A Scripture Line of Time, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 6
SECT. VI.
Brief Remarques on Daniels laſt and largeſt Viſion are made, from part to part. c. 10. c. 11. c. 12.
THis laſt, and longeſt of Daniels Viſions, I ſhall moſt briefly paſs over, Becauſe the chief Things in it, that concern the Kingdom of Chriſt, have either been already given, and are here recollected with ſome Explanations, or the Line of Time to Chriſt is juſt Travers'd, eſpecially to introduce the End; or elſe when it comes beyond the Weeks, the Death, and Reſurrection of Chriſt; Things are gone over again in the Evidence, and clearneſs of a New Teſtament Prophecy; yet ſundry things of greateſt Uſe, and Remarque, to the fuller underſtanding of what went before, and is to follow, will ariſe to us.
This laſt and longeſt Viſion meaſures more particularly and diſtinctly the whole ſpace of the 2300 days, abating the two or three firſt years of Cyrus, and ſo brings down Time to the End, ſo as that from the ſealing of Prophecy, at the End of the firſt half and the laſt of the ſeventy Weeks, Lines of Time are given, the Firſt implicitely along the Time of the ſealed Book to be open'd in its ſeven Seals in the Apocalyps; Or in expreſs Numbers. viz. the 1335, which juſt at the end of the ſeventh Seal, begin in the Trumpets, and continue until all Finiſhed, or, IT IS DONE, IT IS DONE, and ſo ariſe to One thouſand three hundred thirty five years.
This Viſion, according to the Pleaſure of the infinitely wiſe Spirit of Prophecy, varies from the precedent in this, That it is rather Enigmatical in vail'd and covert Expreſſions, then Iconical, or by way of Imagery; The firſt Viſion was perfectly Dan. 2.an Image, whoſe Anatomical Diſtributions by the Head, the Arms and Breast; the Belly and Thighs, the Legs, Feet and Toes, diſtributed Time: The ſecond Iconiz'd by four Beaſts, had a Line of Time, in the Cypher of Time, Times, half a c. 7.Time, applyed to a little Horn of the fourth Beaſt: The third pourtrays Three Beasts, and makes a little Horn of the Third of them, a Type to the little Horn of the fourth Beaſt of the c. 8.former Viſion, and the Veil of a Type being thrown over, There is a Line of 2302 Days drawn out by the Action of the Type *Antiochus Epiphanes.bearing ſome Reſemblance, both in Action and Duration (of Time naturally and not prophetically underſtood) to that Anti▪typical little Horn; It is drawn, I ſay, to the Kingdom of Chriſt, riſing on that little Horns Ruine at the End of the 2300 Ev. Mor.
The State of the four Monarchies, in the fourth of which the Kingdom of Chriſt breaks the whole Image, is much the ſame in the main, in this Viſion, as in the former, The Antichristian King is guilty of the ſame Blaſphemy againſt the God of Gods, or the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, as in the former Viſions againſt the Prince of Princes, and the moſt high, and laſtly the ſame Date of Time, Times, half a Time is applied to him: yet notwithſtanding there are ſome peculiar Things which this Viſion carries all along upon the whole Line of the 2300 Ev. Morn. by way of farther Explication, as alſo of the excellent Viſion of the ſeventy weeks, and of the Word going forth before it: which Viſion of the ſeventy weeks moſt reſembles this Viſion in this, that it is rather a prophetical Hiſtory, than Imagery.
The prefatory Deſcription of Chriſt hath ſeveral Magnificencies of Preſence, like thoſe Revel. 1. and alſo Dan. 7. wherein the Divine Nature of Chriſt appears in his Mediatorſhip. But in this they differ from the Majeſty of Chriſt, as on his Throne, wherein Ezekiel's Viſions exceed, and for the ſake of which He is ſo often honour'd with the Title, Son of Man, ſo peculiar to Christ's Kingdom, and wherein Daniel came neareſt in the Viſion of the Sanctuary cleans'd, and the Corrival to Christ's Princedome broken without hand, at the end of the 2300 Ev Morn. All which ſhall be then fulfill'd in the State of the Jews reſtor'd, of the New Jeruſalem and the Kingdom of Christ, Rev. 20. 4. and therefore there he is peculiarly call'd Son of Man, as before noted.
