p. 118 | Untitled article by Dudley Marvin Canright

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, February 4, 1868

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. XXXI, No. 8

Historical Department.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Prophecy is History in Advance.

HISTORICAL SKETCHES SHOWING THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY.

BY ELD. D. M. CANRIGHT.

To the believer in the Bible, especially the student of prophecy, history is a very interesting and important study. Without some knowledge of this, there are many parts of the Bible which he cannot read understandingly. Without the knowledge of history, all the prophecies are indeed sealed. History throws a flood of light upon the Scriptures, shows many wonderful fulfillments of prophecy, strengthens the faith of the believer, and silences the infidel. Hence its study becomes a duty to all, and especially to Adventists. There are few among us who could not spend time enough to obtain a very good knowledge of the history of the world. By a few hours of reading each week they would soon do this.

As we now have a larger paper, and more room, I propose to give, as I have time, a sketch of the history of the prominent nations mentioned in the prophecies, especially those illustrated on the chart. I shall use caution, and endeavor to give good authority for all my statements, so that they may be relied upon.

Webster defines history thus: “An account of what is known to have occurred; a record of the past; a narration of events.” All the history we have of the world before the flood is contained in the Bible in the first seven chapters of the book of Genesis. Hence all who can read the Bible may be as thoroughly posted in this part of history as the most learned.

BEFORE THE FLOOD.

From the chronology furnished us in the Bible, it is supposed that the world was created about 1656 years before the flood, or 4004 years before Christ on the earth. Exactly where the human race began its history, where Paradise was located, it is not possible to ascertain. The strongest probabilities, however, place it somewhere in Asia. Armenia, Cashmere, and Mesopotamia are chosen by different authors. See Union Bible Dictionary, Amer. Enc., History of All Nations, &c. Adam did not long stay in Paradise; he soon fell, and was cast out. The history of men which follows till the flood, is brief indeed. “Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.” “Jabel was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.” “Jubal was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.” Tubal-cain was “an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron.” Cain also built a city. “There were giants in the earth in those days,” and men lived to a great age, six, seven, eight, and nine hundred years. From these brief hints we can draw no mean idea of the world before the flood. They knew how to tend flocks, how to till the ground, how to build cities, how to work in brass and iron, how to use the harp and organ, &c. Some were righteous and some were wicked, the same as now. Of the population of the earth at that time, Goodrich speaks thus: “As men then lived to a much greater age than at present, it must be evident that population advanced much more rapidly than in after times. It has been estimated that under circumstances so favorable, the human race might have increased to the number 400,000,000,000, i. e., four hundred billions, before the year of the deluge. But all calculations of this nature must be regarded as mere hypothesis. We have reason to think that a portion of the earth was very populous at that period, but of the numbers we are entirely ignorant.” Hist. of All Nations, Vol. I, p. 67.

At this period men had become so wicked that God destroyed the whole race, except eight, by a flood.

ASSYRIA, CHALDEA, OR BABYLON.

Noah and his family, because they were righteous, were saved from the flood, being preserved in the ark. This rested upon Mount Ararat in Armenia, Asia. “Noah and his family, and the other tenants of the ark now came forth. The earth being again habitable, was repeopled by the descendants of the patriarch, who thus became the father of the human race. He lived for more than three centuries after the flood, and saw his children multiply like the sand of the sea.” Hist. of All Nations, Vol. I, p. 68.

Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet. Shem appears to have settled near the river Euphrates in Shinar, or Chaldea, of Asia. Ham settled in Egypt, and from him that country was peopled; hence it is called the land of Ham. Ps. cvi, 22. The descendants of Japhet settled in Asia Minor, and from thence proceeded into Europe. See Goodrich.

In about a century and a half after the flood, a portion of the descendants of Noah journeyed to Shinar, near the Euphrates, where they built a tower which was to reach unto heaven. This displeased God, and he confounded their language so that they did not all talk alike. Hence this place was called “Babel,” or Confusion. From this they were scattered over the face of all the earth. Gen. xi. It is supposed that Babylon was afterward built upon this spot.

It is probable that this Babel, or Babylon, was the seat of the first kingdom that was founded after the flood. It appears that Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah, founded this kingdom about a century and a half after the flood. “Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. . . . And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel (margin, Babylon).” Gen. x, 8–10. Afterward Nineveh became the seat of this empire. “Out of that land went Ashur and builded Nineveh.” Verse 11. It was then called the Assyrian empire. Afterward, it took the name of the Chaldean empire, and at last that of Babylon. But it was only one kingdom covering a space of some 1700 years.

