Earlier text: SAVED BY FAMILIESTHE THIRD ANGEL’S MESSAGE.
What Is It, as to the Beast and His Image?
WHAT is the Beast? What is the Image of the Beast? These two powers are described in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation. But since the thirteenth chapter is but the complement of the twelfth, the twelfth must be considered in connection with the thirteenth, in order to obtain the best view of what is the Beast and what his Image. At the opening of the twelfth chapter there is seen a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars, who brings forth “a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” That “man child” is Jesus Christ. Ps. 2:9; Rev. 19:15, 16; Luke 24:50, 51; Mark 16:9; Acts 7:55; Heb. 8:1. This woman is nothing else than the church of God, in her beauty “fair as the moon,” and “clear as the sun.” And there stood before the woman a great red dragon “to devour her child as soon as it was born.” This dragon, in his own proper person, is declared to be “that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan.” But Satan in this world works through instrumentalities. His instrumentalities are men, and, chiefly, combinations of men in world-powers. What power was it, then, which was Satan’s instrument in his endeavors to destroy Christ as soon as he was born?—Herod. But who was Herod?—He was more than simply a person: he was king of the Jews and of Judea. And yet he was more than that; for he became king only by a decree of the Roman Senate, upon the special advocacy of Octavius Cæsar and Mark Antony. And he could not have been king for a day in Judea, unless he had been supported by the mighty power of Rome. Thus Herod, in his place of power, was only the creature, the representative, of the Roman power. Therefore the Roman power in the world was the instrumentality that Satan used in his endeavors to destroy Christ as soon as he was born. However, that attempt failed. Yet Satan never rested until he had, so far as possible, and so far as himself and this world were concerned, destroyed the Lord Jesus—until he had crucified him upon the cross, and had buried him out of the world, in a tomb sealed with the Roman seal. And it was by the Roman power that he did all this—through Pilate, the Roman governor. But even in this he failed; because from death and the sealed Roman tomb, the man child “was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” Then Satan turned all his endeavors, through his world instrumentality,—the Roman Empire,—against the woman, which is the church, and “persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.” This he did while that Roman power continued. And all the while that that power did continue, it was so identified with Satan, who is pre-eminently the dragon, and so entirely imbued with his spirit, that this power itself is called the dragon. Rev. 12:3, 4. But Rome in that phase, pagan Rome, fell; that power in that form passed away, and it was succeeded by that which, in the book of Revelation, is called “the beast.” Accordingly, it is written: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 13:1–8. Notice that the dragon gave to this beast, which is “the beast,” his power, and his seat, and great authority. Now it is true that the power of pagan Rome; and the seat of pagan Rome, which was the city of Rome; and the authority of pagan Rome, passed over to this power, which succeeded pagan Rome. And more than this is true: it is true that the dragon pre-eminently is Satan; and in this it is true that Satan gave to the Beast his power, and his seat, and great authority. Another passage in the book of Revelation, referring to Rome, speaks of it as “where Satan’s seat is.” Rev. 2:13. And thus the power, the seat, and the authority of the Beast, are all received from Satan; even as the Beast received the power, and the seat, and the authority that had belonged to the phase of Rome that had passed away. And this new phase of Rome, in its world-wide power, Satan still used in his persecution of the woman. “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.” Rev. 12:14. And the Beast, the great world instrument of that old serpent that is the devil and Satan, made “war with the saints,” and overcame them, and “power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” And this power was given him to continue forty and two months—“a time, and times, and half a time,” “a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” Rev. 13:7; 12:6, 14. This period of time began in A. D. 538, and, continuing twelve hundred and sixty years, reached to A. D. 1798. It began in A. D. 538 because in that year was rooted out the last of the three powers that were plucked up by the roots, before the establishment of the papacy, not as a church, but as a world-power; and ended in 1798, when the papacy was led into captivity, by the capture and imprisonment of Pope Pius VI, under order of the French directory. Then comes in the rise and the description of the Image of the Beast, as