The fourth beast of this vision is a nondescript; for among all the animal creation there could not be found one that could suitably represent Rome. But one was made for the purpose, combining in itself all that is fierce and terrible. “And behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, 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.” Its teeth were of iron and its claws of brass. What a monster! The other beasts faithfully represented their respective kingdoms, and so did this. What a record! What a counterpart we have in history of this beast! “Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon,” lest the Pagan rejoice, and the heathen mock at us, and the infidel triumph over us. Blot out from Time’s record the 24th of August, 1572. Let not our children learn the name of St. Bartholomew, for fear they should despise Christianity. Quench the flames of Smithfield, destroy the Inquisition, and divorce Christianity from such a kingdom, from such a beast. Thank heaven! the beast is dying; its teeth are worn to the very gum by the gnawings of centuries; its claws are not now sharp, so it cannot now crush the innocent, as in days gone by, nor tear with its brass claw the weak. Though the beast is growing old and weaker, yet let us remember
that its death struggle is yet to come. The beast has been wounded, but this shall only serve to intensify its rage. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, if we are wise.
This beast, Daniel tells us, had ten horns, and these horns are ten kings—that is, kingdoms—that shall arise. Just here we may reasonably ask whether these ten kingdoms are yet in existence, and the answer is, No. Some of them may be; of course they are in existence, as was General Grant before the war, but not yet distinct or assigned their special work and place. The time, however, for them all to appear is near at hand. Of this we may rest satisfied, when once they are all in existence we will have no difficulty in knowing them. Prophecy unfulfilled is always more difficult to interpret than when it is fulfilling or fulfilled. We have no doubt but some of these horns are in existence, and from what we can glean from prophecy and history, some are not yet in their proper place.
The special province of prophecy is to prepare us for what is coming. Searching into prophecy enables us to forecast the future with tolerable certainty, just as the scientists can tolerably forecast the weather by studying the laws, forces, and inclinations of nature. So the Christian student, by studying prophecy, Providence, and history, and comparing them, can know much of what is coining. On the Divine side all prophecy is certain, but on the human it can only be approximated. Prophecy furnishes the strongest kind of evidence in favour of the existence of God—inspiration of the Scriptures and Providence. The Lord Himself calls our attention to this kind of evidence frequently in the Bible. “Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, said the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth and show us what shall happen; let them show the former things what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come” (Isa. xli. 21, 22).
Prophecy does not interfere with the coming to pass of an
event, or suppress man’s freedom no more than the man at Washington, who gives us the weather probabilities, makes the weather or regulates nature. Even when men know the sequence of a thing they oftentimes persist in doing it. The soldiers who wrangled at the cross about the dividing of the garments of the crucified One, thought little and cared less for prophecy; but when they came to the Saviour’s vest, they fell into the line of prophecy, for at once they cast lots for that, all of which had been fore-written for hundreds of years. Run and tell that young man that the place he is entering is the way of death. Tell him that the air is foul, that the furniture and painted humanity are all gotten up to deceive. Tell him that in a few years he will repent ever having seen such a place. And what is your reward? It is that you are laughed at and esteemed as one that interferes, and told to mind your own business. The young man is free and self-confident. Look in a few years for that same young man and you shall find him a terrible example of fulfilled prophecy. Diseased, worn, weak, and weary, he cries in the anguish of soul for his folly. “And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof?” (Prov. v. 11, 12).
The famous European Congress which met in Berlin, we foresaw would meet, near three years ago, and told you the conditions under which it would be called. In the dark days of the past did we not repeat to you our faith, as fostered from prophecy, that England could not go to war? Many of you, and persons in different parts of the country, advised me by letter when the telegraph despatches came crowding and threatening, that I had so said. The intention was to break my faith, or at least to remind me that I had not spoken correctly. What now? who is right? This Congress completed a prophetic period. After it was over new scenery appeared and a new act came upon the stage. But more of this by-and-bye.
Among the results of this Congress will be an enlargement of England’s power over Turkey and Egypt. For England must possess Constantinople, because to Israel it is promised that he shall possess the gates of his enemies, and this is one of the finest gates in the world. Palestine will come into the hands of England, and be opened up for the return of the Jews, who, when the time comes will go in multitudes, and the Lost Tribes representatively. “I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion” (Jer. iii. 14). In a few years men will understand why, in this country, as well as in England, people are hunting up their genealogy, and by tradition, history, and heraldry, trying to ascertain of what family they are. The re-settlement of Palestine by God’s chosen people, the Lost Tribes, no one can deny who reads and believes the Bible. Hanging upon the fulfilment of this great fact are many other prophecies and events, which are of great interest to the Church and the world.
1st. The ten-toed kingdom must be formed. These kings are to form an alliance with the beast, or Church of Rome, as representative of this beast. “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Rev. xvii. 12). Thus strengthened, the beast will make war with the saints, or chosen, but it will be her final struggle, for in struggling she will die. These ten kings will forsake her.
2nd. Anti-Christ has to appear after the settlement of Palestine. Anti-Christ is represented by the other little horn spoken of in the text. This little horn is to come forth from one of the ten horns. He, too, will ally with the beast. The subject of Anti-Christ is a very interesting one; on it men have written and speculated much and wildly. In studying a subject of this kind, we should first ascertain the Scripture teachings on