To ſhew it meaſures the ſame Time, as that of the Ev. Mor. Daniel, is much in the ſame manner affected: It begins in its very Date, near the Beginning of the Perſian Monarchy; it runs moſt evidently to the ſame End. And having now made theſe general Remarks upon it, I come to obſerve what is moſt particular in it, in the way of a ſhort Elenchus, or Table of it.
1. It is peculiar to this Viſion, that tho Chriſt calls to mind in it His ſupreme Aſſiſtance to His, at the first Year of Darius, who to diſtinguiſh him, is call'd Darius the Mede, and of the Seed of the Medes, at the very Entrance of Cyrus's Perſian Monarchy; yet his third Year is the critical and preciſe Date of it; for then that wonderful and unexpected ſtop upon ſo Royal a Decree by the divine Permiſſion was made, Ezr. c. 3. compar'd with c. 4.ſhewing the leiſurely Progreſſes of the divine Kingdom, and, as is moſt probably conceiv'd, Cyrus in his third Year making foreign Expeditions, Cambyſes or Artaxerxes his Son, was left Viceroy; upon whom the Enemies of the Jews gain'd ſo far, that though they could not plainly command a Ceſſation, yet by Sleights and Artifices, They eluded the Decree, and fruſtrated the Work all the days of Cyrus.
But Cyrus being dead in the days of the proper Reign of Artaxerxes, or Cambyſes the Son of Cyrus, the Adverſaries of the Jews writ to him, and obtain'd his Edict againſt the Progreſs of the Building. And in the Reign of Ahaſuerus, in the beginning of his Reign, wrote they alſo an Accuſation, and ſtill prevail'd.
Now by Ahaſuerus, I underſtand the Counterfeit Smerdis, Ezr. 4. v. 5, 6, 7.whoſe Reign being very ſhort, it is ſaid, In the beginning of his Reign: And by Artaxerxes I underſtand Cambyſes, who reign'd indeed before Ahaſuerus: yet the Sacred Hiſtory intending a fuller Account of the whole matter, gives firſt the general Account, that all the days of Cyrus the Work was fruſtrated; then takes in Ahaſuerus firſt, becauſe his Reign was ſhort, and then gives the true Series of Things in Artaxerxes, who was firſt in the days of Cyrus, poſſeſs'd againſt the Jews, and ſuffer'd an artificial Impedition of them. When he came to Reign, he laid a Prohibition on their Building. When Ahaſuerus began to Reign, after the Death of Artaxerxes, the Jews, upon that change, attempted to revive their Work, but on Letters to Ahaſuerus, by their Enemies, were ſtill prohibited. At the Reign of Darius being twice diſcouraged, they lay ſtill, till arous'd by Haggai and Zechariah the Prophets, and confirm'd by Darius in a new Enterpriſe, they begin the Work again.
That which juſtifies this, as the True Order, is, That the Hiſtory expreſly tells us, upon the Letter to Artaxerxes, The work ceas'd, and that it ceas'd till the ſecond Year of Darius the Perſian, all the Days of Artaxerxes Cambyſes, all the ſhort Reign of Ahaſuerus, or the Counterfeit Smerdis; Under Artaxerxes then, it began to ceaſe; and till then the Ceſſation continued. And thus often, Sacred Story poſtpones that, on which it intends to place the full and largeſt Accounts, and therein directs the true Order yet; As here, Artaxerxes is poſtpond to Ahaſuerus, although before him.
And of this Delay of the Building, the Space otherwiſe unknown, is made known in this Viſion by the one and twenty days Reſiſtance Chriſt found from the Angel-Prince of Perſia, againſt whom Michael the Angel-Prince of the Jews ſtood with Chriſt.
Now theſe twenty one days, viz. days for years; for what could twenty one days Reſiſtance ſignifie to ſuch a ſtop of the Building, if naturally taken? Daniel obſerv'd a ſymbolical Fast; three weeks of days, a day for a year, as Ezekiel obſerv'd on each ſide; ſo that it is true, The weeks of days do diſtinguiſh thoſe weeks of days from the ſeventy weeks of years, and yet they are a Type of twenty one days for years alſo: ſo that here we have an Explanation of ſo much Time as the ſtop of the Building amounted to, as ſo many years of the Perſian Time, as was before explain'd of the Word going forth, and it juſtifies that Account ſo far towards 75, where it is poſſibly moſt needed.