it is written: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Rev. 13:11–17. And this power which is here called “the image of the beast,” speaking as a dragon, and using all the power of the first beast, is, in its turn and place, used by Satan, “the great dragon,” still in persecuting the church; as it is written: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12:17. And this brings us definitely to the Third Angel’s Message; because the Image of the Beast compels all to worship the Beast, and to receive his mark. And the Third Angel’s Message warns all against worshiping the Beast and his Image, and against receiving his mark. Satan uses these powers in his wrath against the remnant of the church, which particularly stirs his wrath by keeping the commandments of God, and having the testimony of Jesus Christ. And the Third Angel’s Message, in saving men from the worship of the Beast and his Image, calls them all to the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This is all done in the time of the remnant of the church, which is the last of the church. And the Third Angel’s Message closes with the coming of the Lord, and the victory over the Beast and his Image by those who have received the Third Angel’s Message. Now, from the description given in the Word, anyone can see that the Beast is the Papacy; and, in the nature of things, the Image of the Beast is the Image of the Papacy. What, then, in a word, is the Papacy?—It is a union of the church and the state, with the church supreme, and using the power of the state for her despotic and persecuting purposes. And the Beast was formed by the union of the fallen church with the mighty world-power of Rome. In the nature of things, therefore, the Image of the Beast would be another great and notable instance of the fallen church uniting with a mighty world-power, and using that power of the state in the likeness of the Papacy. Where, then, in the world must the Image of the Beast be found? Notice that the Image of the Beast must be “made,” for it was said “to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast.” And the only place where such a thing could be made, would have to be in a nation where, at first, there was no such thing. And since the Beast is the union of church and state, and the Image of the Beast must be “made” in a nation where, to begin with, there was no such thing, it is perfectly plain that the Image to the Beast must arise—must be “made”—in a nation where, to begin with, there was no union of church and state. And this order of things out of which comes the Image of the Beast, was seen “coming up” at the end of the twelve hundred and sixty years, at the time when the Beast was led into “captivity.” Where, then, in 1798, could there be found on the earth any nation coming up, in which there was no union of church and state? Indeed, where at any time in the history of the world in the Christian era has there been a nation planted, in which there was no union of church and state?—In the United States, and in this alone, of all places on the earth. In 1789 this nation was fully formed and established, in order, under its Constitution. On March 4, 1797, ended the second administration of the nation’s first president, and occurred the inauguration of its second president. Thus, in 1798, this nation could be seen “coming up” to its place among the powers of the earth; since, by that time, it had become firmly established, and was moving quietly, safely, and steadily forward, in a national career. And it was without a union of church and state. The total separation of religion and the state was one of the fundamental principles in the establishment of the nation, and was the just pride of the nation before the world. And this was the only nation on the earth at that time, or in all history since the book of Revelation was written, that did so begin, and that had no union of church and state. Accordingly, this nation is the place, and the only one in the world, where it could properly be said “to them that dwell on the earth” that they should “make” a union of church and state—“an Image to the Beast.” Consequently, in the United States, in connection with this power as a nation, is the place where the Image of the Beast must be found. This is so certain that in no other nation are the specifications of this scripture met at all, while in this nation they are fully met. For though185 this can not be further dwelt upon just now, it is the truth, as will abundantly appear, that the Image of the Beast is already nearly full-formed in this nation. Thus, the twelfth chapter of Revelation is a sketch of the powers used by Satan against the church of God, from the first advent of Christ unto his second. These powers are three: the Dragon, the Beast, and the Image of the Beast. And these three are pagan Rome, papal Rome, and American Rome. “IS THE law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” The law could not possibly be against the promises of God. For