As naturally as the female and male birds know each other and mate together, so will events and prophecy. This kind of argument Isaiah uses: "Seek ye out the Book of the Lord and read; no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate, for My mouth it hath commanded, and His Spirit it hath gathered them" (Isa. x.x.xiv. 16). I charge you to beware of prophetic dentists who put false teeth in the mouth of prophecy; who by their haste and impatience forestall prophecy and weaken men's faith instead of strengthening it. Prophetic evidence is very strong evidence, both for the Christian and the infidel.

Some will fail to be convinced when prophecy is fulfilled. Jew-like, they will blind their eyes and shut their ears to the evidences and voice of fulfilled prophecy. The entire career of our Lord Jesus Christ was foretold and mapped out by the Old Testament writers. Moses declared His family; Micah the place of His birth; Isaiah the virginity of His mother; Zechariah His triumphant entry into Jerusalem; David His life, resurrection, and ascension, with many other kinds of evidence of a detailed and general character; yet the Jews, who claimed to be well versed in the Old Testament, rejected Christ. Keep these things in mind while we now consider the text more directly.

You remember that out of the goat kingdom there came up four notable ones, and out of one them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great toward the South, East, and pleasant land, or land of Palestine.

Now this horn is not to be confounded with the little horn of the fourth kingdom spoken of in chapter vii., for that horn might justly be called the eleventh toe horn, as it comes into existence after the ten-toe kingdoms. The little horn of the text is explained in verse 23 to be a king of fierce countenance. He was to appear in the latter time. It will be interesting for us to ascertain what king, people, and country this little horn stands for. Daniel has given us a very vivid picture of the king. He is to be of fierce countenance, to understand dark sentences, to stand up in power and might, not however in his own power; he will claim to be appointed and authorised of G.o.d, and will pretend to rule in G.o.d's name; he will destroy wonderfully even the mighty of the world and the holy people; he will be very prosperous and practical, giving a great impetus to trade. By means of his prosperity he will become proud and strong, and will destroy many. He will actually stand up in place of Jesus-Prince of princes. But finally he will be broken without a hand. Thus, you see, Daniel gives us twelve special features of his person and reign. Without doubt the mate of these descriptions will be found on the person of Mahommed, and his successors in religion Mahommedanism, and in people and country the Turks and Turkey.

Mahommed had his religion and himself recognised about the year 622 at Mecca. From that time and place he went forth to waste and to destroy.

As his religion prevailed, so he subdued the country or territory. He united in himself the rights and prerogatives of king, priest, and prophet, making it obligatory upon his followers to prepare a way and enforce his religion by the sword. He was indeed a king of fierce countenance. Thus sprang Mahommedanism and the Turkish nation into existence. As a people, they are chiefly the descendants of Esau and Ishmael. If one desires to know the history and final destiny of this people, let him study the prophetic utterances concerning Esau and Ishmael. They are the descendants of Abraham, and so they very naturally fall into the prophetic line.

The Hungarians came from this family through Lot. The Poles and Magyars are from Moab and Ammon. These things being so, it is no wonder the Hungarians and Turks should sympathise, nor that England should have a liking for Turks, England being the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Alliance and sympathy between England and Turkey has a deeper root and meaning than some are willing to admit. Turkey, however, as a distinct empire, is nearly at an end. The recognition of the Ten Lost Tribes, and their restoration with the Jews to Palestine, is connected with the downfall of Turkey. "Saviours are to come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's" (Obad.).

How clearly speaks Obadiah again when he says, "How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border; the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee; there is none understanding in him. Shall I not in that day, saith the Lord, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the Mount of Esau?"

These are the latter times of the king of fierce countenance. Hear Daniel inquiring of the angel in this vision, "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days."

These days are generally allowed to stand for years. If so, Jerusalem was destroyed 70 A.D. The time Daniel saw this vision was about 490 B.C.; take 70 from this leaves 420. From 2,300 take 420, and we have 1,880. "Then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." What means this? It means Jerusalem will recur back again into the hands of the Jews and Israel. Christ said that the Jews "should fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke xxi. 24).

