that this interval of ungodly triumph will not continue very long, and that the victorious career of this last great Gentile oppressor is to be comparatively short. We must draw a similar inference from the prophetic narrative which Daniel sets before us. Indeed

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it is from this prophet that we may expect to obtain more accurate information concerning the duration of the interval of which we are speaking. He tells us that the wilful king is to head the last great Gentile invasion of the glorious land, at the time of the end,' a form of expression which seems obviously to indicate that the season of the Lord's long indignation against Judah is about to cease, and that the day of Divine judgment and vengeance will then be very near at hand, even at the door.' He also informs us that, at this same time, there is to be a certain period of unprecedented trouble: there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.' With reference to Daniel's people, this season of disaster and distress is apparently to be identified (1), with that which the prophet Jeremiah (xxx. 7) calls the time of Jacob's trouble;' inasmuch as from that great trouble Israel is to be finally and gloriously delivered. Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the

tribes, their city and their land. And if we suppose the tidings from the east to have reference to the homeward journey of the remnant of Jacob across the Euphrates into Palestine, this would explain why the wilful king hastens to return to Jerusalem, with great fury to kill and destroy, and utterly to make away many.' And it must be remembered that this explanation rests upon (and apparently confirms) the supposition that, previous to the wilful king's first entrance into the glorious land, Jerusalem will be occupied by returned Jews. Isaiah tells us (xi. 15) that at the time of the final restoration of Israel the Euphrates is to be smitten in its seven streams, that there may be a highway for the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria.' It is said that the great river Euphrates,' in Rev. xvi. 12, is to be mystically interpreted of the peoples and nations mentioned in xviii. 15. This would perhaps be unquestionably correct if the river had not been alluded to before in the Apocalypse. The mention, however, of the great river Euphrates' (ix. 14), apparently in reference to the literal Euphrates, may perhaps justify us in considering the Euphrates of Rev. xvi. 12 to be identical with that of ix. 14.

We read in Dan. xii. 1 of the time of unprecedented trouble; and we have reason to believe that the vials are being poured out during the whole period of the wilful king's African campaigns. Yet he and his army appear to be in continual success and triumph, unharmed by any judgments. Are we not, then, to think that the vials are poured out on Europe, and not on Africa? The greatest enemy of God is the two-horned beast, the false prophet, the leader in all impiety and blasphemy, and who exercises all the power of the apocalyptic beast before him. May he not be left behind by the wilful king, on his departure for the east, to administer the political government in the absence of the sovereign? and it is therefore upon the beast's kingdom, thus impiously administered, that the vials, 'full of the wrath of God,' are poured out. The false prophet may afterwards join the wilful king near Jerusalem, where he perishes with him (Rev. xix. 20).

Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him; but they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.' (2) The season of unprecedented trouble in Dan. xii. 1, is also apparently to be identified with that period of fiery trial, and of refining in the furnace, of which Zechariah writes (xiii. 9), and which is also to be followed by a final and glorious deliverance. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.'

The writer is much inclined to believe that it is to this very interval, and its comparatively brief duration, that reference is made in the question and answer which are recorded in Dan. xii. 6, 7. 'And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long (shall it be to) the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times and a half: and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.' Now it will be at once conceded by the great majority of the students of the prophetic Scriptures, that the time, times and a half here mentioned, signify either 1260 years, or 1260 days; and that, on either supposition, they terminate at the season of the Lord's accomplishment (or final completion) of the scattering among the nations, of the literal seed of Jacob.

With regard to Daniel's personal wishes, we may feel assured that he would have desired to know at least two things, viz., what length of time would elapse between his receiving the vision, and the final deliverance of his people; and what would be the duration of the time of great trouble. On the former point we know that he received no information in this vision; for the vision was vouchsafed to him in the third year of Cyrus, cir. 534 B.c.; and although more than 2380 years have elapsed, the deliverance in question has not yet taken place. It would therefore seem not unreasonable to conclude, that the information which he receives is concerning the duration of the season of unprecedented trouble. And, as we cannot suppose that a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation,' is to continue 1260 years, we appear to be thus led to the conclusion, that the time, times and a half, must be limited to 1260 literal days.

The time, times and a half, evidently terminate at the end of the scattering of the holy people, the people of Daniel; and it

appears to me highly probable, from the character of the vision in the eleventh chapter of the prophet Daniel, that their commencement also dates from some crisis in the history of the literal descendants of Abraham and the literal Jerusalem. And perhaps no suitable crisis can be found since the days of Titus, and afterwards of Hadrian, from which the three times and a half can be dated; and it is more than 1700 years since the desecration of the city by the latter emperor, who erected a temple to Jupiter Capitolinus on Mount Moriah. Jerusalem was taken by the army of Omar, cir. 636 A.D., who commanded the ground on which had stood the temple of Solomon, to be cleared and prepared for the foundation of a mosque, which still bears the name of Omar.' Were we to date the (supposed) 1260 years from this event, they would not terminate until cir. 1896 A.D., and thus forty-two years would yet have to elapse before the deliverance of Judah and Jerusalem. There are, however, strong objections against dating the commencement of the (supposed) 1260 years from the conquest of Jerusalem by the followers of Mohammed. At that time Jerusalem was a city of the Gentiles, being occupied by the Christian subjects of the Greek emperor: nor was the condition of the literal Israel materially affected by this triumph of the army of Omar. The triumph in question, though a crisis in the history of the (nominally) Christian Greek Church, was an event of comparatively little importance to the Jewish race; Mohammedan Gentiles had conquered Christian Gentiles, and wrested from them the dominion over Judea and Jerusalem; and both city and territory still owned a Gentile master.

