the kingdom of God appears in its real worth and dignity as the crown of humanity, or the Son of Man coming from heaven with the sublimest investiture from the eternal throne. Nebuchadnezzar's dream contains no particular reference to that eleventh horn in which the iniquities of the rule of man finally culminate and call forth the great judgment. The picture is simply that of the world-power in general, through its various phases to the end viewed from a worldly standpoint. In Daniel's vision, this eleventh horn is the chief thing, since it is the consummation of that savage beastliness inherent in the rule of apostate man, which it is the intent of this vision to exhibit. Hence also that great session of the Divine judgment whence the final destruction of this beast-power proceeds, for which there was no place or occasion in that outward view of things presented to Nebuchadnezzar. And so the vision now before us, though it travels for the third time over the same general track, has its own particular standpoint by which it is conditioned. In the two preceding visions may be seen the pic. tures of the powers of the world as a whole, without regard to any distinction between Jew and Gentile, HUMAN DOMINION IN ITS BROADEST VIEW is presented in its entirety-first as outwardly con. sidered, and then as spiritually considered, and finally superseded by the kingdom of God. Hence, also, the language in which these revelations, up to the chapter now before us, are recorded, which is the common world-language used at the time, and not Hebrew; whilst the vision now in hand is given in the language of the Jews, as is all that follows in this Book. What Daniel is here shown of these worldpower manifestations he sees and hears not only as a spiritual man of God, but more particularly as a Jewish prophet, and as mainly concerning the Jewish people. Hence the dominion of Babylon is left out entirely, for it was now on the eve of its downfall, and nothing more was to come of it to the Jews. Hence, also, nothing is said of the fourth beast, except as it might be considered included in the third, and nothing of the ten kingdoms, except as represented or included in the little horn in its final stage. Accordingly, also, we here read of the spiritual hierarchy or host, and their prince-of the daily sacrifices, the sanctuary, and the pleasant or holy land-of which nothing appears in the preceding visions. It is still the same world-power in its various forms which constitutes the subject of the vision, but with the emphasis now on what particularly concerns the Jewish people, and with all else touched but lightly or not at all. It is, therefore, a distinct vision by itself, and is to be interpreted only in its own proper relations and intent. What Nebuchadnezzar saw as the silver breast and arms of the great image, and what Daniel, in the preceding vision, beheld under the image of a clumsy bear, here appears under the figure of A SOLITARY RAM, WITH TWO HORNS. The change of the symbol lies in the reference of the vision to the Jewish people. Medo-Persia, viewed in relation to Israel, was not a devouring wild beast, but, for the most part, a friendly power, which religiously approximated towards the Shemitic race and the theocracy. It was this power which restored the Jews after the seventy years of captivity in Babylon, and helped them in many ways in the rebuilding of their temple and the restoration of their worship. Many Jews long afterwards continued to reside among the Medo-Persians, filled high places in the Government, and exerted great influence, as we see from the Book of Esther. Viewed as a worldpower in general, this dominion was a ferocious and all-eating bear; but in its relation to Israel, it was a much more domestic and harmless animal. The solitariness of this ram denoted the unity of this kingdom, while the two horns had reference to the two nations of which it was made up, and in which its chief power resided. Media was an independent kingdom long before Persia was anything but a province; but when Cyrus came to the throne the Persian part of the kingdom became much the greater of the two. This was foreshown in the vision, in that the horn which sprung up last became much higher than the other. Daniel beheld this ram "pushing" -thrusting violently with its head-denoting military aggressions. These are specified as being toward the west, toward the north, and toward the south from Shushan. The east is not mentioned, as the Persians made no important or lasting conquests in that direction. To the westward, however, they conquered Babylon, Syria, and Asia Minor; to the northward, Armenia, and the Caspian countries; and to the southward, Egypt, Libya, &c. The history thus agrees exactly with the vision. So, again, what Nebuchadnezzar saw as the brazen abdomen and thighs of the great image, and Daniel beheld in his first vision as the four-winged and four-headed leopard, here appears IN THE FORM OF A GOAT. There can be no question that this goat represents the Græco-Macedonian empire, and its conspicuous horn Alexander the Great. The interpreting angel says, in so many words, "The rough goat is the king (or dominion) of Grecia, and the great horn between his eyes is the first king." Even the