when God had given a promise, why should he, and how could he, set up anything against the promise? Why should he desire to weaken or to frustrate his own promise? Therefore his “God forbid” is set against any such suggestion. Instead of the law being against the promises, it is, as we have again and again seen, an aid to men in attaining unto the promises. The divine reason here given as to why the law is not against the promises is that “if there had been a law given which could have given life,” then “VERILY righteousness should have been by the law.” And if righteousness had been by the law, there would have been no need of any promises. Indeed there would then have been no place for any promises. For “to him that worketh [obtains righteousness by the law] is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” Rom. 4:4. If righteousness could be obtained by working, it would be possessed in the very act of the work performed. And when possessed, there could not possibly be any room for any promise of it. And if righteousness could be obtained by working, then the reward of righteousness would be earned, and so would be a debt due; and any withholding of it from him who had earned it, and to whom it was so due, would be injustice. Thus again, if righteousness were by the law, there would be no room for any promise; for even to promise to a person that which he had already earned, and which was already due, would be a withholding of the thing earned and due, and so would be injustice. Therefore upon every consideration, if righteousness could be obtained by the law, then the law would be against the promises of God. And for any one to expect righteousness by the law, he in that very thing does set the law against the promises of God. But against all thought of obtaining righteousness by the law the Lord sets his “God forbid” that the law should be against the promises. Another reason given why righteousness can not be by the law is that the law can not give life—“if there had been a law given which could have given life,” THEN “VERILY righteousness should have been by the law.” Thus it is certified by the word of God that righteousness and life come from precisely the same source, and in precisely the same way; and that is, as the free gift of God by his creative power as the Author and Prince of life. But there is no law that can possibly give life to men; because all men have lost their lives by transgression of the highest law in the universe—the law of God. And since all men have transgressed that highest law in the universe, and so have lost their lives, no law subordinate to that can possibly give them life. And even that highest law itself can not give them life; because, having transgressed it, and so forfeited their lives, they, being sinners and under sentence of death, can not possibly observe it, but can only continue to transgress it. So that for men there is no life in any law. Now it is true that the law was “ordained to life;” but because of transgression it was “found to be unto death.” Rom. 7:10. It is true that it is written, “The man that doeth them shall live in them;” but there is none that doeth them. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable.” Rom. 3:10, 12. But, bless the Lord, “what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,”—weak through the sinfulness of the flesh,—“God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh” did. “What the law could not do,”—it could not do even that to which it was ordained, it could not give life,—“God sending his own Son” did. In the likeness of sinful flesh he “for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:34. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6:23. Therefore “the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” And the only way in which anybody can be concluded “under sin” is by the law of God—the law by which alone “is the knowledge of sin.” And since the Scripture hath thus concluded all under sin, that—so that, in order that—the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe, it is perfectly plain that instead of the law being against the promises of God, it is the God-given means of men’s attaining to the perfect surety of the promises of God by faith of Jesus Christ. Therefore that law can no more be done away than the promises of God can be done away, and no more than the faith of Jesus Christ can be done away. And any one who would in argument or in thought do away that law, does in argument and thought do away the promises of God and the faith of Jesus Christ, and so destroys the whole of God’s salvation to men. But that can not in truth be destroyed—except in the individual experience of men. And to destroy the way of God’s salvation in individual experience, is to work eternal destruction to the soul. Therefore the claim that the law of God—the ten commandments—is done away is the most stupendous and destructive error that could possibly be entertained by anybody anywhere. “THOU SHALT STAND IN THY LOT.”
