THERE are many truths which maintain a uniform importance through every age of the world; there are others which are important, comparatively, only at particular periods. Some run parallel with the course of time; others are developed by the course of time. Some relating to our fallen condition, our relations to God and our fellowmen, our duty, and our destiny, concerned the first man of the human race, as much as they will concern the latest born; others are dependent upon the events of particular eras, and chiefly concern the generations that witness them. Of this latter class we must certainly understand the apostle to speak, when he says, "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them and be established in the present truth." 2 Peter 1:12.
Every age of the world has had its present truth. Many different nations and localities have at times had a present truth. Ask Noah how this was in his day, when he was preparing the ark. Ask Lot. Ask the Hebrews in Babylonish captivity. Ask the disciples at the first advent of Christ. To the last generation of the antediluvians, the preaching of a soon coming flood, a flood to come upon them, was emphatically present truth. To flee from their fire-doomed city, was once an urgent present truth to the Sodomites. So the Hebrews in captivity learned that the preaching of Jeremiah was a present truth which they had not very well heeded. And in the years that immediately preceded the appearing of the Son of man upon the earth, the proclamation of a soon coming Messiah, was present truth; and afterward it was present truth to proclaim that the Messiah had come, had been crucified, had risen from the dead, and had ascended to Heaven to be man's mediator.
The present age can certainly be no exception to this general rule; this also has its present truth. The whole world is concerned in this, whatever it may be; and all should have sufficient interest in it to inquire what it is. We believe that the present truth for this age is the concentration, and culmination of all bygone truth. Here the chains of prophecy all center and terminate. It is this generation that is filling up at the same time its cup of iniquity, and the last outlines of probationary time as drawn by the pencil of inspiration; and the prophetic finger points to a work of decision and judgment now being accomplished in the courts of Heaven.
Those who have not examined the subjects which are now in outline to claim our attention, and to whom, therefore, this language may seem unwarrantable, are requested to suspend judgment till they shall have examined, at least briefly, the evidences upon which these declarations rest. In view of the eternity before us, and the fact that the truth alone will avail us when the decisions of the great day shall fix our destiny forever, no one can afford to invent a theory, and try to bend the word of God to its support; nor can we any better afford to pass by those things which may affect our eternal salvation.
What then is the present truth for this time, and how can it be shown? The present truth of any age is simply the prophecies which are fulfilling in that age, or the fulfillment of which is immediately impending. Events, unless they are themselves foretold, or unless they have a bearing on some that are foretold, however imposing or seemingly important they may be, have no significance as pertaining to those things which it is essential for the people of that time to know. But the leading prophecies of the Bible are not detached and isolated declarations; they are rather revelations of long series of consecutive events. The later events have a definite relation to those that go before; the present has a close connection with the past.
This thought suggests a look into the ages that have passed away, and imposes upon us the task of tracing the more prominent events as noted in prophecy, and recorded in history, down to the present, if we would read this present aright.
Looking back upon the centuries that are past, we can trace with an accuracy that defies the cavilings of skepticism and infidelity, the hand of God, in the fulfillment of prophecy. Bancroft in his "History Discourses," thus eloquently speaks: "The prayer of the patriarch, when he desired to behold the Divinity face to face, was denied; but he was able to catch a glimpse of Jehovah, after he had passed by; and so it fares with our search for him in the wrestlings of the world. It is when the hour of conflict is over, that history comes to a right understanding of the strife, and is ready to exclaim, 'Lo! God is here, and we knew it not.' At the foot of every page in the annals of nations may be written, 'God reigns.' Events as they pass away 'proclaim their original;' and if you will but listen reverently, you may hear the receding centuries, as they roll into the dim distances of departed time, perpetually chanting 'Te Deum Laudamus,' with all the choral voices of the countless congregation of the age."
None should take any less interest in fulfillments of prophecy because they lie in the past; for the same God that sees the end from the beginning, and inspired his prophets to write concerning the events of the present, and the near future, moved them also to write concerning those. The stream is the same wherever we may take our stand along its course; and every prophecy that has been accomplished is a living pledge that that which is yet future will as surely be fulfilled.10(Continued from Page 9.)
Prophecy is as old as the plan of redemption. The promise, The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head, is synchronous with the sad departure of Adam and Eve from the gate of paradise, sinners, needing redemption. For long ages the Bible gives us all we have of either prophecy or history. We pass over these to the time when the authentic records of uninspired historians commence; for we are chiefly concerned to learn how man has recorded the fulfillments of God's word.
In the second chapter of Daniel is given us a remarkable prophecy under the symbol of a great metallic image. This image is described as one the brightness of which was excellent, and the form thereof terrible. The head of the image was of fine gold. Beginning with this head, let us look to the history of that time for an explanation.
THE HEAD OF GOLD.
Twenty-six centuries ago was founded the Babylonish empire by Belesis, otherwise called Nabonassar, and known in Scripture as Baladan. Isa. 39:1. B. C. 747. It arose from the ancient empire of the Assyrians, founded by Nimrod, the great grand-son of Noah, [Gen. 10: 9, 10.] which had governed Asia for about thirteen hundred years. (Prideaux's Connection, Vol. i. p. 60.) It became connected with the people of God, when Esarhaddon captured Manasseh, king of Judah, B. C. 677, and is hence introduced into prophecy. (Prideaux, Vol. i. p. 80.) It reached the summit of its greatness and glory under Nebuchadnezzar, who overran Asia Minor, Phenicia, Egypt, Syria, and Palestine. (Butler's Hist. p. 22.)
