WHEN WILL THE NATIONS BE DASHED IN PIECES?
By James White
THE second chapter of Daniel contains the outlines of this world's history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, about 600 years before Christ, till the setting up of God's everlasting kingdom, now near at hand. The image here presented is composed of four general divisions: the first, or head of gold, being a symbol of the kingdom of Babylon, of which Nebuchadnezzar, as reigning monarch, was the representative. In the interpretation of the dream Daniel said to him, "Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all." Dan. ii. 37, 38. To Belshazzar the Prophet said, "The Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor. And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down." Chap. v, 18, 19. By this we are taught the universality of the kingdom of Babylon. Of course its successors were of the same extent; otherwise they could not have held the same dominion, and there would have been a break in the chain of argument which teaches the universality of God's everlasting kingdom "under the whole heaven." The scripture is also positive on this point. By Chap. v, we learn that the kingdom was divided, when Belshazzar was slain, and given to the Medes and Persians. In Chap. viii, the kingdom of Media and Persia is represented by the symbol of a ram having two horns. See verse 20. Of the ram the prophet said: "I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will and became great." Verse 4. This was the second or silver part of the image of Chap. ii. Its successor is thus introduced: "And another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth." Verse 39. This third kingdom is symbolized by the he-goat of Chap. viii, 5-8, which is interpreted in verse 21, to be the king of Grecia. Of the goat, Daniel said: "I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with choler against him and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he-goat waxed very great." Chap. viii, 7, 8. The fourth division of the image was iron. The interpretation says: "And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise." Chap. ii, 40. The same in Chap. viii, is symbolized by the little horn that came forth of one of the four horns that came up on the he-goat; which signifies that of one of the divisions of the Grecian Empire the universal empire of Rome came forth; for it is said the little horn waxed exceeding great. It is evident that this is a symbol of the Roman kingdom; for it can be no power inferior to the Medo-Persian or Grecian kingdoms; as the first was called great, the second very great, but this waxed exceeding great. This agrees with the prophecy of the second chapter which gives superior strength to the fourth division of the image—the iron. Now that the Babylonian kingdom was universal is plainly shown by Daniel's expressions in chapters ii and v; that its successor, the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, was universal, is shown by chapters v and viii, as quoted; that the Grecian, which subdued and succeeded the Persians, was universal is shown by Chap. ii, 39, which says the third kingdom shall bear rule over all the earth; and by chapter viii, where it is symbolized by the he-goat; that the Roman kingdom was universal, and therefore the power represented by the little horn which was exceeding great, is shown by Luke ii, 1: "There went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." As it was the successor of the Grecian, and the fourth in order of these universal monarchies, it was, therefore, the power represented by the iron of the image. Again, this iron was subdivided into ten parts, or kingdoms, which is literally true of the Roman kingdom. In the days of these (ten) kingdoms shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. The kingdom of God is the power which is to destroy or break in pieces all these kingdoms; this is symbolized in the dream by a stone. This kingdom is first to be set up; second to destroy all these kingdoms; and third to fill the whole earth. Daniel's vision of Chap. vii, covers the same ground as the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Chap. ii, and some additional facts concerning the divisions of the fourth kingdom. Babylon is represented by the lion—"the king of beasts"—as gold is more precious than the other metals. The Medo-Persian kingdom is represented by the bear. In Chap. viii, the ram had two horns, (Medes and Persians,) but one was higher than the other, and the higher (Persian) came up last. During the Median took the kingdom on the death of Belshazzar. In this vision of Chap. vii, the bear raised up itself on one side. Verse 5. The ram pushed westward, and northward, and southward; (to Babylon, Lybia and Egypt.) The bear also had three ribs in its mouth. The Grecian kingdom is represented by a leopard, with four wings; the wings doubtless denoting its speedy conquest of the world; it had also four heads, as in Chap. viii the Grecian kingdom is said to be divided into four parts, symbolized by the four horns of the he-goat. The symbol of the Roman power is a nameless 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 had ten horns." Verse 7. Says the prophet, "I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Verse 8. Of this horn the interpretation says: "And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time." Verse 25. Says the vision: "I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. Verses 11, 12. This does not mean that their lives were prolonged after the body of the fourth beast was destroyed; but their lives were prolonged after their dominion was taken away. The dominion of the lion was taken away when Belshazzar was slain, that of the bear was taken away when Alexander conquered the Persians; that of the leopard when the Romans established themselves masters of the world; the fourth or dreadful beast was to141retain the dominion until his destruction. This of course will not conflict with Rev. xiii; where the beast is said to receive a deadly wound, for the deadly wound is healed. The fact recorded in Dan. vii, 12, is often lost sight of; and it seems to be taken for granted that their lives are taken away when their dominion is taken away; but as this vision corresponds with the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, this 12th verse must be considered to harmonize the vision with the 35th verse of Chap. ii: "Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together," which could not be if the gold, silver, and brass, were each in turn broken to pieces when its successor took the dominion. These are termed Heathen or Gentile dominions, and the whole view presents a strong analogical