escutcheon of this empire bore this figure. As a world-power in general, it had all the savage qualities of a leopard; but in relation to the Jews it was a mild and fostering power rather than a beast of prey, and hence is here symbolised as a goat. Josephus relates that when Alexander was on his Eastern expeditions he came into Persia with all the pride of a victorious conqueror, and was about to turn his armies loose upon Jerusalem, but that a remarkable dream on his part, and another on the part of the Jewish highpriest, served to bring about a friendly conference, which resulted most favourably to the Jewish people. When the great conqueror met the highpriest, and saw upon his golden mitre the great name of Jehovah, he bowed down before it, and gave the high-priest his right hand. Having come into Jerusalem, he had sacrifices offered for him, whilst the priests brought to him this very Book of Daniel, and pointed out to him the very chapter now before us, in which the holy prophet had recorded the coming of a Greek conqueror who should vanquish and destroy the Persian dominion. Accepting the prophecy as referring to himself-as it really didhe was so pleased and assured with regard to his Expositors in general interpret this of the inplans that he engaged to favour the Jews in any-famous Antiochus Epiphanes. Jews and Christians thing they might ask. They therefore prayed him that they might be permitted to enjoy their own laws and institutes as established by their fathers, and not be required to pay tribute in Sabbatic years. This he willingly granted, engaging that the same should hold for all the Jewish people who might be found remaining in Babylon and Media in case his expedition should prove successful. Such a power, with such a bearing towards the Jews, could not be consistently symbolised by a ferocious beast of prey —at least not in that particular relation. Hence the change of figure here from a panther to a goat. left to his son, but that son never came to it. The military chieftains whom he had placed over the conquered countries wrangled and fought with each other for years, until finally, at the fall of Antigonus, the dominion settled into four monarchies, answering to the four heads of the leopard and the four horns of this goat. Out of one of these four sections of the Macedonian empire the prophet beheld THE SPRINGING UP OF "A LITTLE HORN" -a sprig of one of the four-which waxed great towards the south, the east, and the pleasant or holy land, even to the host of heaven-the hierarchy of the temple-some of whom it cast down and stamped upon, magnifying itself even to the Prince of the host (God Himself), abolishing the daily sacrifice, wasting the sacred dwelling-place, polluting the temple, setting up a multitude of its own over against the heavenly order, and enacting the most blasphemous and murderous scenes against Jehovah, His truth, and His people. The prophet beheld this goat coming from the west, for it was to the far west from Persia that the Macedonian power originated. It came with marvellous velocity and determination, seeming to be supernaturally helped. IT STRUCK THE MEDO-PERSIAN RAM, shattered both his horns, trod him down, and took his dominion. It required more than a single battle to accomplish this, but it was accomplished, as history tells. But in the midst of the greatest power and triumph of this goat, its great horn was brokennot in battle, as the horns of the ram were broken, but by the early and unexpected death of Alexander. Giving himself up to unbridled excesses over his victories, he was seized with fever, and died at Babylon, in the thirty-third year of his age, about three hundred and twenty-three years before the birth of Christ. His empire, however, still stood. The great horn dropped off, but in place of it came up four other horns. The throne was nominally for nearly seventeen centuries have been taking it in this application, at least in its germinant and precursive fulfilment. Nor have they done so without reason. Antiochus Epiphanes certainly answers more fully to the prophetic delineation than any king or power that has yet existed since Daniel wrote. He came up out of one of the four divisions of the empire of Alexander, from the stock of Syrian kings, and towards the latter time of that empire, when it already began to come under the growing power of Rome. He came up from a very small beginning, from being a hostage at Rome, with no prospect of ever becoming a great king. He got the kingdom by deceits and flatteries. His conquests and depredations were all in the directions noted in the vision; and especially his treatment of the Jews, his profanations of the temple, his bloody tyranny against the faithful worshippers of Jehovah, and his blasphemous audacity over against God Himself, well accord with what is said of this horn. The writings of Josephus and the Books of the Maccabees tell the story of his doings, which one cannot read without being touched at the miseries he inflicted; all of which accords with the prophetic outline. Time would fail us here to present the merest sketch of those infamous transactions. Suffice it to say that this vile man conceived the idea of establishing throughout his kingdom, inclusive of