trampling on their authority, claiming and exercising all the power, which the Jewish laws only give to their own rulers. 11th verse. “Yea he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.” By this verse I understand that the Roman government would magnify itself even against Christ the prince of his people, and be the instrument of destroying the Jewish ceremonial law, and finally Jerusalem itself, the place of Christ’s sanctuary. How exactly according to the very letter, has Rome fulfiled the task which the prophets said she would perform in the great plan of God’s providence, even before they knew her as a nation. 12th verse. “And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice, by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground, and practised and prospered.” That is, the Papal power or the abomination that maketh desolate, by reason of departing from the truth and leading off an host with them; they cast out and trampled on the true followers of Christ, and practised and prospered in their iniquity. See the angel’s explanation in the 24th to 26th verses. He is represented as doing these things, “not by his own power” for “the dragon should give him his seat, his power and great authority.” Revelation 13:2. “And by peace should destroy many;” by professing to preach the gospel of peace, he would destroy and deceive many; he should “magnify himself in his heart,” so that he “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,” (2 Thessalonians 2:4;) “But he shall be broken without hand,”-showing that the “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” should destroy him. This brings us down to the same time with the other vision in the 7th chapter of Daniel, for indeed the Angel has coupled the two visions together in the 26th verse, for he says, “And the vision of the evening and morning which was told is true;” the first being in the night, called evening, the second in the day, called morning. Daniel 7:1 and 8:2. And declared by the angel to be true. Then these visions will not have their accomplishment until the kingdom of Christ shall fill the whole earth, the Ancient of days shall come, the judgment sit, the books opened, and the Antichristian beast slain, and his body given to the burning flame, and the saints possess the kingdom, even forever and ever. Then will the church be justified from her anti-christian foes, her inbred lust and corruption, and from him who goeth about as a roaring lion, and from death her great and last enemy. For he whose right it is to conquer, will come and will not terry. Then how natural would it be for the anxious saint, and the longing and believing child of God to inquire, “How long shall be the vision?” This inquiry, with the answer, will be the subject of our next chapter.ESH 12.1