Untitled article by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, March 17, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXXI, No. 14

HISTORICAL SKETCHES SHOWING THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

BY ELD. D. M. CANRIGHT.

MEDO-PERSIA.

“And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee.” So said Daniel to the king of Babylon. As we have seen, this was fulfilled 538 B. C., when the Medes and Persians overthrew Babylon and “Darius the Median took the kingdom.”

Perhaps no fact in ancient history is better established than this. “Belshazzar, his grandson, and the last Babylonian Monarch, was subdued by Cyrus, B. C. 538, and his kingdom was added to the Persian Empire.” Mitchell's Anct. Geography, p. 41.

In Rollin's Anct. Hist., Vol. 2, p. 631, in his Chronological Table, we find the following: “B. C. 539, Labynit (Belshazzar) is killed at the taking of Babylon. The death of that prince puts an end to the Babylonian Empire, which is united with that of the Medes. After the death of Cyaxares (king of Media, uncle to Cyrus and Cambyses (king of Persia, and father of Cyrus), Cyrus, who succeeds both in their dominions, united the empire of the Medes with those of the Babylonians and Persians; and of the three, formed a fourth, under the name of the empire of the Persians, which subsisted 206 years.” In Vol. 1, p. 136, he says: “Here, properly speaking, begins the empire of the Persians and Medes united under one and the same authority. This empire, from Cyrus the first king and founder of it, to Darius Codomanus, who was vanquished by Alexander the Great, lasted for the space of 206 years.”

This kingdom is represented in Dan. ii, by the breast and arms of silver; and in Dan. vii, by the bear having three ribs in its mouth; and in Dan. viii, by the ram having two horns. “The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.” Dan. viii, 20.

ITS HISTORY.

Medo-Persia was the second great empire represented in prophecy. It covered the best part of Asia, extending from “India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred seven and twenty provinces.” Est. i, 1. Cyrus' army numbered 120,000 horses, 2000 chariots armed with scythes, and 600,000 foot.—Rollin.

Thus it will be seen that it was a great empire, only inferior to Babylon which had just passed away. Daniel was in captivity at Babylon during the reign of Cyrus. In the first year of his reign, Cyrus put forth the first decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem. Ezra i, 1. He died B. C. 529. He was succeeded by his son Cambyses who conquered Egypt. This king reigned seven years, and was followed by Smerdis who stopped the Jews from building the temple. Ezra vi, 21. B. C. 521, Darius Hystaspis ascended the throne. He was an enterprising prince. He favored the Jews, confirmed Cyrus' decree, and allowed them to finish the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Rollin thinks that Esther lived during his reign. Kitto and others think that it was not till the reign of the next king, Xerxes. Darius conquered all India, and sent a large army against Greece, which, however, was defeated. From this time the history of Persia and Greece is intimately connected.

Xerxes succeeded Darius B. C. 485. Good authorities suppose him to be the Ahasuerus of the Scriptures. He is celebrated for his vast army with which he invaded Grecia. Daniel, the prophet, 50 years before, had foretold what this king would do. In the year 534 B. C., while Cyrus was yet on the throne, an angel told Daniel thus: “Behold there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all; and by his strength through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.” Dan. xi, 2. Cambyses, Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspis were the three who followed Cyrus. The fourth was Xerxes. The prophet, 50 years before, had said that he would “stir up all against the realm of Grecia.” Will he do it? He did. After a successful invasion of Egypt, and after strengthening himself by an alliance with the Carthaginians, the most powerful nation of the West, and by other means, Xerxes prepared to invade Greece. The Carthaginians gathered from Spain, Gaul, Italy, &c., 300,000 men with whom to attack the Grecian colonies. Xerxes was a proud, self-conceited, ambitious tyrant. He showed his vanity by writing a letter to a mountain not to oppose his march, and by giving the sea 300 strokes with a whip for sinking his vessels! When all his army, and navy, and attendants, had arrived in Greece, they amounted to above five million, two hundred thousand persons!! It is thus described by Rollin's Anct. Hist., Vol. 1, p. 217:

“Xerxes, directing his march across the Thracian Chersonesus, arrived at Dor, a city standing at the mouth of the Hebrus, in Thrace; where, having encamped his army, and given orders for his fleet to follow him along the shore, he reviewed them both.

