As the period spoken of as the last days must be viewed in its beginning as connected with the first advent of our blessed Lord, so it must be viewed in its termination as connected with his second advent; and the expression, “the last days,” is specially characteristic of the time immediately preceding the termination of the period mentioned as the last times. There has been a spirit of evil and ungodliness during the whole of this time, but it will be specially manifested and fully developed, at the close of the period thus indicated, and immediately preceding the advent of the Lord. Of the time immediately preceding his advent Peter says (2 Pet. 3:3, 4), “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
I pass on, then, to describe what the apostle gives as the characteristic feature of this period.
It is plainly stated that it will be distinguished by the existence of scoffers. Such persons have existed from the time when righteous Abel was persecuted by his brother. As Ishmael mocked at Isaac, so, during the whole continuance of God’s forbearance with ungodly men, the seed of the woman has been persecuted by those that are born after the flesh. And as it was then, even so it is now; all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But you will observe, that the apostle Peter speaks of a peculiar kind of “scoffers, walking after their own lusts;” namely, those who direct their scoffing especially at the doctrine of the Lord’s second advent; not merely showing a general dislike to the truths of Revelation, and endeavouring to turn them into ridicule, but especially manifesting that dislike against those truths which speak of the Lord’s coming again. They are represented as laughing to scorn the promise of that coming, “saying, Where is the promise of his coming?”
Now we learn from this, that in the last days, just before the Lord’s advent, the doctrine of his second coming will excite attention, for even scoffers know of it. How? They are not the persons generally inclined to study the Bible for themselves. That is an insipid and neglected book to them. It would therefore appear that at the period spoken of, the expectation of the Lord’s speedy coming has begun to be more vividly entertained by his waiting people, and to be more earnestly proclaimed. They have come to speak more of it, so that it is made a subject of special attention. No sooner is this the case than the scoffers come forward to ridicule it, and to laugh at it.
The apostle’s language shows also that the expectation of Christ’s waiting people has been long unfulfilled. If as soon as they declared that they were waiting for the Lord’s coming, and looking upon the announcement of it as a sure portion of revealed truth, the Lord had immediately appeared, there would have been no room for the scoffers, and there would have been nothing to give occasion to their ridicule. That which gives point to their scoffs is, that the believing people of Christ have been long stating that they were expecting Christ’s speedy coming in the clouds of heaven, whilst yet he had not come. Yea, some of them, in the warmth of those feelings of desire, which have been kindled within them by looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, have allowed their wishes to go beyond what God’s Word authorized, and have antedated the period of Christ’s coming. They have expected it at a certain definite period, and that period has come, and passed away, and there has been no coming of Christ, such as they looked for. We can account for this. But ungodly men understand not these things. Hence the occasion of their bitter and sarcastic taunts and revilings at the disappointment of the waiting church, and the seeming delay of the Lord’s coming. The longer his coming is delayed, and the more earnestly his people state their expectations of it, the louder are the revilings and the taunts of those who say, “Where is the promise of his coming?”
Again, the apostle’s words seem to show, that, amongst many persons living in the last days, the coming of the Lord will be a subject of special dislike. “There shall arise scoffers, walking after their own lusts.” The love of sin is the secret of many a man’s infidelity; and the love of sin is the secret of the scoffing of the last scoffers. Satan, who rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience, hates the doctrine concerning the Lord’s advent; because when Jesus, who has the kingdoms of this world by right, shall appear, the usurper shall be dethroned, and cast into the bottomless pit, and be allowed, except during one brief interval, to deceive the nations no more. It is not surprising, therefore, that he stirs up in the hearts of the ungodly, hatred to that truth which he himself specially dislikes. Now, when we consider that the ungodly themselves are at enmity with Christ, that they are unprepared to meet him, and yet that they must personally confront him as their present God, can we be surprised that they try to banish from their thoughts that which does but torment them before the time, and that they strive to believe that that will never be, which, if it come, is sure to prove their everlasting ruin?
Further, we learn from the apostle’s remark, that the scoffing of the last days will continue, in spite of the warnings of God’s ministers and of God’s Word. It will continue until the day of the Lord comes. For, mark: long delayed as the coming has been, long expected as it has been by his waiting people, long scoffed at as it has been by the ungodly, the day of the Lord will come, as a thief in the night. Paul says, When men shall say, “Peace and safety,” when they shall have quieted their consciences on this subject, and quite satisfied themselves that there is no danger, “then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” 1 Thess. 5:1–3.
This, then, is the great distinctive feature of the last days,—the existence of those who not only disbelieve the doctrine of the Lord’s appearing, but who will not hear of it, who scoff at it, and ridicule it. And it would seem as if God had cast our lot in the very midst of the last days. Were we to examine other passages of scripture, it would be easy to point out various signs and tokens of the nearness of Christ’s coming, which meet and combine in our own day in a way that they have never met or combined before.
