THE offhand way in which some writers abolish the divine law, and substitute a new plan of government, would be highly entertaining if it did not involve such serious consequences. As an example of this kind of treatment of the ten commandments, we submit a paragraph from an article contributed to The World's Crisis:—
Beyond controversy, the facts are that the whole of the decalogue, as an ordinance of statutory law, did pass away when our Lord arose on the first day of the week. From that time forward the law of the new covenant was written, not on tables of stone, but put into the hearts and minds of the people.
Not a word of proof is vouchsafed. There is no “Thus saith the Lord” brought forward in justification of such a sweeping assertion, and yet on this uncertain basis of authority, men are asked to disregard the plain letter of God's commands. If the law passed away, then sin ceased at the same time; for, “Where no law is, there is no transgression.” When sin ceased, there was no longer any need of a Saviour. Thus, therefore, according to this logic, the work which Christ accomplished was really to make himself entirely unnecessary as a Saviour from sin. How can any one hope to hasten the coming of the kingdom of righteousness by such teaching as this?
Church Losses in Germany
“Serious alarm is being felt in Europe,” says the Literary Digest, “over the growth of secularism and the neglect of Christian worship.” It would naturally be supposed, in view of the fact that the church in Germany is under the fostering care of the state, that it would be in a prosperous condition. Nevertheless, during the year 1906 there were twelve thousand defections from the state church, and during the year 1907 there were four thousand such defections in the city of Berlin alone. Pastor Ernst Bunk, of the Lutheran Church, attributes this condition to the spread of agnosticism and materialistic Socialism.
Sabbath Song
By L. M. Cottrell
In Eden’s pure and sacred shade
The holy Sabbath day was given,
The first highway divinely made
To lead our souls from earth to heaven.
By Sinai’s high and holy hill
We bowed before our Father’s face;
We learned in peace to do his will
And bind in one the human race.
The day was sanctified and blest
With hymn and prayer and reverent praise,
And truly made a day of rest,
Like that of saints in endless days.
L. M. Cottrell.
Conflict and Victory
By Ellen G. White
MRS. E. G. WHITE
“Unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
The expression, “He that overcometh,” indicates that there is something for every one of us to overcome. The overcomer is to be clothed in the white raiment of Christ’s righteousness, and of him it is written: “I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” O, what a privilege it is to be an overcomer, and to have our names presented before the Father by the Saviour himself! And when, as overcomers, we shall be “clothed in white raiment,” the Lord will acknowledge our faithfulness as verily as in the days of the early Christian church he acknowledged the “few names even in Sardis” who had “not defiled their garments,” and we shall walk with him in white, for through his atoning sacrifice we shall be accounted worthy.
My dear friends, in view of these encouraging promises, how earnestly should we strive to perfect a character that will enable us to stand before the Son of God! Only those who are clothed in the garments of his righteousness will be able to endure the glory of his presence when he shall appear with “power and great glory.”
It means much to be an overcomer. The besetments of the enemy and all his evil agencies must be firmly resisted. Every moment we must be on guard. Not for one instant are we to lose sight of Christ, and of his power to save in the hour of trial. Our hand must be placed in his, that we may be upheld by the power of his might.
We read further: “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet; and to know that I have loved thee.”
A battle is continually going on between the forces for good and the forces for evil, between the angels of God and the fallen angels. We are beset before and behind, on the right hand and on the left. The conflict that we are passing through is the last we shall have in this world. We are now in the midst of it. Two parties are striving for the supremacy. In this conflict we can not be neutral. We must stand either on one side or on the other. If we take our position on the side of Christ, if we acknowledge him before the world in word and work, we are bearing a living testimony as to whom we have chosen to serve and honor. In this important period of earth’s history, we can not afford to leave any one in uncertainty as to whose side we are on.
The True Witness declares: “Behold, I have set before thee an open door.” Let us thank God with heart and soul and voice; and let us learn to approach unto him as through an open door, believing that we may come freely with our petitions, and that he will hear and answer. It is by a living faith in his power to help, that we shall receive strength to fight the battles of the Lord with the confident assurance of victory.
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” In this scripture is brought to view the hour of temptation that is to try them that dwell upon the earth. We are now living in this trying hour. There is no escape for any from this conflict. If in your life there are defective traits of character that you are not striving to overcome,9you may be assured that the enemy will endeavor to take advantage of them; for he is watching vigilantly, seeking to spoil the faith of every one. In order to gain the victory over every besetment of the enemy, we must lay hold on a power that is out of and beyond ourselves. We must maintain a constant, living connection with Christ, who has power to give victory to every soul that will maintain an attitude of faith and humility. If we are self-sufficient, and think that we may go on just as we please, and yet hope to come out on the right side finally, we shall find that we have made a terrible mistake. As those who hope to receive the overcomer’s reward, we must press forward in the Christian warfare, though at every advance we meet with opposition.