Now we know the Jews did fall by the sword when the Romans took Jerusalem. Second, we know they were scattered among the nations.

Third, Jerusalem has been trodden under foot-so much so, that Christians have not been permitted to stand on Mount Zion, where now stands the Mosque of Omar. And this is the city of the great King. This is Mount Zion, from which is yet to go forth the law. This is Jerusalem that G.o.d promises to yet again make the chief place of the earth. "Arise, shine, for the light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."

When, we ask, will the fulness of the Gentiles come in? We answer, Soon.

Think of what G.o.d has taught us in His Word. We, as the Lost Tribes, have indeed been ignorant of our origin and destiny. "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Rom. xi. 25). This time is nicely pointed out by John in Rev. xi. 2: "But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months;" or, as explained in the following verse, a thousand two hundred and three-score days. Accepting a day for a year again, and we have 1,260 years. Taking Mahommed power to date from 622, or about, then 622 and 1,260 make 1,882. Now just as sure as Jerusalem is now trodden under foot, as certainly will it be free.

"Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncirc.u.mcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise and sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion" (Isa. lii. 1, 2).

England is appointed of G.o.d to take possession of Palestine and restore Jerusalem. G.o.d has told us through Isaiah that He will lay vengeance upon Edom by the hand of Israel. The many days of the vision of Daniel are now gone; the time is nearly up.

"For Zion's sake will I not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth; and the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory." It is the duty of the watchmen of Zion to discern the signs of the times and become obedient unto heavenly instruction. "Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give Him no rest till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth" (Isa. lxii. 1, 2, 6, 7).

LITTLE HORN AND ANTI-CHRIST.

DISCOURSE IX.

PROPHETIC WONDERS-TWENTY MARKS OF THE MONSTER-THE BERLIN CONGRESS-ANTI-CHRISTS MANY-MISTAKES BY WRITERS.

"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."-Daniel vii. 8.

In the visions and dream recorded by Daniel in this chapter we have the same subject matter as that contained in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar of the metallic image. In this the subject is carried further into the future, bringing to view some new items of interest, under different symbols and more of detail. The four kingdoms of the metallic image are in this dream presented by the symbolism of four beasts. Babylon by a lion which had eagle's wings, setting forth the strength and swiftness of the same. Persia by a bear raised up on one side. Persia at this time was composed of Media as well, but the one-sided position of the bear denotes the dying out of Media and the continuance of Persia. The same idea is conveyed in the eighth chapter and third verse: "The ram had two horns, and one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last."

Media was a kingdom before Persia, but Persia was to survive Media; all this history confirms. After the Medo-Persian Empire declined, Persia surviving, held on to Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt-that is, when the bear was raised up on one side, it held in its mouth three ribs, and was strong for a time.

The Macedonian Empire Daniel saw under the type of a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a fowl; the beast also had four heads. Babylon was represented by two wings, but it is very fitting that Alexander and his empire should have four wings, for no conqueror ever flew so fast over the earth as this same monarch. In the metallic image he is represented by bra.s.s, in this by a leopard, and in the one we noticed in Discourse VII., by the goat. How wonderfully appropriate are these symbolisms. The four heads of this leopard stand for the four kingdoms into which the Macedonian Empire was divided on the death of Alexander-namely, first, Egypt under Ptolemy; second, Syria under Antigonus; third, Asia Minor under Lysimachus; fourth, Greece under Ca.s.sandar. These four kings were the four leading generals of Alexander.