2. Here we have alſo the Intimation of the whole Hiſtory of Eſther, as pertaining to the Decree of the Jews Deſtruction and Deliverance, compris'd in the ſhort Note of Chriſt's ſpeedy diſpatch of this Viſion to Daniel, and returning to ſight for the Jews with the ſame Angel prince of Perſia, who, Zec. 3. 1.as Sathan, ſtood at their right-hand to reſist them, and this Reaſon to believe, That Ahaſuerus was Xerxes, who was the fourth King, richer than all the former; viz. In compliance with that Character, The Hiſtory of Eſther thus deſcribes him, This is that Ahaſuerus that Reigned from India to Ethiopia: Eſth. 1. 1.and according to beſt Hiſtory, He was the fourth to the three from Cyrus; for Darius being of the Seed of the Medes, and the Mede is not accounted among the Perſian Kings, the Three after Cyrus then regnant, are Cambyſes, Smerdis, Darius Hyſtaſpis, and Xerxes the fourth; who as ſtirring up all againſt the Realm of Grecia, near the very Time of the Jews Danger, (as Chriſt ſignifies by the King of Grecia coming when he return'd to fight with the Prince of Perſia concerning Haman's Decree,) laid the Foundation of that War, Alexander the Great, a Prince doing after his own Will, purſued ſo as to put an end to the Perſian Monarchy, and the Grecian ſucceeded.
And this I have treated the more largely, becauſe it confirms and farther clears what hath been ſaid of the Words going forth.
3. This Viſion being drawn out of the Scripture of Truth, that is, out of the former Viſions of Daniel, which can be only Cap. 10. 21.ſuppos'd Scripture of Truth in relation to theſe things. The Viſion, I ſay, paſſes on to the Succeſſors of Alexander, and eſpecially ſtays in the King of the South, and the North, the Egyptian, and Graeco-Syrian Kingdoms, the DHIL-KARNAIN Cap. 11. 5. &c.or two Horns, as the Mahometans call it, or as this Prophecy alſo, the two Thighs of the Grecian Empire, in whoſe Motions the 62 weeks ran, and the Troubles of the Jews were, as Hiſtorians obſerve, moſt concern'd; but eſpecially as Types of thoſe after-Kings of the South and North, to which the Prophecy tends.
For in that Acarith of the Grecian Monarchy, as the former Viſion ch. 8. v. 23. expreſſes it, that long after part, the King of fierce Countenance, and underſtanding dark Sentences, aroſe, viz. in the Time of the Southern Saracens, Heirs of the Egyptian Potentacy, and the Northern Turks, Inheritors after, of the Grecian Empire, to which the Prophecy eſpecially directs it ſelf; ſo leading on alſo the ſpace of the Weeks to the Roman Empire, till all things went forward to the Antichriſtian State; wherein theſe three principal Things are eſpecially in our Eye, that are prepar'd to clear to us the Apocalyptical Prophecy, into which this of Daniel Diſembogues it ſelf.
1. The Confederacies betwixt Antiochus, and the Apoſtatizing Jews are lively ſet out, as very prophetically deſcriptive of the Gentiles, and the other Beaſt, firſt preparing for and after conſpiring with the Grand Beast of the Revelation, and ſo by all manner of Arts corrupting the Minds of Men into the Apoſtacy, that the daily Service of God may be taken away, and the Abomination, that maketh deſolate, eſtabliſh'd in its place: and as They, who in the Days of Antiochus fell under that Tyranny by Sufferings, and would not accept Deliverance that they might obtain a better Reſurrection; (for even Heb. 11. 35then the End was known, and was for an appointed Time:) even ſo the Witneſſes and ſealed Servants of God were in the ſame manner reſolv'd not to defile themſelves, but were purified, and made white by Sufferings, for the Glory of that End. And thus in this Viſion, theſe ſhaded Lines of the Gentiles and the other Beast, not given in the former Viſions, are now given, and the End vigorouſly repreſented, as encouraging the Saints of God in their Oppoſition to thoſe Corruptions.
2. The Agency of the Antichriſtian King is more fully ſet out in ſome Particulars, that had been given ſome not at all, ſome not ſo clear as before, as in theſe three things.