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Here again we are admonished to faithfulness, in view of the conflict. We must not yield any point that we have already gained. From now on till Jesus comes, the battle will wax fiercer and still fiercer. We shall have to meet and resist men who are regarded as very wise and learned, but who are not spiritually wise unto salvation. Our only hope of saving our own souls and of helping others to be saved, is to receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are seeking for a crown, a crown of glory that fadeth not away. As overcomers, we are to reign with Christ in the heavenly courts; and we are to overcome through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
Those who profess to serve Christ, while in life they deny him, are not thoroughly converted, and are regarded by Christ as very offensive. To every such one he says, “I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.10Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
It will profit us to study carefully the book of Revelation. There are in this book many precious truths that we should bring into our daily experience.
We are not to rest quietly, with the thought that the devil will have nothing to do with us; but we can have the assurance that we shall not be left helpless, to be overcome by him. Yet if we, like many others, put forth no special efforts to resist him, he will work to lead us away from the truth. If we give him the least encouragement, he will not wait for a further invitation to come into our hearts. He will take possession of the mind, and then, although we may even think that we are being wonderfully led by the Lord, we shall be deceived. Our minds have been bought with an infinite price, and we can not afford to give them over to the control of the enemy. We have no right to follow impulse, and regard it as the guidance of heaven. We must have evidence that we are receiving the stamp of the divine character, such as will be acknowledged in the heavenly courts.
The Lord desires us to know what is our work in this world. Those who have come into right relation to God will have a living experience in carrying out his purposes. They will be enabled to help those who are tempted. Angels of God will open the way before them, and as they follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit, they will work for their neighbors and friends.
If, while professing to know the truth, we lead others away from Christ by our example, there rests upon us a terrible accountability. It is a sad truth that some are carrying out plans and methods of their own devising, believing these to be right, when in reality they are working contrary to the purposes of God. Because they fail of maintaining a living connection with God, they are led by a spirit that is at enmity with God and his work. O that these deceived souls may yet repent and be converted!
Why should we be so particular in regard to our life-conduct? O, there is a world lying in darkness, waiting for the Light of life, a world for whom Christ has given his life! In his plan for the redemption of the fallen race, Jesus came to the earth, and was subject to the same temptations wherewith man is beset. No one will be called to pass through temptations so severe as were those our Saviour endured. Because of this, our great High Priest knows how to succor those who are tempted. He knows how to sympathize with us when in our great need we call for help. There are severe trials before every one of us, yet we need not fail. In the hour of temptation, Christ will not leave his children, but will send his angels to minister unto us. He will answer our prayers for deliverance.
(To be concluded)
S. N. HASKELL
By S. N. HASKELL
Nehemiah — No. 3
S. N. HASKELL
WHEN Nehemiah entered upon his work at Jerusalem, the conditions were much as in the days of Haggai, when the people lived in ceiled houses, but neglected the house of God. They looked well after their own things, but neglected to provide for the support of the worship of the Lord.
After the good meetings, described in the eighth and ninth chapters of Nehemiah, were held, as a result of the study of God's Word, the people began to see their duty in regard to supporting the worship of the house of God. The first step in this direction was an ordinance to charge themselves yearly with a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of God. This money was to supply the showbread, the meat-offerings, and various other offerings throughout the year, and “for all the work of the house of our God.” This sum, a little more than sixteen cents, may seem small; but when faithfully paid by the thousands of Israel, it amounted to a large sum yearly.
The amount of wood necessary to keep the altar fires constantly burning, and to consume the large number of offerings, was another item of expense, and was borne by the priests and Levites and the people alike. The record states: “We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year.” Here is an important principle in supplying the running expenses of the church, that is worthy of special notice, —priests, Levites, and people all shared alike in this expense. Those officiating at the altar, as well as the worshiper, paid their yearly tax of sixteen cents to provide for the daily service; and they all alike took their turn in supplying wood. In other words, if the same principle was carried out at the present day, when the plate is passed to collect offerings for church expenses, the collectors would pass up to the pulpit as well as to the pews.