argument for the universality of the everlasting kingdom to be set up by the God of heaven. "The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom," is "under the whole heaven." Here "the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven," shows that the kingdom and dominion are equal, or of the same extent. The stone that smote the image is a symbol of the kingdom, and this stone (or kingdom) "filled the whole earth;" not a part of it merely. The kingdoms of this prophecy bore rule over all the earth. So will the kingdom of God. They were universal—before them none could stand up—out of their hands none could deliver. Now if these kingdoms were universal in extent, when they are destroyed, what kingdom or nation will be left, and where will it be? All that is ever claimed, or can be claimed, in regard to the extent of these kingdoms, either to meet the demands of the scripture expressions quoted, or the analogy of the everlasting kingdom, I claim here in regard to the destruction of these kingdoms. If any could stand up before them, or resist their will, then may some hope to escape their destruction. But if any escape in the day of their destruction, then I claim that, by analogy, they will be beyond or outside the dominion and greatness of the kingdom which will be "under the whole heaven;" for when this stone, or kingdom, destroys all these kingdoms, it will destroy all that exist on the territory which it will afterwards occupy. This is evident from the whole scope of the prophecy. This prophecy renders it certain that the Gentiles, or Heathens, will not escape in the day of destruction, as it is in respect to Gentile or Heathen dominions that it speaks. But perhaps it may be said that there is another beast in prophecy not included in those dominions; to wit, the two-horned beast of Rev. xiii:—that these four beasts comprised the kingdoms of the whole world, as known to the ancients, but the two-horned beast is a symbol of American power, and here is room for the escape of some from the destruction of those kingdoms. That the two-horned beast is a symbol of a power on the Western continent, I firmly believe, but the conclusion that it may therefore escape the destruction spoken of in the prophecy of Daniel, I deny. I will now examine the scripture on this point. The "great red dragon" of Rev. xii, is well understood to be a symbol of the Roman empire in its Pagan form, and answers to the "dreadful and terrible" beast of Dan. vii, as first seen by the Prophet. The seven-headed and ten-horned beast of Rev. xiii, is a symbol of the same dominion under Papal rule, and answers to the same beast of Daniel in another phase; namely, after the rise of the blasphemous, persecuting horn. The dragon gave the beast his power and seat and great authority. Here we have in Revelation the same universality of dominion presented as is given in Daniel; and to render assurance if possible more sure, that the same extent of dominion is possessed by the beast, it is shown as a combination of the four beasts of Daniel's vision. The lion's mouth, the bear's feet, the leopard's body, the seven heads and ten horns, all serve to show that it occupies the locality of those beasts. It has the characteristics of them all, and doubtless stands as the representative of them all. Then the two-horned beast is brought to view, working miracles in the sight of the first or ten-horned beast, and saying to them that dwell upon the earth that they should make an image to the beast, to which he has power to give life, and causes all to receive the mark of the beast and worship his image. Verses 11-16. By this descriptive work we may identify the two-horned beast in any place. In Chap. xix, "The Word of God," appears as "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS," to "judge and make war." Says the Revelator, "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to wage war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. THESE BOTH were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Verses 19, 20. There can but two suppositions arise which would avoid the conclusion here presented, and both are sometimes urged. Either a remnant are left in this great national destruction, or else this does not take place at the second advent. It is true that there is a remnant spoken of in this connection, but the Word says: "And the remnant WERE SLAIN with the sword of him that sat upon the horse." Verse 21. To show that this occurs at the second advent of our Lord, I will present and compare a few scriptures. When this battle is about to take place, in which the beast and false prophet are slain, an angel calls to the fowls of heaven to come and "eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great." Verse 18. As this occurs at the revelation of the Son of God and his victory over his enemies, it evidently synchronizes with Rev. vi, 16, 17—the great day of the wrath of the Lamb. The same classes are here presented, "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains." Verse 15. This is under the opening of the sixth seal, previous to the seventh. But we have the most positive testimony to offer on this point, in the second chapter of the second epistle to the Thessalonians. Here the apostle speaks of the same Papal Roman power that is in Rev. symbolized by the ten-horned beast, and gives it the several titles of "the man of sin," the "son of perdition," and the "wicked." He says, "then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." In the preceding number it was clearly shown that 1. The Lord will destroy all the nations, and all the inhabitants of the earth—his saints only excepted; and 2. This destruction will take place in immediate connection with the second coming of Christ. I will now briefly sum up the points of the present argument sustained by the scriptures quoted: 1. The image of Dan. ii. presents in symbol the four universal monarchies of the world—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. 2. The four beasts of Dan. vii, are symbols of the same kingdoms, 3. These kingdoms are all destroyed together. 4. The ten-horned beast of Rev. xiii, covers the same ground or locality that is covered by the four beasts of Daniel. 5. The ten-horned beast and the two-horned beast are destroyed together, or at the same time. 6. The ten-horned beast, (entitled the wicked,) will be destroyed at the coming of Christ. But with this is linked the fate of all the others. Therefore, all the powers or kingdoms, represented by the symbols of beasts in Daniel and Revelation, will be destroyed at the second coming of Christ; which agrees with the Scriptures quoted in the previous number. (To be continued.) J. H. W.