Palestine, the worship of Jupiter Olympus, identifying himself with that god, and intent on MAKING HIS OWN WORSHIP UNIVERSAL. With infatuated zeal and stubbornness he tried to extirpate every other worship, and particularly the worship of Jehovah at Jerusalem. Among the Jews themselves he found many faithless ones ready to enter into his plans and to help on his idolatrous designs. He bought up these traitors, sold out the high priesthood to the highest bidders, ejected one and another from it for a price, and rifled the temple again and again of all the gold, silver, and treasures in any way connected with it, dealing out slaughter and death to those who dared to remonstrate. With the most shameful perfidy and deceit, he got possession of Jerusalem, fell upon its inhabitants, destroyed the lives of multitudes in cold blood, robbed and destroyed the houses, carried off women and children into slavery, made a military stronghold of the city, put the worst of men into it to watch for and slay every earnest believer in the God of Abraham who might come thither to do homage to Jehovah, polluted the sanctuary on all sides with innocent blood, prohibited circumcision on pain of death, abolished the temple services, and kept it vacated till the weeds grew up in the passage-ways of God's house, set THE IMAGE OF HIS OWN IDOL on the Almighty's altar, offered swine's flesh in sacrifice in special defiance of the God of Israel, and forced all Jews who would remain faithful to the religion of their fathers to hide themselves in the mountains and desolate places, in order to save their lives. Thus did he practise and prosper, and destroy the holy people, slaughtering them by thousands in times of peace and under professions of peace, magnifying himself against the God of Israel, calling to his aid every treacherous craft, casting down the rightful priests, burning the sacred books, determined to abolish both the law and the prophets, and to submerge the Jews and their religion in the vilest heathen abominations. The time which the angel gave as marking the treading down of the sanctuary by this horn likewise accords with the history touching Antiochus. The whole vision of the displacement of the daily sacrifice is called "the vision of the evening and the morning"; and when it was asked, "How long shall be the vision?" the answer came, specially confirmed as true, "Unto two thousand and three hundred "not "days," as our version says, but—“evening (and) morning; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." The allusion is not to the evening and morning making up the day, but to the sacrifice interrupted, which was offered each morning and each evening; and twenty-three hundred times of these offerings was to be the measure of the interruption, each evening being counted as one, and each morning as one. This would make the angel's answer cover eleven hundred and fifty days, or three years and a portion of a year. And so, according to the records in the Book of Maccabees, it was just three years from the day that the first idolatrous sacrifice was made upon the altar of God under Antiochus until the first regular offerings were again restored; whilst the king's letters forbidding the regular sacrifices were proclaimed in Jerusalem several months before the sacrifice to Jupiter on Jehovah's altar. Or, if we take the twenty-three hundred "evening and morning" as so many "days,”—that is, a little more than six years -we again have the length of the time from the first denudation of the temple by Antiochus to the righting of it again under the Maccabean heroes. THE END OF ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES. The miserable end of this proud and bloody blasphemer also answers well to the end assigned to this little horn. The angel said, "He shall be broken without hand," indicating his destruction by some supernatural power; and after this sort was the end of Antiochus Epiphanes. Marching into Persia, and robbing the temple at Elymais, he was driven away by popular tumult. Receiving tidings, about the same time, of the defeat of his army in Palestine, and of the restoration of the temple services there, he ravingly declared his purpose to exterminate the Jewish race. Whereupon he was suddenly smitten with a terrible disease, like that which befell Herod, and, amid unmeasurable agonies of body and mind, he horribly ended his life, under what he himself and all beholders regarded as a manifest judgment of God for his blasphemous iniquities. Polybius says of him that he "fell into a madness and died," the madness of inconsolable bodily anguish and mental remorse. Thus, without violence from the hand of man, he miserably perished; and this stage of the desolating horn was at an end. Josephus declares unhesitatingly that these events happened in fulfilment of this eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel. And, from a review of the whole history, it seems to be abundantly manifest that there was in the career of Antiochus Epiphanes at least a preliminary or precursive fulfilment of this horn. THE FULNESS OF THE PROPHECY STILL AWAITS FULFILMENT. But we are not therefore to conclude that the whole meaning, or even the chief emphasis, of this vision has been exhausted, and is now