From the preceding sketch it appears that although Assyria and Babylon originated as distinct monarchies, yet, at an early date, they were blended in one kingdom, and at different periods under one government.”—Goodrich.

Rollins’ Ancient Hist., Vol. I, page 94, says: “The Assyrian empire was undoubtedly one of the most powerful in the world. With respect to its duration, two opinions have chiefly prevailed. Some authors, as Ctesias, whose opinion is followed by Justin, gave it a duration of 1300 years; others reduce it to 520, of which number is Herodotus. The diminution, or probably the interruption of power, which happened in this vast empire, might possibly give occasion to this difference of opinions, and may, perhaps, serve in some measure to reconcile them.

“The History of those early times is so obscure, the monuments which convey it down to us so contrary to each other, and the system of the moderns upon that matter so different, that it is difficult to lay down any opinion about it as certain and incontestable. But where certainty is not to be had, I suppose that a reasonable person will be satisfied with probability, and, in my opinion, a man can hardly be deceived, if he makes the Assyrian empire equal in antiquity with the city of Babylon, its capital. Now, we learn from the Holy Scriptures that this was built by Nimrod, who certainly was a great conqueror, and in all probability the first and most ancient of all those who aspired after that denomination.

“The Babylonians, as Callisthenes, a philosopher in Alexander’s retinue, wrote to Aristotle, reckoned themselves to be at least 1903 years’ standing when that prince entered triumphant into Babylon; which makes their origin reach back to the year of the world 1771, that is to say 115 years after the deluge. This computation comes within a few years of the time in which we suppose Nimrod to have founded that city.”

A geographical description of this kingdom is thus given by Goodrich: “The territory which bears the title of Koordistan, in the preceding map, was anciently called Assyria, and here the first great empire known in history arose and flourished for many centuries. It is bounded by the Koordistan (anciently Zagros) mountains on the east, which separate it from Persia, north by Armenia, south and west by the river Tigris, which separates it from Mesopotamia. Lying in the same latitude as the State of Georgia, the climate is similar. The whole extent of territory was about 18,000 square miles, that is, twice as large as the State of Massachusetts. The southern part consists of undulating plains; the northern part is broken into craggy hills and rugged mountains.” Hist. of All Nations, Vol. I, p. 69.

“At one period the Assyrian empire embraced Media and Persia on the east; Mesopotamia and Susiana on the south; Syria, Palestine, and portions of Asia Minor on the west.”—Id. p. 70.

It is supposed by some that Nimrod is the same as Belus, or Baal, afterward worshiped as a god of Babylon.—Rollins’ Ancient Hist. Vol. I, p. 94.

Ninus, the son of Nimrod, was a great king and greatly extended the bounds of the Assyrian empire by conquering Armenia, Media, Bactriana, &c. It is said that his army consisted of 1,700,000 foot, 200,000 horse, and 16,000 war chariots. But this is doubtless an exaggeration.—Hist. of All Nations, Vol. I, p. 73. Under him, Nineveh became a mighty city.

The next name that appears in the history of Assyria, is that of Semiramis, the wife of Ninus the king. She was a remarkable woman, the most celebrated, perhaps, of antiquity. Her history is quite obscure and fabulous, as is most of the history of those times. Her reign is placed by different authors from 2100 to 1200 years before Christ. Her empire extended over a great part of Asia. It was the most extensive, powerful, and important kingdom in the world.

The rebuilding, enlarging, and beautifying of Babylon is ascribed to Semiramis. Beside this, she “assembled a numerous army, and marched into Media. Along her route, she caused to be constructed many beautiful gardens, adorned with statues and other monuments, to perpetuate her memory. From Media she extended her progress into Persia, everywhere erecting palaces, founding cities and towns, leveling hills that obstructed the roads. From Asia she is said to have marched into Egypt and the sandy desert of Libya.”—Goodrich. After a reign of 42 years she left the throne to her son Ninyas. He was an effeminate man and passed his days in luxury and idleness. “His successors, during a long period of 1200 years, comprising thirty reigns, so closely imitated his example, that their history is buried in total obscurity, and we have no one recorded event to mark the annals of the times. This seems incredible, but it is so related to us by the ancient writers.”—Hist. of All Nations, Vol. I, p. 75.