The fourth beast of this vision is a nondescript; for among all the animal creation there could not be found one that could suitably represent Rome. But one was made for the purpose, combining in itself all that is fierce and terrible. "And behold a fourth 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 was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns." Its teeth were of iron and its claws of bra.s.s. What a monster! The other beasts faithfully represented their respective kingdoms, and so did this. What a record! What a counterpart we have in history of this beast! "Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon," lest the Pagan rejoice, and the heathen mock at us, and the infidel triumph over us. Blot out from Time's record the 24th of August, 1572. Let not our children learn the name of St. Bartholomew, for fear they should despise Christianity. Quench the flames of Smithfield, destroy the Inquisition, and divorce Christianity from such a kingdom, from such a beast. Thank heaven! the beast is dying; its teeth are worn to the very gum by the gnawings of centuries; its claws are not now sharp, so it cannot now crush the innocent, as in days gone by, nor tear with its bra.s.s claw the weak. Though the beast is growing old and weaker, yet let us remember that its death struggle is yet to come. The beast has been wounded, but this shall only serve to intensify its rage.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed, if we are wise.

This beast, Daniel tells us, had ten horns, and these horns are ten kings-that is, kingdoms-that shall arise. Just here we may reasonably ask whether these ten kingdoms are yet in existence, and the answer is, No. Some of them may be; of course they are in existence, as was General Grant before the war, but not yet distinct or a.s.signed their special work and place. The time, however, for them all to appear is near at hand.

Of this we may rest satisfied, when once they are all in existence we will have no difficulty in knowing them. Prophecy unfulfilled is always more difficult to interpret than when it is fulfilling or fulfilled. We have no doubt but some of these horns are in existence, and from what we can glean from prophecy and history, some are not yet in their proper place.

The special province of prophecy is to prepare us for what is coming.

Searching into prophecy enables us to forecast the future with tolerable certainty, just as the scientists can tolerably forecast the weather by studying the laws, forces, and inclinations of nature. So the Christian student, by studying prophecy, Providence, and history, and comparing them, can know much of what is coining. On the Divine side all prophecy is certain, but on the human it can only be approximated. Prophecy furnishes the strongest kind of evidence in favour of the existence of G.o.d-inspiration of the Scriptures and Providence. The Lord Himself calls our attention to this kind of evidence frequently in the Bible. "Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, said the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth and show us what shall happen; let them show the former things what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come" (Isa.

xli. 21, 22).

Prophecy does not interfere with the coming to pa.s.s of an event, or suppress man's freedom no more than the man at Washington, who gives us the weather probabilities, makes the weather or regulates nature. Even when men know the sequence of a thing they oftentimes persist in doing it. The soldiers who wrangled at the cross about the dividing of the garments of the crucified One, thought little and cared less for prophecy; but when they came to the Saviour's vest, they fell into the line of prophecy, for at once they cast lots for that, all of which had been fore-written for hundreds of years. Run and tell that young man that the place he is entering is the way of death. Tell him that the air is foul, that the furniture and painted humanity are all gotten up to deceive. Tell him that in a few years he will repent ever having seen such a place. And what is your reward? It is that you are laughed at and esteemed as one that interferes, and told to mind your own business.

The young man is free and self-confident. Look in a few years for that same young man and you shall find him a terrible example of fulfilled prophecy. Diseased, worn, weak, and weary, he cries in the anguish of soul for his folly. "And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof?" (Prov. v. 11, 12).

The famous European Congress which met in Berlin, we foresaw would meet, near three years ago, and told you the conditions under which it would be called. In the dark days of the past did we not repeat to you our faith, as fostered from prophecy, that England could not go to war? Many of you, and persons in different parts of the country, advised me by letter when the telegraph despatches came crowding and threatening, that I had so said. The intention was to break my faith, or at least to remind me that I had not spoken correctly. What now? who is right? This Congress completed a prophetic period. After it was over new scenery appeared and a new act came upon the stage. But more of this by-and-bye.