The next step in Nehemiah's reform was to return the first-fruit of all their increase into the treasure-house of the Lord. Many at the present day think that if they have paid their tithes, they are exempt from all other duties in giving to the Lord. Those taught by Nehemiah were not troubled that way; for he taught them to give abundantly to support all the works of the Lord before he mentioned the tithe. After abundant provision was made to support the different parts of the work, he made provision for all to bring in their tithe to support those officiating in the temple service. The tithe was often paid in products of the field and vineyard, and was all to be brought to the tithe chamber in the temple. Suitable persons were to have the oversight of the tithe, and the Levites as well as the people, were to pay a faithful tithe.
If the plan of Nehemiah was carried out in every organization, there would be less perplexity and fewer debts. All went well while Nehemiah was there to look after the work; but when he returned to Babylon for a time, grave mistakes were made. The people intermarried with the heathen around them, and, as a natural result, lost sight of their duty of supporting the work of the Lord. The tithe-chamber, which should have been well filled, was empty. The high priest, who should have stood as an example to the people, was allied unto Tobiah, the adversary of the Lord. Tobiah needed a home; and as the tithe-chamber was empty, Eliashib prepared this “great chamber” for him. It was shame enough that the tithe-chamber should have been empty, but double shame that Tobiah, the enemy of the Lord, should occupy it. No wonder that Nehemiah inserts after this record the words, “But in all this time was not I in Jerusalem.” Upon Nehemiah's return he cast Tobiah out, and cleansed the chamber.
As a result of the tithe being withheld and misapplied, those who should have been doing the work of the Lord, were working at manual labor to support themselves and families, and the house of the Lord was forsaken.
Nehemiah's first work, after preparing the tithe-chamber, was to gather the Levites together, and set them in their different places. He did not wait to see if there would be tithe to support them before he gathered them together and set them to work. When the people saw aggressive steps being taken, and workers in the field, “then brought all Judah the tithe . . . unto the treasuries.” The same course to-day will bring like results. When the people see aggressive work being done, and workers going into the field in simple faith, they will pay a faithful tithe. Show me a conference where self-sacrificing workers are going ahead, doing aggressive work in the cause of God; and I will show you a conference where the people pay a faithful tithe, and have confidence in their leaders. On the other hand, show me a conference where no aggressive work is being done, where the ministers divide their time between their own farming interests and visiting the churches, and I will show you a poor treasury and withheld tithe.
Nehemiah made provision for faithful tithe-paying in the future, and appointed four trusty men to distribute the tithe. When Nehemiah began his work of reform, the people made a solemn covenant that they would keep the Sabbath. But upon his return from Babylon, he found they had broken their covenant with God, and were desecrating his Sabbath.10The people first began to keep back the tithe, the Lord's money, and this prepared the way to steal the Lord's Sabbath, and use it for their own selfish interests. Nehemiah found they were working upon the Sabbath, also buying victuals of heathen venders of provisions that frequented the city. He contended with them, showing them that the desecration of the Sabbath was the reason for their captivity, and the destruction of Jerusalem. Nehemiah then gave them an object-lesson of how the Sabbath should be kept. Before the Sabbath began, “when it began to be dark before the Sabbath,” the gates were closed, and all worldly traffic was shut out; and the gates were not opened again until “after the Sabbath.”
The fourth commandment holds us responsible, not only for the members of our own families and our hired help and cattle, but even for the stranger that sojourns within our gates. As long as the stranger lingers “within our gates,” he is to regard the Sabbath. In Neh. 13:19 we are instructed when our gates should be closed to worldly things. Not just as the sun is sinking in the west, but when it begins to be dark; before the Sabbath, when the lengthening shadows and the receding light proclaim that the sun is finishing his daily circuit, we should shut our gates and prepare to receive the holy Sabbath. When the sun sinks behind the western horizon, our families should gather round the family altar to welcome the holy day. The family that does this will experience the fulfilment of Isa. 56:2: “Blessed is the man that doeth this and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it.”
The gates were not opened until the Sabbath was past. Those who keep the Sabbath according to Bible rule, will preach the Sabbath in the neighborhood where they live.
A careful, prayerful study of the following words will help to solve many of the questions that arise in regard to proper Sabbath-keeping: “On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses, and he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to-day, and seethe that which ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you to be kept until the morrow.” Ex. 16:22, 23.
Oakland, Cal.
The Book of Daniel
By Editor
The Interpretation of the Image
THE EDITOR
Thou, O king, sawest, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible. As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory; and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom: but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay. And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people: but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. Dan. 2:31-45.