By Uriah Smith
These were the words spoken to the prophet Daniel after he had received the sublime revelations recorded in his prophecy, and his work was done: “But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” It was a gracious promise of rest to the aged servant of the Lord, who, it is supposed, had then reached an age between ninety and a hundred years. He was soon to rest in the grave; but he had written, as he had been moved to write, by the Holy Ghost; and the long sweep of prophetic time, which he had unrolled to the student of prophecy, would finally come to an end, and at the end of the days it was promised him that he should stand in his lot. The “end of the days” must be the end of the prophetic time, which had been the burden of his prophecy; and inasmuch as the great period of twenty-three hundred days was the longest period mentioned by him, and reached down to the latest point of time, it must be the end of that period, which was to mark the time when Daniel should stand in his lot. This expression has been the subject of no little study; for it has been supposed to involve a point that determined the truthfulness or failure of what the prophet has foretold. It has been taken for granted that the promise that he should stand in his lot could be fulfilled only by his resurrection from the dead; hence that the meaning of the promise was that at the end of the days, Daniel would be raised from the dead, and that all the other events concomitant with the resurrection of the dead would take place. And as the days are the twenty-three hundred days, the conclusion was at once reached that, at the end of the twenty-three hundred days, the Lord would come, and the resurrection of the dead take place. It was taken as another evidence that the prophetic periods reached to the coming of the Lord, and that a definite day was to be set for that event. This conclusion is what has led so many theological acrobats to feel it incumbent on them to fix a time for the Lord to come. There is one fact which was a heavy drawback to this conclusion; and that is that the word for “lot,” in which the prophet was to stand, does not mean a portion, or parcel, of real estate, but something “determined by the decisions of chance or providence,” as when, in the selection of Matthias to the place in the apostleship, from which Judas had fallen, the disciples cast “lots” to decide the question. Was there ever any other experience in the history of the church in which the “lot” figured conspicuously, in this sense?—A very notable instance is recorded in Num. 26:52–56. It was a moment of thrilling interest in the experience of the Israelites, between Egypt and Canaan, when they stood upon the borders of the promised land, and the portion of the inheritance that each tribe was to have was divided unto them by lot. The lot was cast, and each family received the portion that was assigned to it in this manner. This transaction, like other events in the history of that people, was an ensample, and was written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 1 Cor. 10:11. As those who then stood upon the borders of the earthly Canaan received the title to their inheritance by the lot that was cast, so the lot, in the sense of deciding destiny, is to be given forth again, for those who stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan, and who are thus to have a place assigned to them in that better land. When did the days referred to in Daniel’s case come to an end?—In 1844; there, on the tenth day of the seventh month, October 22, the twenty-three hundred days ended. The prophet had said, “Then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” And by this we were brought to the beginning of the final work in the sanctuary in heaven,—a work that involves the examination of every one who has been enrolled as belonging to the Israel of God, and includes the decision of every case, whether to enter into, or be shut out of, the heavenly Canaan,—a work that corresponds, most strikingly, to the dividing by lot of the inheritance to ancient Israel as they stood, in anxious expectation, on the boundary line of the10 land to which they had been journeying, ready to pass in and possess it. It is in this work of judgment, this decision of character, and determination of destiny, that Daniel stands in his lot, or receives the assurance of a part in the heavenly land; and here also, all they who have been overcomers stand in their lot in the same manner, when their cases shall be reached. They will pass favorably the test, and be established forever as the children of God, while, as David says, “The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment.” Ps. 1:5. What is of intense interest to us now, is that this is the position of the church to-day. We stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan; and it should be to us a moment of as much more thrilling interest than was the occasion to ancient Israel referred to, as the inheritance that we are expecting soon to enter upon is greater and more enduring than was theirs. Before them was only an earthly country, with all its imperfections, with danger of drought and flood, with trials and disappointments, disease and death. But before us is the heavenly Canaan, with its freedom from the curse and sin, with its health and beauty, its absence of everything that can destroy or offend, and, in addition to its surpassing physical beauty, an “eternal weight of glory.” And are we so near to that land that we are now standing on its very borders?