Among the results of this Congress will be an enlargement of England's power over Turkey and Egypt. For England must possess Constantinople, because to Israel it is promised that he shall possess the gates of his enemies, and this is one of the finest gates in the world. Palestine will come into the hands of England, and be opened up for the return of the Jews, who, when the time comes will go in mult.i.tudes, and the Lost Tribes representatively. "I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion" (Jer. iii. 14). In a few years men will understand why, in this country, as well as in England, people are hunting up their genealogy, and by tradition, history, and heraldry, trying to ascertain of what family they are. The re-settlement of Palestine by G.o.d's chosen people, the Lost Tribes, no one can deny who reads and believes the Bible. Hanging upon the fulfilment of this great fact are many other prophecies and events, which are of great interest to the Church and the world.

1st. The ten-toed kingdom must be formed. These kings are to form an alliance with the beast, or Church of Rome, as representative of this beast. "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast" (Rev. xvii. 12). Thus strengthened, the beast will make war with the saints, or chosen, but it will be her final struggle, for in struggling she will die. These ten kings will forsake her.

2nd. Anti-Christ has to appear after the settlement of Palestine.

Anti-Christ is represented by the other little horn spoken of in the text. This little horn is to come forth from one of the ten horns. He, too, will ally with the beast. The subject of Anti-Christ is a very interesting one; on it men have written and speculated much and wildly.

In studying a subject of this kind, we should first ascertain the Scripture teachings on it, then look for the preparative signs in the Church and world, and finally, for the counterpart, which, once in existence, no one can fail to recognise. The time, person, and work of Anti-Christ have been very clearly set forth in the Old and New Testaments, especially by Isaiah, in the fourteenth chapter and twelfth to sixteenth verses; by Daniel in the seventh and eleventh chapters, under the symbolism of this little horn; by Paul in second Thessalonians, second chapter and first to twelfth verses; also by John in Revelation, thirteenth chapter and nineteenth chapter and twentieth verse, besides many other references.

Of Anti-Christ the early Christian fathers had different views. 1st.

Some thought that he would be Satan a.s.suming the appearance of a man.

2nd. Some thought he would be a hybrid, the offspring of Satan by a harlot; of this opinion were Lactantius and Sulspitius. 3rd. Hilary, Jerome, and others thought he would be Satan incarnated. 4th.

Chrysostom, Theopolact, and Theodoret thought he would be a real man under the influence of the devil. This latter view we accept as being the nearest to the Scripture teaching. In the Scriptures he goes by the names of Lucifer, man of sin, son of perdition, and that wicked one. Now all these names are indicative of some special feature of his character.

Man of sin points out the intensity of the person in wickedness. As some time ago a man was called "the wickedest man in New York," so Anti-Christ will be called the man of sin, having been the greatest sinner of human kind.

From the Scriptures we find that he will be characterised by some twenty peculiarities. These we will just enumerate: a cunning seducer, a vile imposter, a bold blasphemer, a great tyrant, a wonderful organiser and diplomatist; hence he will readily make alliances with other kings and strengthen himself; a pretentious and hypocritical Communist, dividing his lands, money, and treasure among the people; he will be very ambitious and aspiring, doing or being anything so he may gain his point; he will be very self-willed; he will be very boastful, speaking great words; he will be very cruel, not heeding the plea of woman; he will be very sacrilegious, sitting in the temple of G.o.d-that is, the new temple, built by the returned Jews-and actually claim to be G.o.d; he will be a scientific spiritualist, able to work miracles, even to bring fire down from the clouds; he will be very powerful by his alliance, apparent generosity, and scientific deception; he will be a great liar, making treaties and breaking them whenever it suits him; he will be very wicked, guilty of all manner of crime; his reign will be short as a king, only about three-and-a-half years. Before this he will have been a man of power and position. He will suddenly be destroyed in the time of a fearful uprising of the people; he will remain unburied in the streets of Jerusalem for a time, then, finally, his remains will be burnt up. These and many other facts inspiration furnish us beforehand of this most wonderful character.

Against this person our Saviour warned the Jews and all the Church, but especially the Jews, and He did so for special reasons, which will appear hereafter in this discourse. Christ said, "I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye shall receive." At the time of Anti-Christ's death there will be raging a fearful war, and coincident with this war there will be another Saint Bartholomew ma.s.sacre in several of the ten-toed kingdoms. The beast and Anti-Christ are to be destroyed about the same time. It will be the last plot of the Jesuits, who are hounding to death poor Leo.