The last of this race of princes was Sardinapalus, who succeeded to the throne about 900 B. C. Rollin says 767 B. C. His subjects rebelled against him, overthrew him, and divided his kingdom into three parts, viz.: The Medes, the Assyrians of Babylon, and the Assyrians of Nineveh. This occurred about 800 or 900 B. C. Nineveh took the lead of these three, and the other two soon became tributary to it. “The first Assyrian monarch who seems after the founder of the empire to emerge from the realm of myth into that of history, is Pul, who is named in 2 Kings xv, 19, as coming up against Israel.” New Am. Enc., Art. Assyria. In 747 B. C. Tiglath Pileser ascended the throne of Assyria. He greatly extended the bounds of his kingdom. He took Damascus and made Judah tributary to Assyria. Salmanaser succeeded him about 725 B. C. He marched against Hosea, king of Israel, took his capital and carried the ten tribes into captivity, 721 B. C. This ended forever the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes.

The most powerful of the other nations that existed at this time were Phœnicia, Armenia, a populous kingdom, the Scythians, a powerful, barbarous nation, India and China, Persia, Egypt, a mighty kingdom, and Greece and Rome were now becoming of some importance. Thus the reader will not get the idea that Assyria was the only important kingdom at that time though it was the leading one.

Sennacherib next took the throne 714 B. C. He was a great and proud monarch. He came against Hezekiah, king of Judah with a great host; but an angel smote 185,000 of his men, and he had to retreat. 2 Kings xviii, xix. Soon after this he was killed by his own sons. 2 Kings xix, 37. After his death, four other kings followed him, covering a period of about 100 years. Here, 606 B. C., Nineveh was overthrown and entirely destroyed by the Medes and Babylonians. “The destruction of Nineveh was fatal and final. Two centuries after, the people could not tell the site of the city.” Goodrich. Its destruction was foretold. Zech. ii, 13; Eze. xxxi. Thus ended what is called the second

Assyrian empire. But perhaps it might be properly termed simply a transfer of the seat of empire from Nineveh to Babylon.

After the fall of Nineveh, Babylon towers up before us in sublime grandeur, overshadowing all other nations of the earth. Goodrich speaks of it thus: “Babylonia, which we have already described as lying on both sides of the Euphrates toward its mouth, was also called Chaldea. In this territory was the plain of Shinar, and here, at a very early date, was a population sufficient to undertake the building of Babel. It is probable, therefore, that even before the founding of the Assyrian empire by Ashur, who went thither after the confusion of tongues, there was an established government in Babylon, founded by Nimrod the mighty hunter of Scripture. Hence some authors suppose that a kingdom originated here as early as 2236 B. C. It is also conjectured that Babylon, its capital, was built upon the very spot where the tower of Babel was begun. It would appear that this country soon became subject to Assyria, and continuing to be a mere province of that kingdom, its fame was overshadowed and almost forgotten in the lapse of centuries. Nineveh surpassed even Babylon, until Semiramis rebuilt the latter on a scale of such grandeur and magnificence as to cast its former glory into the shade. But the date at which the Babylonian empire, generally recognized in history, began its career, is that of 876 B. C., when Belesis, who had assisted in the overthrow of Assyria, took this portion of its territory as his share of the plunder.”

From this time we pass over a period of about 250 years, in which Babylon was either eclipsed by more powerful Nineveh, or was subject to it. On the final fall of Nineveh, about six centuries before Christ, Babylon soon surpassed all other kingdoms in glory. At this time, Nabopolassar was king of Babylon. He was succeeded by his son Nebuchadnezzar, 604 B. C. This name is familiar to every Bible reader. He acted a very important part in the history of the Old Testament. Hence his history will be interesting to us all.

The first of his acts was to defeat the Egyptians, who were invading his kingdom. He made Jehoiachin, king of Jerusalem, tributary to him. 2 Kings xxiv. Daniel and his three companions were taken captives to Babylon at this time by him. He also invaded Syria. Tyre, a mighty city on the Mediterranean, after a siege of 13 years, surrendered in 538 B. C. Four years later he invaded Egypt, which he ravaged and plundered but did not keep under him. The kingdom of Babylon was now very extensive. It was the largest and most powerful one on the earth. Thus Daniel testifies concerning this king: “Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of Heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all.” Dan. ii, 37, 38.

God used him to punish and humble his people. Jehoiachin, king of Judah, rebelled against the king of Babylon, whereupon Nebuchadnezzar took him captive and he was slain. Soon after this, Nebuchadnezzar came in person to Jerusalem. All the most distinguished persons, numbering not less than 50,000, were led captives to Babylon. The golden vessels of Solomon were removed. Zedekiah was left king of what remained of the Jews. In the ninth year of his reign, 588 B. C., Zedekiah rebelled, but was subjected by Nebuchadnezzar. His eyes were put out and he was taken to Babylon. Jerusalem was demolished, all the sacred vessels were taken to Babylon, and put in the heathen temple there, and most of the remaining inhabitants were led into captivity.