—So all the evidence goes to confirm. It was a happy day for ancient Israel when they had come so near to the end of their journey that they had only the last particulars to attend to, antecedent to their entering upon their promised inheritance. A happier day for us will it be if we attend faithfully to our interests in this day of the antitypical casting of lots, and counting up the heirs of everlasting life. For nearly fifty-six years the investigative judgment has been going forward. Soon its decisions will all have been reached, and those who are accepted will find their title clear to a portion in the goodly land. No more forty years of wanderings; no more trials, conflicts, and dangers by the way. The word soon will be, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The question for each one now to examine himself upon is, When this work is all done, what is the lot which will be assigned to me? Shall I have an entrance accorded to me into the heavenly fold, or shall I be among those whose lot it will be to see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God, and they themselves thrust out? We are assured that all heaven is interested in what is occurring in connection with the Lord’s work in the earth to-day; yea, that all heaven is astir in expectation of the decisive scenes soon to take place. To what an hour have we then come! The last generation is reached; the last warning pertaining to the issues of eternity is going forth; the work of our Mediator in the sanctuary on high is almost finished; the one and only scene of rebellion that has been permitted in the universe is soon to be brought to an end by the absolute triumph of the Redeemer of the world; the great plan of redemption, which, without this episode would have been unknown and untried, is soon to be consummated, and its final and eternally glorious fruits to appear. But meanwhile the notes of the Babel of error and confusion are swelling in deafening chorus through all the land. But he who listens with steady nerve, and the ear of faith, can hear above all the surrounding pandemonium the assurance, ringing forth from the Captain of our salvation, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world;” and, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He can hear, also, the counsel of the Faithful and True Witness, saying, “Buy of me gold tried in the fire, . . . and white raiment, . . . and eyesalve;” and this counsel is given just as we approach the verdict to be rendered in our cases, that we may not be found poor, and blind, and naked, in the decisive hour. And these graces are not only offered, but urged upon us, with a plain statement of the necessity of the case, without money and without price. So, in face of the decisions of eternity, no one need lose heart; for every hope and comfort is held out before us, and every provision made for the need of every one who is in earnest for everlasting life. The study on the “Return of the Jews” is crowded out again. Catholic Schools and Public Funds
*The New York Christian Advocate for March 1* contains the following item of interest: “An important movement is to be started in this city. There are sixty parochial schools in Manhattan and the Bronx, attended by more than forty thousand pupils. The schools are maintained by the contributions of Catholics, and they now invite all Christians and Jews to make common cause with them in securing a system of schools that will take in all the children of New York, securing to all secular instruction, yet giving opportunity and time to their religious guides and teachers to do their useful work with them; also so that they may not become clever unbelievers. The Catholics say that they do not wish help from the state in doing their spiritual work, but only such a plan of secular schooling as will not ignore religion. Father McSweeney, of St. Bridget’s Roman Catholic church, says that he does not expect much help from Catholic politicians, as when they depart from the Catholic church on Sunday, they seem to leave their Catholicity behind them, safely laid away for the next Sunday—that is, if they go to mass at all, and have any real Catholicity in stock. He charges that many of them have been elected by Catholic votes, three of them even to the high office of mayor; that not one word of recognition, not to talk of praise, did any of them vouchsafe to the Catholic schools. He seems to aim at the establishment of denominational schools to be entitled to a share of the public funds devoted to educational purposes. This scheme needs to be watched. There is no place in which to unite church and state in a republic.” As Thy Days, So Shall Thy Strength Be
“‘As thy days, so shall thy strength be.’ The trial will not exceed the strength which shall be given us to bear it.” THE WISDOM OF BABYLON CAN NOT SAVE FROM DEATH.
By W. W. F.