to be viewed as belonging only to the past. The profound remark of Lord Bacon ever comes up, that "There is a latitude which is agreeable and familiar to Divine prophecies, being of the nature of their Author, with whom a thousand years are as one day, and therefore they are not fulfilled punctually at once, but have springing germinant accomplishments throughout a many ages, though the height or fulness of them may refer to some one age." And so we may trace general identification of this little horn in Antiochus Epiphanes, and perhaps also in some other Antichristian powers since his day, whilst "the height or fulness" of the matter may still await fulfilment. History is ever repeating itself, and especially those histories which are singled out for special description and fore-announcement in the Word of God. And there are accumulated items specifically given in this chapter, seemingly on purpose to prevent the conclusion that the vision in its final fulfilment belongs to any period other than that immediately preceding the great day of judgment. not the love of the truth. And nothing short of that In this view of the matter the instruction and warning which come to the Church of our day from the contents and past fulfilments of this chapter are exceedingly important. As Antiochus Epiphanes and his doings and successes met the prophetic description for that time, we may the better see and understand by his history how it will be in the last days. People sometimes, and very naturally, wonder WHO THE FINAL ANTICHRIST IS, and how he shall come. Christian antiquity, with one voice, answers: "He is Antiochus Epiphanes reproduced, in larger proportions and intensified energy, immediately before the great day of God Almighty." And by observing how and for what reasons the calamitous inflictions of that Græco and know how the final Antichrist will come. Gabriel was commissioned to tell Daniel, and to make him understand that "at the time of the end shall be the vision." He also distinguishes between a former part and a latter part in the fulfilment, and refers the latter part to the time appointed for the end. He says that the vision extends to a remote period, and is "for many days." He says that the particular rising up of the king of fierce countenance is to occur "in the latter time" of the great worldpowers, which are contemplated as in some sort still in being up to the day of judgment. The time for the full realisation of this vision is also said to be "when the transgressors are come to the full "—at the final consummation of all rebellion and wickednesswhich is everywhere referred to the great judgment-Syrian king fell upon the Jews of old, we may see period, when God shall come and not keep silence. THE "MAN OF SIN" AND THE "GREAT BEAST." The character and doings of this horn likewise correspond with Paul's man of sin, and with the great beast of the Apocalypse, which are unmistakably in being at the time of the revelation of Jesus Christ to judge the world. Hence, as Luther tells us, those chapters of Daniel, as all expositors unanimously declare, refer to Antiochus and to the Antichrist of the last times, in which we are now living." Christ Himself said of the Jews who rejected Him that another should come, not in the name of the Father, but in his own name, and that him they would receive. And it is pre-eminently this devilish pseudo-saviour of the last evil days of this world, around whom the Christ-rejecting Jews will rally, and in whom all the abomination and devil-rule of the earth will finally head up, whom we are to see in this little horn which waxes so great. When that which now hinders shall be taken out of the way, when the true and waiting people of God have been caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, then shall be the apocalypse of that Wicked One whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness, captivating all that have Certainly, the miseries which proceeded from Antiochus came not alone of his wickedness and power. The source and seat of all were in the apostasies and sins of the Jewish people themselves, and particularly of their priests and rulers. Too easily were they beguiled and won over by the smooth flatteries and soft speeches of this deceiver. Too readily were they moved by his gracious professions and profuse liberality. And then they, in their turn, sought honour, popularity, and preferment from him by base concessions, compromises, and bribes. One of the main features of the evil case was their secularisation of the Church of God. They set up Gentile gymnasia in Jerusalem, where the Hebrew youths might be trained in Hellenic ways. mimicked Greek fashions in everything, and endeavoured to assimilate the manners of the people of God to heathen usages. Foreign travel, commerce, Greek philosophy, literature, religion, and the arts filtered in new and strange influences, to which place was approvingly given over against the institutes of Jehovah. Many of the Jews denied their own circumcision. Three high priests-one Jesus, who by means of bribery supplanted his elder brother in the priesthood, and one Onias, who in turn supplanted They Jesus-Grecised their own names, and chose to be called Jason and Menelaus; whilst the successor