If, however, we attempt to date the commencement of the time, times and a half (understood as denoting 1260 literal days), from the entrance of the wilful king into the glorious land, when he sacks Jerusalem, slays one third of the inhabitants, and sends half of the survivors into captivity, while the remaining moiety continues in a state of oppression in the city-will not three years and a half be much too long a period to correspond with the brief interval between the sack of the city and the going forth of the Lord to destroy the destroyer? As the eye glances over Daniel's prophetic narrative (xi. 41, 45), we seem to think that a single year will amply suffice to include all that is to occur from the wilful king's first invasion of the glorious land (v. 41), to his destruction by the Lord near Jerusalem (ver. 45). Could we feel assured that the treading under foot of the holy city (Rev. xi. 2)

9 As no suitable Jewish crisis (so to speak) can be found since the days of Titus and Adrian, if we think that the time, times and a half, commence (as they certainly terminate) in close connection with a Jewish crisis, we must consider that the commencement of these three times and a half is yet future.

by the Gentiles, during forty-two months,' is to be identified with the events predicted in Dan. xi. 41-45, and Zech. xiv. 1-3, the question before us would be at once decided on the authority of the inspired word; and it would be necessary to allow that fortytwo months are not too long a period to correspond with the duration of the interval of which we are speaking. Yet, however probable this identification may be considered, we are scarcely warranted, on the ground of mere probability, to employ this summary method of decision. It therefore becomes necessary to devote a few additional lines to a closer examination of Daniel's prophetic narrative.

Now the wilful king, after his triumph in the glorious land, still thirsts after fresh conquests; his ambition and rapacity are insatiable. It is said that while other countries are overthrown, Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon escape out of his hand. It is quite possible that he may see fit not to march against these countries, but proceed at once against Egypt. Yet it is equally possible that he may attempt their subjugation, and, on finding the task somewhat tedious and difficult, may desist from the enterprise. It has been already observed that the expression, the chief (n) of the children of Ammon,' may possibly intimate that the wilful king subdues a portion of the territory of Ammon.

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Yet, even if we grant that he may spend two or three months in fruitless attempts against these bordering tribes, such a space of time will form but a small part of forty-two months, or 1260 days. And if he hastens into Egypt, eager to subdue that land, and desirous to return as soon as possible into Palestine, can we venture to assign a longer period than twelve months for the accomplishment of this purpose? And, in reference to this point, it is not unimportant to bear in mind that Daniel's prophetic narrative does not lead us to suppose that the conqueror will be at all desirous of returning speedily into Palestine. Nor is it probable that he should. For why should an ambitious and victorious monarch be anxious to retrace his steps through countries which he will have recently subdued, and return to Jerusalem, so soon after its pillage and the loss of two-thirds of its population by slaughter and exile? At all events, the language of the prophet would seem to show clearly that the wilful king does not quit Egypt because at the time of his departure he is weary of remaining there, and anxious to return into Palestine, but because he deems himself compelled to take this step by the offensive aud unexpected tidings from the east and north.

Again, the Egyptians are not the only African nation with which the wilful king is brought into contact: it is added that

the Libyans and Ethiopians are at his steps-submit themselves to his authority. The renown of his achievements may win or alarm these tribes of Western and Southern Africa to proffer an early and voluntary submission, in order to prevent their territories from being overrun by a force which they may consider themselves unable to repel. If we think that such a voluntary submission will be early tendered and accepted, then, perhaps, a year and a half, or less than twenty months, would more than suffice for a short unsuccessful campaign against Edom, Moab, and Ammon, and for all his subsequent successes in Africa, against Egyptians, Libyans, and Ethiopians, together with his return from Egypt into Palestine-still, however, on the supposition that the conqueror is desirous of retracing his steps towards Jerusalem as soon as the accomplishment of his schemes of African conquest shall allow him to do so. But it has been already observed that Daniel appears plainly to teach us, that the victor's constrained return from Egyptian, Libyan, and Ethiopian homage, into the vicinity of Jerusalem, permits us to think that the wilful king, at the time of his hurried departure, may have already continued in Africa a much longer time than was actually requisite merely to obtain the triumphs which he achieved there.

There is, however, yet another view to be taken of this part of our subject; and it may be, to a certain extent, illustrated by what Herodotus has related concerning the expedition into Africa of the Persian king Cambyses. After the subjugation of Egypt, the conqueror planned three several expeditions; one against the Carthaginians, another against the Ammonians, and a third against the Macrobian Ethiopians.' According to the commonly received chronology, the son of Cyrus entered Egypt cir. 525 B. C., and left it cir. 522 B. C. And thus he passed the greater part of three years in Africa. Nor is there anything in the language of Daniel (xi. 41-44) to forbid our believing that the African career of the wilful king may, in some measure, resemble that of Cambyses,

If the wilful king defeats a Sultan of Turkey (king of the south), and takes Constantinople, his subsequent career may be in the track of Alexander of Macedon-he may pass through Asia Minor, 'overflowing the countries,' and enter the glorious land.

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The expression the Ethiopians and Libyans are at his steps,' probably means not only that these countries have been subdued by the wilful king, but that great numbers of these Ethiopians and Libyans march under his banner. We may reasonably suppose that during the conqueror's campaigns in Africa, the evil powers mentioned in Rev. xvi. 14 are exerting their malignant influence over the minds of men. If the wilful king had never entered Africa we might have questioned how far the term oikovμévŋ öλŋ (Rev. xvi. 14) could be supposed to embrace territories so remote from European Christendom as the Libyans and Ethiopians. But as this king is the great instrument of Satan in the last struggle, we seem at liberty to think that wherever he is, there especially the evil spirits of the sixth vial exercise their influence.