“He found the land army which he had brought out of Asia, consisted of 1,700,000 foot, and 80,000 horse, which, with 20,000 men that were absolutely necessary, and the camels, made in all 1,800,000 men. When he had passed the Hellespont, the nations that submitted to him made an addition to his army of 300,000 men, which made all his land forces together amount to 2,100,000 men.

“His fleet, when it set out from Asia, consisted of 1207 vessels of war, all of three banks of oars. Each vessel carried 200 men, natives of the country, that fitted them out, besides thirty more that were either Persians or Medes, or of the Sacae; which made in all 277,610 men. The European nations augmented his fleet with 120 vessels, each of which carried 200 men; in all 24,000; these, added to the others, amount together to 301,610 men. Besides this fleet which consisted all of large vessels, the small galleys of thirty and fifty oars, the transport ships, the vessels that carried the provisions, and that were employed in other uses, amounted to 3000. If we reckon but eighty men in each of these vessels, one with another, that made in the whole 240,000 men. Thus when Xerxes arrived at Thermopylæ, his land and sea forces together made up the number of 2,641,610 men, without including servants, eunuchs, women, sutlers, and other people of that sort that usually follow an army, and whose number at this time was equal to that of the forces. So that the whole number that followed Xerxes in this expedition, amounted to 5,283,220 men.”

Thus he had literally fulfilled the prophet's declaration that he should stir up all against Grecia. He had a high throne erected, from which he could view this mighty host, both on sea and land. At first it filled him with pleasure to survey the vast extent of his power; but remembering that of this innumerable host, one hundred years from that time, not one soul would be living, his joy departed, and he wept over the instability of all earthly things. What a lesson this ought to teach us on the vanity of all earthly glory. Now, for 2000 years that vast army has been sleeping among the silent nations of the dead!

The king felt confident of victory. The Greeks, by doing their utmost, could raise only 11,200 men to meet this vast host. But these were hardy, disciplined soldiers, who fought for their country and their freedom. The millions who came against them were effeminate slaves to a king, and served him either through fear or for money. They met; the battle began; only 7000 engaged on one side, millions on the other! The brave Greeks were victorious every where, and thousands of the Persians were slain. Xerxes retreated from Greece with great loss. When he recrossed the water between Europe and Asia, he stole away in a small fishing boat! What an illustration of the vanity of human glory! This occurred B. C. 480.

This great failure of the king of Persia entirely discouraged him, so that he abandoned himself to luxury and ease. Being despised by all, he was at length murdered by Artabanus, the captain of his guards, 472 B. C. Artaxerxes, his son, succeeded him. He was surnamed, Longimanus. He was remarkable for his goodness and generosity. He was successful in subduing his enemies, of whom he had many. The Egyptians revolted against him, but he subdued them. Under him the Persians had frequent combats with the Greeks. This was the king who gave Ezra and also Nehemiah commission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. After a successful reign of nearly half a century, he died, and was succeeded by his son, Xerxes. After a reign of only forty-five days, he was murdered and succeeded in the throne by his brother, Sogdianus. He was a wicked wretch, and soon all the nation abhorred him. His brother turned against him, raised an army and defeated him. He then put him to death and took the throne himself. He is known as Darius Nothus. During a reign of 19 years, he sustained very well the honor of Persia. He was succeeded by Artaxerxes Mnemon. This king's reign was made unhappy by many revolts and rebellions of his subjects. At one time about half of his subjects turned against him; but they were brought to obedience again. After a reign of 43 years, he was succeeded by his son Ochus. He was an ambitious, cruel tyrant.

At length, in the year 336 B. C., Darius Codomanus came to the throne of Persia. We have now reached the last king of Persia, and must next relate the fall of that empire. This I will do at some future time, if the Lord will.