Jeremiah, B. C. 606, prophesied of the coming of Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and Jerusalem, and the captivity of seventy years that was to follow. This came to pass accordingly. In the same year Jerusalem was taken, and many of its inhabitants carried away captive to Babylon. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
A revelation of the world's then future history now opens. A succession of events is unfolded, reaching down to our own time, and a little beyond, which has employed the pens of all historians from that day to this, and will continue to employ them till the consummation of all things.
Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne of Babylon on the death of his father Nabopollasar, B. C. 605. (Bliss' Anal. Sacred Chronology, p. 123.) In the second year of his reign, as related in Dan. 2, he "dreamed dreams wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him." The magicians and astrologers having failed to comprehend the matter, it was revealed to Daniel, and he made known to the king the dream and the interpretation thereof. He stated to him a fact which is a source of rejoicing to God's people even to the present day; namely that there is a God in Heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known what shall be in the latter days. He told him that he had seen a great image whose brightness was excellent, and form terrible; that its head was of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and sides of brass, its legs of iron, and its feet part of iron and part of clay. A stone cut out of the mountain without hands smote the image upon the feet, and the iron, clay, brass, silver, and gold were dashed in pieces, and like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor, were blown away. In the interpretation which follows, the prophet addressed the king with these words: "Thou O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. . . . Thou art this head of gold."
From this we know that the image which the king saw, was a symbol of earthly governments, and that he (or the kingdom which he represented, the king being here put for the kingdom) was the first of them; for, said the Prophet, referring to his kingdom, power and strength and glory, "Thou art this head of gold." Thus clearly, with dates and starting points all well defined, are we given the clew to the interpretation.
Nebuchadnezzar reigned forty-three years. He was succeeded by his son, Evilmerodach, who reigned two years. Evilmerodach was followed by Neriglissar, who reigned four years. He was succeeded by Laborosoarchod, who being put to death after nine months, his reign is not counted in the Canon of Ptolemy. This brings us to the reign of Nabonadius, who is the Belshazzar of Daniel. He reigned seventeen years, to B. C. 538. (Prideaux's Con. Vol. i. pp. 132, 133.)
In the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel had a dream and vision of his head upon his bed, [Dan. 7:1,] in which were revealed the same essential events as set forth in the image shown to Nebuchadnezzar. He saw the four winds of heaven strive upon the great sea, (the sea denoting peoples and tongues, and the four winds, wars and civil commotions among them. Rev. 17:15; Jer. 25:32, 33), and four great beasts came up diverse one from the other. The beasts are declared plainly to be four kings (or kingdoms) which should arise out of the earth. Verse 17.
The first was like a lion, having eagle's wings, representing the first universal or Chaldean empire, the same as the head of gold. Daniel beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. Verse 4. On this verse Scott has the following note:—
"The Chaldean empire as advanced to its summit of prosperity under Nebuchadnezzar, and as declining under Belshazzar, was intended by this beast. The lion was an emblem of Nebuchadnezzar's courage and success in acquiring the dominion over his neighbors; and perhaps of his superior generosity and magnanimity, with which he ruled over the nations. The eagle's wings denoted the rapidity and unabated vigor with which he prosecuted his victories. But as the prophet saw this, he observed 'that the wings thereof were plucked.' After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldeans made no more conquests; several of the subjected nations revolted; the Medes and Persians soon began to straiten them; till at length Babylon was besieged and taken, and so that monarchy was terminated. No longer did this beast appear rapid in conquest as an eagle, or courageous and terrible as a lion; but it was changed as it were into a human creature; it 'stood on its feet as a man, and had a man's heart given to it.' After Nebuchadnezzar's death, the kings of Babylon became less terrible to their foes and subjects, and more cautious, and even timid; till at length Belshazzar shut himself up in Babylon, not daring to face Cyrus, as a man would not venture to face a raging bear, which a lion would despise."
Gold is the most precious of metals, the lion the noblest of animals; so the Chaldean was the most notable of earthly governments; not indeed in the duration of its existence or the extent of its dominion, but in its grandeur and glory. Babylon, its renowned metropolis, became under Nebuchadnezzar one of the wonders of the world. But like the transient dream which soon vanished from the mind of the king and was forgotten, and like the empty metal of the lifeless image, so empty was all this earthly glory and so soon to pass. While the kings of Babylon were rolling in luxury within its impregnable walls, in the broad regions round about God was marshaling his agents by which great Babylon, "the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldee's excellency" was to be brought even with the dust. Isa. 13:19. Everything had been done which human wisdom could devise for its preservation, but God's appointed time for its fall was approaching. His people were held captive by that arrogant power; and he had declared that when the seventy years were accomplished, he would punish that nation and the king of Babylon. Those years drew near their termination, and it was not, as it never has been, and never can be, in the power of human wisdom to frustrate his decrees.