1. We have the Exaltation of himſelf above all Magiſtrates or deputed Gods, every foreign or Auguſt Name, that calls Properly the Name of Auguſt Majeſty, as Acts 27. 1.for civil Worſhip and Reverence, according to God's Ordination: ſo the Apoſtle out of this very Prophecy deſcribes him. 2 Theſſ. 2. 4.
2. His marvellous Pretenſion to be the Vicar and Vice-Gerent of Christ on Earth, in ſo abſolute and immediate a manner, as to ſwallow up Chriſt's own true Power. This is a ſpeaking marvellous Things against Chriſt, the God of Gods, or ſupreme Prince; an opening his Mouth in Blaſphemy against the most High, becauſe ſuch a Power is a Blaſphemy againſt Chriſt's Divine Power: for it is to ſit in the Temple of God, as God, ſhewing himſelf that he is God,
3. His Prohibition of Marriage is ſhaded under the Not regarding the Deſire of Women, taking it either as what Women of Vertue and Honour deſire, Marriage honourable in all, or Mens lawful Deſire of Women in that Eſtate of Honour and the Bed undefiled, in Deteſtation of Concubinacies and Stews: and this Prohibition yet is on the pretended Accounts of Virginity, and immoderately honour'd ſingle Life; but indeed for baſe Advantages of Riches and Power; to which thoſe Pretences are made ſerviceable, while in the mean time all Impurities, even the Deeds of the Nicolaitans, are ſo allowed, as to be made a Doctrine. Thus the Apoſtle alſo brands the Apoſtaſie as forbidding to marry; 1 Tim. 4. 3. compar'd with Rev. 2. 14.
4. The Idolatry introduc'd by him, formerly unheard of and unknown in the World: an Idolatry committed under the Pretence of honouring Saints and Holy Angels, the Mother of Christ, and even Christ, the Spirit, God, the Trinity; Names, the loweſt of which are indeed of true and real Honour and Excellency, according to the Scriptures; but as thus manag'd, A Blaſpeming God, his Tabernacle, viz. The whole Worſhip of the Goſpel, call'd after the Language of pure Iſraelitiſm, His Tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven, Saints and Angels, who are eſpecially thus blaſphem'd under the Name of Worſhip, by putting upon them the Notion of Patrons, Patroneſſes, Defenders, Tutelary Powers, Preſidiary, Munitional, or Municipal Saints; which is ſuch a new Host of Heaven, ſuch a new way of Idolatry, ſo proper to this State of Antichrist, as in juſt Propriety to be ſaid, A God, that his Fathers, not only of the Roman Anceſtors of the Beaſt, but even his first Father of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, had not known, a God ſtrange to the whole Aunceſtry of Idolaters, that it is moſt fitly and livelily expreſs'd by the Prophecy: The Silver, Gold, precious Things, with which their Shrines are honour'd, Their Preſidency over ſuch Countries, the Land or whole Territory of the Beaſt being divided to them for gain, each Saint in his proper Diſtrict or Diviſion, and ſo as to bring in Gain moſt advantageouſly. And all theſe are thus honour'd upon the Account of a Supreme over them in Name and Title, however often not only equal'd, but even ſubmitted under them in Veneration and Reſort, as we know the Name of CHRIST bears up the whole weight, and yet is not only competitor'd by ſuch or ſuch a Saint, in ſuch a place, or as they ſpeak by our Lady, but even by that very ſort of Idolatrous Worſhip of Chriſt ecclips'd and drowned. And all this was fulfill'd, eſpecially from that War concerning the Worſhip of Saints and Images, 725 or 26, at the famous 666, as is after to be ſhewn.
Now the Pourtray of theſe Things is admirable in this prophetical Table, and the Travers from the God, who is ſuperiour, that is, Chriſt, to the whole Gentry of Saints, in ſuch a confuſed manner, as the Text gives it, The Maozzim, and the ſtrange God whom he ſhall acknowledge, and encreaſe with Glory, and ſhall cauſe them to rule over many, ſo paſſing out of one into another, that the very Frame of the Context does above all Expreſſion, by the Elegancy of the Scheme, exquiſitely preſent it, and it hath been with wonderful Fidelity expounded by that ever to be acknowledg'd Duumvirate of Prophetical Interpreters, Dr. More and Mr. Mede.