of the latter, Joachim, Hellenised himself into Alcimus, and in every way sought to disparage the zeal and thwart the efforts of that heroic champion of God and his country, Judas Maccabæus, and attempted to betray him to his heathen enemies. In a word, what was styled liberality and reform made up THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES, and everything was fostered and encouraged which tended to make Jerusalem a Greek city-an Athens, an Alexandria, or an Antioch-till all that was distinctive in the Jewish Church was weakened down to a mere matter of empty forms and names. Many of the priests renounced their belief in the religion of their forefathers, and apostatised from the faith of Moses and the prophets, and thus became the easy and pliant tools ef enthroned and persecuting infidelity. God was forsaken, and He withdrew His grace and protection, took away the spiritual privileges which were so underrated and scorned, and turned the whole nation over to their heathen enemies. They first profaned the sanctuary, and He forsook it. They faithlessly heathenised Jerusalem and He abandoned it. The holy of holies was no longer in truth the shrine of the living God, who had once revealed Himself there on the mercy-seat, and He ceased to defend and protect it. And the temple itself, built on the spot where Abraham's faith so nobly triumphed, and where David met the angel of God, became a temple of Olympian Jove. The high priest himself sent a deputation to the Tyrian games in honour of Hercules. In place of the sacred processions of palm-bearers and singers of hosannahs, who once chanted the holy melodies in the streets of Zion at the feast of tabernacles, were the bearers of ivy-tufted thyrsi, who sang lyrical dithyrambs in honour of Dionysus. And for the waters drawn forth in golden urns from the well of Siloam were the libations for the sacrifices of unclean animals, immolated on Jehovah's altar, and on which was reared the image of Jupiter Olympus! The abomination of desolation had come, but the cowardice, the ambition, the covetousness, the mutual jealousy, the treachery, and the apostasy of the anointed priests gave occasion for it all. abroad which would have the Church rescind her sacred charter, cancel her authentic commission, and assimilate herself to a mere political or conventional institution. Men call it a liberalising spirit, a spirit of improvement, which would change our Christian schools and colleges into mere secular gymnasia and scientific museums or artistic studios and literary athenæums; but it is a spirit which is prone to treat the Holy Scriptures as mere human lucubrations of worthy men before the ages of better light, rationalize away all the definite doctrines of the authorised creed into mere scholastic or philosophical theorems, dissolve the sacraments into picturesque symbolisms and visionary shadows, without life or power, and dismantle the ministry and services of the Church, as if they never had a solid right to be regarded as the appointment of very God for conveying and imparting to lost man the regenerating, sanctifying, and only restorative gifts of Jehovah's grace. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST. And more and more will this spirit strengthen till it has effectually done its work. Paul specifically tells us that in the latter days men will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers who will minister to these alienated fancies. Creed, catechisms, and all distinctive formularies of faith, as well as all proper claims of Church and sacraments, they will proscribe and trample under foot. Many whose sworn business it is to defend these things at all costs will be the leaders in betraying them. More and more will men throw off the restraints of true piety and religion, and become lovers of their own selves, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Jesus Himself says, "When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" And thus, by the sins, compromises, apostasies, and general heathenising and secularising of sacred things on the part of the guardians of the faith, the final Antiochus shall come as the just judgment of the Lord Almighty upon those who thus paved his way and threw open the doors. It is not difficult to see that many of the so-called Churches and the leaders of the prevailing religious To little purpose also do we read the Book of sentiment of our day are sowing for a harvest of Daniel, if we do not distinctly find in all this A MOST SOLEMN WARNING TO THE CHURCH of our times, and for all the days yet to come, to beware of the fascinating flatteries and secularising expedients and compliances which, in the selfidolising spirit of spurious charity, specious liberality and heartless scepticism, would tempt her to forget her Divine origin and heavenly destiny. There is a spirit miseries of which they but little dream. By the emptiness of faith and life, which persist in covering themselves with the holy name of Christianity and religion, myriads who would be honest with themselves are stumbling and falling, and filling up the ranks of downright infidelity and atheism; and by the promises of peace and universal brotherhood on the lips of those who think they are leading the |