XIII. A glimpse of that time the Saviour showed to His disciples, when He said: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, to this time, no, nor ever shall be; and except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then, if any man shall say unto you, Lo! here is Christ, or there, believe it not; for there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold! I have told you before" (Matt. xxiv. 2125).

What a warning the Saviour gave the Jews, but how little have they and the Church heeded it! In the second century appeared the famous Bar Cochebas, with his thousands of followers, who in his final struggle was slain with some sixty thousand of his adherents. Also, think of Antiochus Epiphanes and his terrible delusions, the thousands and tens of thousands who flocked to his standard. So marvellous was this delusion, that many have actually made him out to be Anti-Christ, but those who thus reason take the shadow for the substance, and do violence to all true Scripture exegesis. Antiochus Epiphanes could not be Anti-Christ, for he was out of time, and meets but few of the special conditions of Anti-Christ. History records the appearance of not less than twenty-five Anti-Christs, or persons who have claimed to be the Messiah of the Jews.

How unbelief exposes a man or a people!

Some have laboured to make it appear that Mahommed was Anti-Christ, but with all his badness, he is not bad enough to be Anti-Christ. He reviled not G.o.d, he never sat in His temple, he did not die in Jerusalem. He had an honourable burial.

Some have tried to prove that Romanism and the Pope were Anti-Christ, but this cannot be, you will see at a glance. The beast has its own character; that was long ago written out by the prophets, and up to the present time it has filled in the outlines with a marvellous minuteness.

In these things many good and wise men have erred in making prophecies fit certain persons, and nations, and times, instead of waiting for these things to fit on to prophecy. Let us not be prophetic forgers. Let no one deceive you in these matters. Adventism, Millerism, Shakerism, Spiritualism, are untimely excesses. As systems they are, as yet, out of place. This subject of Anti-Christ, as to who he will be, and when he will appear, I shall be obliged to leave for next Sunday evening, as my time is up. May the good Lord guide us into the ways of truth and peace.

ANTI-CHRIST AND LITTLE HORN.

DISCOURSE X.

SECOND DISCOURSE OF THE MONSTER-WHO HE WILL BE AND HIS NAME-HOW HE WILL OBTAIN POWER-TROUBLE FOR GERMANY, FRANCE, AND RUSSIA-COMMUNISM-ROMANISM-SHAKERS-MATTHIAS, WEST-CHESTER PROPHET.

"Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called G.o.d, or that is worshipped, so that he, as G.o.d, sitteth in the temple of G.o.d, showing himself that he is G.o.d."-2 Thess. ii. 3, 4.

We may reasonably ask why Paul gave the Thessalonians this caution, and the answer will appear at once if we read his first epistle to this people. There you will find Paul writing to them about the second coming of Christ, which writing the Thessalonians had evidently misunderstood, and this misunderstanding was working mischief among them. They had false hopes and expectations. Their faith, instead of exciting them to holy activity in Church and State, had begun to paralyse all their efforts. "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that _we_ which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep; for the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of G.o.d; and the dead in Christ shall rise first (that is, before Christ descends); then _we_ which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall _we_ ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess. iv. 1517). It was the frequent use of the p.r.o.noun "we" that had confused them-_we_ who remain, _we_ who are alive. The Thessalonians had inferred from this that the second coming of Christ would take place in their day. Hence, to correct this impression Paul thus writes in his second epistle. The two verses preceding the text show us Paul's intent. "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand." Then comes in the text, "Let no man deceive you," &c.

In reasoning on such important subjects as Anti-Christ, resurrection, and second coming of Christ, we should always be mindful of the Scriptural order. When we sit down to take dinner, we follow the order that custom has prescribed, soup, fish, meats, and dessert. Children, however, if let alone, would reverse this order by beginning with the dessert first.