Now we know the Jews did fall by the sword when the Romans took Jerusalem. Second, we know they were scattered among the nations. Third, Jerusalem has been trodden under foot—so much so, that Christians have not been permitted to stand on Mount Zion, where now stands the Mosque of Omar. And this is the city of the great King. This is Mount Zion, from which is yet to go forth the law. This is Jerusalem that God promises to yet again make the chief place of the earth. “Arise, shine, for the light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” When, we ask, will the fulness of the Gentiles come in? We answer, Soon. Think of what God has taught us in His Word. We, as the Lost Tribes, have indeed been ignorant of our origin and destiny. “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. xi. 25). This time is nicely pointed out by John in Rev. xi. 2: “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months;” or, as explained in the following verse, a thousand two hundred and three-score days. Accepting a day for a year again, and we have 1,260 years. Taking Mahommed power to date from 622, or about, then 622 and 1,260 make 1,882. Now just as sure as Jerusalem is now trodden under foot, as certainly will it be free.
“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise and sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion” (Isa. lii. 1, 2).
England is appointed of God to take possession of Palestine and restore Jerusalem. God has told us through Isaiah that He will lay vengeance upon Edom by the hand of Israel. The many days of the vision of Daniel are now gone; the time is nearly up.
“For Zion’s sake will I not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth; and the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory.” It is the duty of the watchmen of Zion to discern the signs of the times and become obedient unto heavenly instruction. “Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give Him no rest till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (Isa. lxii. 1, 2, 6, 7).
LITTLE HORN AND ANTI-CHRIST.
Discourse IX.
PROPHETIC WONDERS—TWENTY MARKS OF THE MONSTER—THE BERLIN CONGRESS—ANTI-CHRISTS MANY—MISTAKES BY WRITERS.
“I considered the horns, and behold! there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and behold! in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”—Daniel vii. 8.
In the visions and dream recorded by Daniel in this chapter we have the same subject matter as that contained in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar of the metallic image. In this the subject is carried further into the future, bringing to view some new items of interest, under different symbols and more of detail. The four kingdoms of the metallic image are in this dream presented by the symbolism of four beasts. Babylon by a lion which had eagle’s wings, setting forth the strength and swiftness of the same. Persia by a bear raised up on one side. Persia at this time was composed of Media as well, but the one-sided position of the bear denotes the dying out of Media and the continuance of Persia. The same idea is conveyed in the eighth chapter and third verse: “The ram had two horns, and one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.” Media was a kingdom before Persia, but Persia was to survive Media; all this history confirms. After the Medo-Persian Empire declined, Persia surviving, held on to Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt—that is, when the bear was raised up on one side, it held in its mouth three ribs, and was strong for a time.
The Macedonian Empire Daniel saw under the type of a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a fowl; the beast also had four heads. Babylon was represented by two wings,
but it is very fitting that Alexander and his empire should have four wings, for no conqueror ever flew so fast over the earth as this same monarch. In the metallic image he is represented by brass, in this by a leopard, and in the one we noticed in Discourse VII., by the goat. How wonderfully appropriate are these symbolisms. The four heads of this leopard stand for the four kingdoms into which the Macedonian Empire was divided on the death of Alexander—namely, first, Egypt under Ptolemy; second, Syria under Antigonus; third, Asia Minor under Lysimachus; fourth, Greece under Cassandar. These four kings were the four leading generals of Alexander.