With a simplicity and directness which could come only from the assurance that a divine revelation had been made to him, Daniel related to Nebuchadnezzar the dream which had so troubled his mind as to deprive him of sleep. The description of the image which stood before him is brief but striking. The principal feature to which attention is directed, in addition to its size and general aspect, is the material entering into the different parts of the image, each one inferior in value to the one preceding it, but increasing in strength. The climax of the brief narrative is reached in the description of the utter destruction of the image by the stone, which, strangely enough, struck it upon the feet. The scene closes with the image “which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent,” reduced to dust, which was easily swept away by the wind; while the stone became enlarged to such a size as to fill the whole angle of vision.
God Dwells With Flesh
Having made known the dream, Daniel then declares that he will “tell the interpretation thereof before the king.” The importance of this word “interpretation” should not escape our attention. The same God who revealed the dream, revealed also the interpretation. The interpretation, therefore, is not human guesswork, but rests upon divine authority. The God of Israel, who sought to make himself known to the world through the revelation which he made of himself to his people, now uses another channel through which to proclaim his purpose concerning the world, and the method employed is such as to command the attention of that king into whose power the God of heaven had committed the nations. The wise men of Babylon have, themselves, established the test which will demonstrate the superiority of the religion brought to Babylon by the Hebrew captives, and the reality of the fellowship established between “the King eternal, immortal, invisible,” and the loyal subjects of his kingdom upon earth. When without having any data whatever upon which to base their pretended revelations, they were required to reveal to the king his dream, and to declare the interpretation, the wise men not only acknowledged their own inability to meet this demand, but they further insisted that no mortal could do so, and that “there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” If therefore the dream and its interpretation shall be made known to the king through the medium of any human agency, it will be clearly demonstrated that there is a God who not only understands secret things, but who also dwells with flesh. Furthermore, not simply is the dream related, but such an interpretation is given as shows an insight into future events. This bears testimony to the true God, according to his own statement: “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me; declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” And thus is the revelation of the true God made known in Babylon.
Daniel had already declared that “there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.” It is plain, therefore, that the objective point both of the dream and of the interpretation is that portion which shall be fulfilled in “the latter days;” and inasmuch as the course of history is traced through successive world-kingdoms, represented by the different portions of the great image, until the image ceases to exist, and its place is taken by the stone, it is further evident that all other parts of the dream and its interpretation are but so many steps which are to lead up to that which is final and permanent, when the stone shall fill the whole earth.11
The Head of Gold
Let us, then, follow the course of history as outlined in the interpretation of the dream. The head of gold represents the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, who stands forth both as the head of Babylon and as the head of all kingdoms. The symbolism is most appropriate, and is in harmony with the representation already made. Thus Isaiah has said: “Thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!” This phrase, “the golden city,” is to be taken literally; for it is doubtful whether any other city, either ancient or modern, has ever gathered such a wealth of gold, or made such a display of it, until Babylon and gold became almost synonymous terms. This view is confirmed by the testimony of the historian, Herodotus (Book I, page 183), who says: “Below, in the same precinct there is a second temple, in which is a sitting figure of Jupiter [Herodotus gives to the leading god of the Babylonians, Bel, the name of the leading god of the Greek and Roman mythology, Zeus, or Jupiter] all of gold. Before the figure stands a large golden table, and the throne whereon the god sits, and the base whereon the throne is placed, are likewise of gold. The Chaldeans told me that all the gold together was of eight hundred talents’ weight. Outside the temple are two altars, one of solid gold. . . . In the time of Cyrus there was also in this temple the figure of a man, twelve cubits high, entirely of solid gold. . . . Besides the ornaments which I have mentioned, there is also a large number of private offerings in this holy precinct.”
The outline of the history of Babylon, this head of gold, may be told in a few sentences. This territory was originally a part of the empire of Assyria, but in 625 B. C. it attempted to establish its independence. Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar, was the general of the forces which reduced Babylon to subjection; but in 612 B. C. this same Nabopolassar led in a rebellion which was successful, and Babylon became an independent kingdom. In 604 B. C. Nebuchadnezzar, who had previously exercised kingly authority associated with Nabopolassar, became sole monarch of the realm, and both by family alliances and by military conquests, he secured for his kingdom the place of a world-power. All this was a part of the divine program, as announced through the prophet Jeremiah: “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel. . . . I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I give it unto whom it seemeth right unto me. And now have I given all these lands unto the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field also have I given him to serve him. And all the nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son.”
