The Name Mark and Number of the Beast, Chapter 5 · Part 20 – Part 21
Answer.
I do not deny but in some sense the Kingdom of Alexander may be distinct from that of his Successors: But …, Whether in the present case it ou…ht to be … distinguished. The Kingdoms of Media and Persia, are two distinct Realms, Dan. 8. yet both these make but one silver-Metal. So the Kingdoms of Alexander and his Successors, though they be distinguished, yet in the Notion, Relation, and Distribution of the Kingdoms in the Image, they make but one Brass-metal, or one Empire, typed by the third Beast with four Heads. In this case every Metal signifieth a distinct Kingdom in the fulness thereof. And therefore, as the Golden-Head doth signifie the Babylonian-Kin…dom; and the Silver-Breast, the Mede-Persian: So the Brazen-Belly and Thighs, do signifie the whole Graecian Empire. And as in this Acception the distinct Kingdoms of Media and Persia do not make two, but one Silver-metal: So the Distinct Kingdoms of Alexander and his Successors, do not make divers, but one third Kingdom of Brass. But yet further, If we should ask how every Metal-Kingdom comes to be divided, it must be in relation as each People cometh to have the sovereign Dominion over the Earth; and therefore it is expresly said concerning the Kingdom of Christ, That it shall not be left to other People, chap. 2. 44. And in the end of the seventh Chapter, v. 27. these words are recited, The Kingdom, and Dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High: From whence we collect, That the Monarchies are to be distinguished, as the Dominion doth devolve and descend from one People to another, till at last it cometh to the turn of the Saints of the most High, to be the Monarchical people. This being laid as a ground, we may say in the particu…ar case alledged by Piscator, That though the Kingdom of Alexander was plucked up by the Roots, and the Kingdoms of his Successors were set up upon his ruines; yet for all this, there was no change of Dominion from People to People. There was only a change from Alexander to his Successors; still one Graecian People had the Empire over the Earth. And to put all out of questi…n, That the Spirit doth principally point to the Flux and Passage of the Sovereignty from one People to another, and tha… in this case he doth not distinguish the Kingdom of Alexander from that of his Successors; the ground which we have to bui…d upon, i…, The resemblance of the He-goat▪ chap. 8. Now under this similitude, the whole Graecian Empire, both of Alexander, and of his four Successors, they are all comprehended together, as they were formerly set forth under the Type of the Third Beast with four Heads. Now whereas … alledgeth, That the He-goat is different from the Third Beast; and that the Prophecie, chap. 8. Habet rationem diversam, a different way of Interpretation: I Answer, The He goat and the Third Beast are all one, so farforth as both are Types of the same Empire, under one and the same People. And for the Partition of the Greek Kingdom, between Alexander and his Successors; this doth no more hinder the Type of that Kingdom by one Third Beast, then it doth hinder the delineation by one He-goat.
But now to produce some Reasons that Alexander divided from his Successors cannot be the Third Kingdom Typed by the Brass-Metal, or the Third Beast. First, All the Kingdoms were persecuting States, such that did afflict the People of God. But Alexander, if you divide him from his Successors, did not afflict the Church of the Jews, neither were they Persecuted in all the times of his Empire. Secondly, The Metal-Kingdoms are so constituted, that the latter are of a more hard and Tyrannical disposition against the Saints. Now take Alexander, in sensu diviso, take him several from his Successors, how was his Kingdom of more hard disposition against the Saints, than was either Babylon or Persia going before? His Monarchy was but for a few years, and there was no Persecution of the People of the Jews in all his time. Thirdly, The Beast that came up our of the Sea after the Persian Bear, is expresly said to have four Heads, vers. 6. Now take Alexander severally from his Successors, what four Heads, or what four Divisions were there in his Kingdom? For in his time the Beast was so far from having four Heads, that it had no Heads or Divisions at all: Therefore we must necessarily conclude, That the Third Beast doth represent and fig…re the Graecian Kingdom, which in a famous revolution of State, became divided into four Parts. Now, whereas the learned Interpreter doth distinguish the Kingdom of Alexander from the Dominion of his Successors, I do yield this to be true: For Alexander being broken off▪ four Kingdoms did stand up out of that Nation. But this is nothing to the purpose. For these several Fractions and Divisions do not hinder the Unity of the Greek Monarchy. If it had been the plot of the Spirit to make a Third Monarchy of Alexander, and a Fourth of his Successors; why doth he use the similitude of one He-goat for the representation of two Monarchies? Why are two Empires set forth under one figure? And whereas he strongly bindeth upon this, That all Four Successors are expresly called, One Kingdom, vers. 23. Saving the great Worth and Learning of the Author, he is deceived in this Point: For when it is said, In the latter end of their Kingdom, when transgressors are come to the full; a King, of fierce countenance, shall stand up: Now in these words, In the latter end of their Kingdom; this is not only meant of the Kingdom of the Four Successors, contradistinct to the Kingdom of Alexander; but the expression is concerning the whole Kingdom of the Greeks, opposed to that of the Persians. In the description of the He-goat, Four Kingdoms are said to rise up out of that Nation; and in the latter end of their Kingdom (meaning the Greeks, when that People shall have the Sovereignty over the Earth) a King of fierce countenance shall arise. Therefore we conclude, That Alexander, and his Successors together, make but one Greek Empire, under the similitude of one He-goat. Now let us proceed.
Piscator.
By the Fourth Kingdom (which was prefigured by the Ironthighs of the Image) we must understand the Kingdom of the Successors of Alexander the Great. This I have already cleared, by comparing it with the Fourth Beast, chap. 7. To which I now adde another evident collation of chap. 2. vers. 43. with chap. 11. vers. 6. concerning the Feet of the Image (which pertain to the Fourth Kingdom) Daniel speaking to Nebuchadnezzar, thus saith, Whereas thou s…west the Iron mixed with miry Clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men, but they shall not cleave one to the other, even as Iron is not mixed with Clay. Now this very same thing the Angel Gabriel doth declare concerning the Successors of Alexander; to wit, The Seleucidae and the Lagidae, chap. 11. And in the end of the years they shall joyn themselves together; for the King's Daughter of the South shall come to the King of the North, to make an Agreement; but she shall not retain the power of the Arm, neither shall he stand, nor his Arm. From hence it is manifest, by the Fourth Kingdom, Represented by the Feet of the Image, this cannot be understood of the Roman Empire, seeing it was diverse from that of the Graecians.