5. It is very extraordinary in this Prophecy, that upon this very Idolatry, and at the very Time when it was conteſted by the Iconoclaſtick Emperours, ſo profeſs'd Enemies to Images, and Worſhip of Saints, and yet ſanction'd by the ſecond Council of Nice, however palliated by that of Frankford, Cabbaſut. Notitia Eccleſ. p. 314.which Palliation is yet abhorr'd, and the Truth of the Hiſtory of that Council decried at this Day; At that very Time the Mahometan King of the South, by the Saracens or Locuſts, and after the King of the North, the Turkiſh Horſemen according to the Military Language of Daniel's Time, with his Chariots and Horſemen, like a Whirlwind, and with his Gallies or Ships paſs'd and overflow'd. And this, in the ſame order, the Apocalyps after deſcribes; and at the ſame Degrees of Elevation: The King of the South firſt does but puſh; he torments and hurts, but does not kill or ſwallow up in Conqueſt: The King of the North comes after, and does overflow and paſs over, and inherit a great part of the Antichriſtian Territory, as the Beaſt would have it; that is the Grecian Empire, and yet leaves to the Beaſt his proper Beſtian Demeſne ſtill: for the ſake of which Mahometan Kings of the South and the North, as well as to draw a Line of prophetick Hiſtory upon the ſixty two Weeks, from the Wall built to Meſſiah, There is ſo much ſaid of the King of the North and the South, the Seleucidean and Lagidean Potentacies in the Prophecy.
6. It is very obſervable, after a Deſcription of the very great Conqueſts and vaſt Tracts of the Turkiſh Empire, v. 42. &c. given, His End is foretold upon the Mountains of Tzebi, or the pleaſant Holy Land; and from thence the laſt end of Things, and the glorious ſtate of the Kingdom of Chriſt, in the Luſtre of his Saints, and the Shame and Contempt of his Enemies, ſeems to be given; and not from the breaking the Image in the Beſtian State of it; which both here and in the Revelation is the moſt definite Thing that can be, that the End ſhould be ſo plac'd on the Beaſt. Theſe two Conſiderations yet will make a perfect Reconciliation of that Objection.
1. That indeed, The End of Things is not given from the Turkiſh End, but from the Day of great Trouble, ſuch as never Dan. 12. 1.was ſince there was a Nation. Now that Day of Trouble is the ſame with the Battel of Armageddon under the ſeventh Rev. 16. 16. &c. v. 12.Vial. The Turkiſh Power therefore coming to its End, and none helping it, is under the ſixth Vial, poured out upon the River Euphrates, that the way of the Kings of the Eaſt, the Jews upon the Mountains of Tzebi, might be prepar'd, where the Turk receives his final Overthrow, except the laſt Remainders of him rallied from this Fatal Blow, on the Mountains of Tzebi may be congregated by the Spirit, like a Frog, (that ſhall immediately after it go out of the mouth of the Dragon) to the Battel of Armageddon, upon which immediately follows that Reſurrection deſcrib'd in the Glory of the Saints, the Miniſters of Divine Truth, who have turn'd many to Righteouſneſs, in an Excellency, and the Enemies of Chriſt riſing to everlaſting Shame and Contempt, according to Dan. 12. 1, 2. &c. and Revel. 20. 4. &c. to v. 7. Where we may obſerve the uſe of the Word Many, to ſhew, there is another Determination of the Future State of Mankind at the end of the 1000 Years; both of them written in the Book, and whoſe Names are not found in the Book of Life: compare this with Apoc. 20. 15.
From hence therefore, compar'd with the Turkiſh Woe going off at the end of the ſixth Trumpet, Rev. 11. 14. It ſeems moſt probable, but I dare not in Particulars be too definitive; There is a reducing of the Turkiſh Power at that Trumpets end ſending it to Euphrates from whence it came at the Beginning of it; and a DE-PORTING it from Conſtantinople. At the ſixth Vial there is a drying it up in his proper Euphrates, in ſome Encounter on the Mountains of Tzebi or Judea; and what Mahometan Tail may remain, ſhall be wholly cut off at Armageddon, when neither Head, nor Tail, Tyranny, nor Falſe Prophetiſm, to hurt with, ſhall be left in the World.
2. After the End had been thus given leading from the ſixth Vial to the ſeventh, Then the true orderly native courſe of that End is drawn within its proper Channels and Succeſſions of Prophetick Time; as is now in the next place to be demonſtrated upon this Danielian Prophecy.