Although the prince of this world exercises a limited authority in his usurped position, yet the God of heaven is over all, and is constantly working out his purpose among the nations. Any nation which, having been called to act a part in fulfilling the divine purpose, absolutely rejects its opportunity, is in due time deprived of its place and power, and another nation is given the privilege of co-operating with the God of heaven. So it was with Babylon, whose downfall was foreseen, and the rise of “another kingdom inferior to thee” was foretold:
The Silver Kingdom
Following Babylon came Medo-Persia, to whom the sovereignty of the world passed in 538 B. C., when the army of Cyrus captured “the golden city.” The fact that this kingdom is spoken of as “inferior,” although the conqueror of Babylon, indicates a deterioration of character, just as silver is less valuable than gold. The beginning of Media is contemporaneous with the beginning of Babylon, as it rebelled against Assyria at the same time, and there was at first an alliance between these two countries. In later years, this alliance was dissolved, and Media and Persia united their fortunes.
In the very first year of his sole government of Medo-Persia (B. C. 536), Cyrus issued the proclamation mentioned in the first chapter of the book of Ezra, giving royal permission to the captives of Judah to return to their own land, and bringing to an end the seventy years of captivity which commenced in B. C. 606, when Nebuchadnezzar made his first successful expedition against Jerusalem. After the death of Cyrus, Cambyses took the throne, followed by Smerdis (usually known as the false Smerdis), Darius Hystaspes, and Xerxes, whose famous expedition against Greece was doubtless at least the remote cause of Alexander’s invasion of Asia at a later period. The murder of Xerxes was incited by Artabanus, who usurped the power for the brief period of seven months, at the end of which Artaxerxes Longimanus commenced his reign, B. C. 464. It was in the seventh year of this monarch that the decree went forth mentioned in the seventh chapter of Ezra, which marks the beginning of the 2300 days (years) mentioned in the vision recorded in the eighth chapter of Daniel. The line of kings was continued until B. C. 336 when Darius Codomannus came to the throne.
The Kingdom of Brass
In the meantime a rival power had arisen in the west with an ambition to become a world-power; and to accomplish this, Alexander the Great led a host of warriors into the territory of Medo-Persia. A succession of decisive victories attended his arms until he became the acknowledged conqueror of all civilized countries. The battle of Granicus (B. C. 334), the battle of Issus (B. C. 333), followed by a victorious campaign against Egypt, and the battle of Arbela (B. C. 331), were the three steps by which he ascended the throne of the world. Of the last battle Rawlinson says: “The fatal blow was struck at Arbela—all the rest was but the long death agony. At Arbela the crown of Cyrus passed to the Macedonian.” We may therefore regard the fall of Medo-Persia as dating from the time of the battle of Arbela, B. C. 331.
The Iron Monarchy
After the death of Alexander the Great, which occurred at Babylon, B. C. 323, there was no definite succession for about twenty years, when the kingdom was divided between his four generals, two of whom were soon conquered, and the sovereignty was divided between the Seleucidæ and the Ptolemies. During the varying fortunes of the next two centuries, another power, arising in territory still farther to the west, was coming into prominence, and the fourth kingdom, Rome, was preparing to fulfil its mission in the history of the world. Represented in the image by the “legs of iron,” and known in history as “the iron monarchy of Rome,” this power gradually extended its conquests and overshadowed the “third kingdom of brass,” until in B. C. 168 all organized resistance against the Roman power was brought to an end by the battle of Pydna in Macedonia, when Perseus, the Macedonian king, was totally defeated, and the empire of Alexander was brought to an end. “Polybius dates from the battle of Pydna the full establishment of the Roman empire. It was, in fact, the last battle in which a civilized state confronted Rome in the field on a footing of equality with her as a great power. . . . The whole civilized world thenceforth recognized in the Roman senate the supreme tribunal.”—Mommsen.
In his interpretation of the dream, Daniel declared of the fourth kingdom that “it shall be a divided kingdom,” and “as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay,” so it was declared to King Nebuchadnezzar that “the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken.” History testifies to the exact fulfilment of these predictions, and even until the present time the territory of the fourth kingdom has been in this divided state, some of the rulers being stronger and some weaker.
The setting up of the fifth kingdom must be reserved as the subject of the next article.
A Scientist's Confession
By Dubois
SCIENCE progresses, she discovers little by little the laws which rule the universe, but she knows nothing of their first causes, or of the force which directs everything. She studies nothing but the microcosm in which we live, and she has no right to express herself in cutting statements concerning what lies beyond the field of her little lens.—Dubois.
How God Loves
“Do you suppose,” said Johnny, as his cousin laid away her rosiest apple for a sick girl, “that God cares as much about such things as we do? Isn’t he too busy taking care of the big folks to notice us?”
Winnie shook her head and pointed to mama, who had just lifted the baby from his cot.
“Mama isn’t so busy with the big folks that she forgets the baby,” she answered. “She thinks of him first ’cause he’s the littlest. Surely God thinks as much of the little folks.”—Selected.