“The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter; therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” In their effort to convince the king of the unreasonableness of his demand, these professed wise men really threw up their whole case, and practically acknowledged that their system was a deception. While claiming that their course of training had opened up to them supernatural channels of wisdom, which were not at the command of ordinary people, they were forced to acknowledge that their wisdom consisted merely in speculation on the possible meaning of facts that must be supplied to them by others. Their utter failure, and their positive declaration that “there is not a man upon earth that can show the king’s matter,” only served to make the triumph of God’s system of education the more complete. They had the first opportunity to demonstrate the value of worldly wisdom, and to win a signal victory for their own system; and in defense of their own failure to meet the demand made upon them, they declared that the ability to do what the king required would be an unmistakable proof of divinity manifested through humanity. But this is just where the heathen religion fails. It deals with “the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” It is the vain effort of the flesh to satisfy the hunger of the soul after its Maker, with forms and ceremonies of human invention. It deals with “imaginations” and “reasonings,” but has no means of acquiring a knowledge of invisible realities. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” Thus was the gauntlet again thrown down by the heathen, and the superiority of the kingdom of heaven over the kingdom of Babylon was again to be demonstrated. The way was prepared now for the true God to reveal himself as “the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,” and yet as the meek and lowly One whose dwelling is with flesh. It was now to be shown that there is such a thing as genuine communion with the God who gives wisdom to those who seek it, and that such wisdom is life to those who find it. The difference was to be made plain between a philosophy that is merely human and a knowledge that is merely speculative, and a philosophy that is divine and a knowledge that is positive. The one is heathenism, the other is the gospel. The one is the mystery of iniquity, the other is the mystery of godliness. “For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.” Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon, but he was not king of himself. His dominion was an outward one, and was maintained by fleshly power. He was a stranger to that kingdom whose scepter is a scepter of righteousness. He had not learned that a man may sit upon a throne, and deck himself with all the outward signs of royalty, and yet not be a king. The circumstances were revealing that the men who occupied the place of wise men were not wise men at all, and that the man who occupied the place of a king was not a king at all. This was why it was necessary that the gospel of the kingdom should be proclaimed in Babylon, in order that true wisdom and genuine kingship might be revealed. The failure of Nebuchadnezzar to maintain his claim to the outward profession that he made was no less apparent than the failure of the Chaldeans. He is called a king, but the very fact that he “was angry and very furious” shows that he had no real claim to the name. He was really in bondage, a slave to his own passions. Thus it is in Babylon, and thus has “the god of this world” confused right principles, so that kings are found in hovels, and slaves upon thrones. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Anger is unreasoning, and so the command goes forth “to destroy all the wise men.” It matters not that “in all matters of wisdom and understanding” the king found Daniel and his companions “ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers.” They are now all classed together. The wise men have failed to do what he required, and so they are all to be destroyed. The first intimation that Daniel has of this whole matter is when he is sought to be slain. “Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men.” Having learned the cause of the hasty decree, Daniel did not hesitate to assure the king that he would show the interpretation of the dream. He did not ask the king to tell him the dream, but that he would give him time; and this time he did not use in gazing at the stars or consulting with evil spirits, but in seeking mercies from the God of heaven. It was a case of life or death. The knowledge of this secret meant life to them. Unless Daniel could fulfill his agreement with the king, they would all perish together. All the circumstances of this experience make it clear that “this secret” that was to be made known to the king through the interpretation of his dream is the “mystery of the kingdom of God.” This is that which is hidden from “the wise and prudent,” and revealed unto babes. This is the gospel, whose chief glory is that divinity is joined with humanity, that “Christ liveth in me,” and that “the tabernacle of God is with men.” God has commissioned his servants “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,” and it was for this purpose that Daniel and his fellows were in Babylon. They were to make known the power of a kingdom greater than the kingdom of Babylon, and to show that this power is revealed in man, in human flesh. They were to reveal in themselves the fact that this power in man, this power of the divine character, determines not simply the destiny of individuals, but also of the nations of the earth, and that the kingdom of God within man is the only enduring kingdom. It is only a living communion with God that can enable anyone to fulfill such a commission as this; for it is the life which is to be manifested, a fellowship with “that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested,” and is always to be manifested by every true child of the kingdom. Thus only can the contrast be sharply and distinctly drawn between the professed wisdom of this world and that wisdom which comes from above, between a man upon a throne and a genuine king, between the kingdom of Babylon and the kingdom of God. “The life of the soul depends upon habitual communion with God.”