DESCRIPTION OF BABYLON.

The empire of Babylon now extended over a good part of the then known world. But that which most attracts our attention is the city of Babylon, its capital. In perusing the following description of that city, the reader will need to stop and consider how it compares with our cities or he will not realize what a “great city” it was.

“According to Herodotus, the walls of Babylon were 60 miles in circumference, built of large brick cemented together with bitumen, and raised round the city in the form of an exact square; hence they measured 15 miles along each face. They were 87 feet thick and 350 feet high, protected on the outside by a vast ditch lined with the same material, and proportioned in depth and width to the elevation of the walls. This immense ditch was filled with water to prevent an enemy from coming near the walls. The city was entered by 25 gates on each side, made of solid brass, and additionally strengthened by 250 towers, so placed that between every two gates were four towers, and four additional ones at the four corners. The whole city contained 676 squares, each two miles and a quarter in circumference. The river ran through the city from north to south, and on each side was a quay of the same thickness as the walls of the city, and 125 stadia, (about 15 miles) in length. In these quays were gates of brass, and from each of them were steps descending into the river. A bridge was thrown across the river of great beauty and admirable contrivance, a furlong (40 rods) in length, and 30 feet in width. The greatest circumference ascribed by the ancients to the city walls is 480 stadia, the most moderate 350. The smallest computation supposes an area for the city, of which we can now scarcely form an idea. Its population, however, may not have been in proportion to its extent. The place was probably what in these days would be considered an enclosed district rather than a compact city.”—Kito.

A city 60 miles around it! A wall 350 feet high! A mighty river running through the center of it, with immense walls and massive gates on each side! This must have been a “great city” indeed! Nothing like it is now made by man with all his boasted improvement. But there is the best of evidence that such a city once stood in Asia.

Among the wonders in this city was the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, and the hanging gardens. They are thus described in the New Amer. Enc., Art. Babylon: “The palace was six miles in circumference, and was situated in the eastern division of the city. It was surrounded by three walls. Three brazen gates gave entrance to it from the city, made of the brass which had been pillaged from Jerusalem, as also were the statues and vessels of silver and gold with which it was adorned. Its hanging gardens were reckoned, even by the Greeks, as one of the wonders of the world. These were constructed by the king for the gratification of Amyntis, his queen, who longed for the mountain scenery of her native Ecbatana, a somewhat difficult acquisition, even for queens, in the low, flat country where Babylon was situated. To meet this desire, a large artificial mountain was first constructed, 400 feet high, and terraced on all sides at certain distances, which terraces were reared and sustained on sets of piers, so forming a kind of vaulting, and rising in succession above each other, the whole being bound together by a wall 22 feet in thickness. Water was drawn up by machinery from the Euphrates below, to irrigate the soil. Here grew the tallest trees, so that, seen from a distance, it seemed like a natural forest crowning the precipices of a mountain.”

“The whole surface was diversified with trees, shrubs, and flowers, and with summer-houses, from which some of the most delightful prospects were afforded.” Goodrich.

“On the western side of the city was an artificial lake, 40 miles square, and 35 feet deep, into which the waters of the river might be turned when necessary.”—Goodrich.

Gold, silver, and an immense amount of wealth was to be seen in this city. The treasures in the temple of Belus alone have been estimated at six hundred millions of dollars. Other things were in proportion. Alexander Keith says: “The walls of Babylon, before they were reduced by Darius Hystaspes, were above 300 feet high; they were 87 feet broad, and 48 miles in compass. The temple of Belus, 600 feet in height; the artificial hanging gardens, which piled in successive terraces, towered as high as the walls; the embankment which restrained the Euphrates; the 100 brazen gates; the palace built by Nebuchadnezzar, surrounded by three walls, 48 miles in compass; and the adjoining artificial lake, the circumference of which was far more than 100 miles, and its depth, by the lowest accounts, 35 feet; all displayed many of the mightiest works of man, concentrated in a single spot. This great Babylon was the glory of kingdoms, and the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, the golden city, the lady of kingdoms, and the praise of the whole earth.” p. 101. See also Rollin’s ancient History, Vol. 1, p. 96.

Here it was that Nebuchadnezzar, walking in his palace where he could view all this, said, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built?”

(To be continued.)