What then, is the lesson which we should derive from this? Is it not, for ourselves, that we should flee from the wrath to come, and secure an interest in the great salvation of Christ? and for others, that we should, in all sincerity and earnestness, exhort and entreat all with whom we have to do, to “seek the Lord while he may be found,” and to “call upon him while he is near”? Especially should we be admonished to beware of entertaining a scoffing spirit on subjects connected with the Lord’s second advent. Scoffers will abound in the last days. Truths connected with the Lord’s advent, appearing and kingdom, are too serious to be spoken of lightly, or to be rejected thoughtlessly. I therefore beseech you, reader, even though you do not receive all that the Christian ministers may think it their duty to state concerning the premillennial advent of our Lord Jesus,—though you may not be able to agree with all these statements,—yet, do not scoff at them, do not ridicule them; examine them, rather; bring them to the test of God’s word; pray for the teaching of the Holy Ghost; seek to weigh them in the balances of the sanctuary; and let the result of your reading and hearing of such truths or statements be at least, to lead you to prepare for the coming of the day of God, be it near, or be it distant. You cannot be wrong in thus preparing for the coming of Christ; and you cannot be right if you sit down in the chair of the scoffer, and swell the torrent of obloquy and reproach cast upon such statements as these.—W. Cadman, M. A.
The Gospel in the Old and New Testaments.
By D. F. Newton
Christ and his redemption is the great subject of the whole Bible. Concerning the New Testament the matter is plain: it appears to be so with respect to the Old. Christ and his redemption is the great subject of the prophecies, as well as the songs of the Old Testament; and the moral rules and precepts are all given in subordination to him. Christ is also the great subject of the history of the Old Testament from the beginning all along; and even the history of the creation is given as an introduction to the history of redemption that immediately follows it. The whole book, both Old Testament and New, is filled up with the gospel; only with this difference, that the Old Testament contains the gospel under a veil, but the New contains it unvailed, so that we may see the glory of the Lord with open face.
Thus we may see the usefulness and excellency of the Old Testament. Some are ready to look on it as being out of date, and as if we, in these days of the gospel, have but little to do with it. But this is a very great mistake, arising from a want of observing the nature and design of the Old Testament, which, if it were observed, would appear full of the gospel of Christ; and would, in an excellent manner, illustrate and confirm the glorious doctrines and promises of the New Testament. Those parts of the Old Testament which are commonly looked upon as containing the least divine instruction, are mines and treasures of gospel knowledge; and the reason why they are thought to contain so little is that persons do but superficially read them. The treasures which are hid underneath are not observed. They only look on the top of the ground and suddenly pass a judgment that there is nothing there. But they never dig into the mine; if they did, they would find it richly stored with what is more valuable than silver and gold, and would be abundantly requited for their pains.
“’Tis a pearl of price exceeding
All the gems in ocean found;
To its precepts ever listening,
In its truths may I abound.”
The two parts of which the Scriptures consist (the Old and the New Testaments), are connected by a chain of compositions (the prophecies), which bear no resemblance in form or style to any that can be produced from the stores of Grecian, Indian, Persian, or even Arabian learning. The antiquity of these compositions no man doubts; and the unstrained application of them to events long subsequent to their publication is a solid ground of belief that they were genuine predictions, and consequently inspired.—D. F. Newton.
The World's Conversion Before the Advent.
Luther says: “Some say that before the latter days the whole world shall become Christians. This is a falsehood forged by Satan that he might darken sound doctrine; beware, therefore, of the delusion.”
Melancthon says, “The true church will always suffer persecution from the wicked to the end of time, and in the church itself the good and evil will continue blended together.”
John Knox says of this world's universal reform: “It never was or yet shall be till that righteous King and Judge appear for the restoration of all things.”
John Milton in “Paradise Lost” says—
> “Truth shall retire,
> Be struck with slanderous darts, and works of faith
> Rarely be found. So shall the world go on,
> To good malignant, to bad men benign,
> Under her own weight groaning, till the day
> Appear, of reparation to the just,
> And vengeance to the wicked, at return
> Of Him, thy Saviour and thy Lord.”
Matthew Henry says: “As long as the world stands, there will still be in it such a mixture as we now see. We long to see all wheat and no tares in God's field; but it will not be till the time of ingathering,—till the winnowing day come—both must grow together till the harvest.”
Cotton Mather says: “Without doubt, the kingdoms of this world will not become the kingdoms of God and of his Christ, before the pre-ordained time of the dead, in which the reward shall be given to the servants of God. They who expect the rest promised for the church of God to be found anywhere but in the new earth, or any happy times for the church in a world that hath sin in it,—these do err not knowing the Scriptures nor the kingdom of God.”
George Whitefield says: “Christ's church while in this world will be a bush burning with fiery trials and afflictions of various kinds.”
Fulfilling the Law.
“THINK not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.”—Matt. 5:17.
The moral law was of vital importance, and was given for its own sake, while the ceremonial law and the promises were not given for their own sakes, but for the sake of Him to whom they specially referred. In this distinction between the moral law on the one hand, and the ceremonial law and the promises on the other, the cause is found of the difference in the results when they are respectively fulfilled. When the moral law was fulfilled, its eternal inviolability was established, while the latter ceased to be obligatory when they were fulfilled.
Christ’s fulfillment of the law and the prophets consisted both in words and in deeds, and it is precisely this essential union of doctrine and action that constitutes the difference between his labors as a prophet, and those of Moses and the prophets. The moral law which the pharisees had perverted and divested of its essential contents, was fulfilled by him in his doctrine, inasmuch as he unfolded it in its whole fullness and depth, and traced and exhibited its reference to the inward sentiments of men. It was, at the same time, fulfilled by him in his life, inasmuch as he complied with all its demands in the most perfect manner, both as an archetype (Rom. 5:18, 19; Gal. 4:4, 5), and as an example (1 Pet. 2:21) of the human race.
He fulfilled the ceremonial law and the prophetic promises allied to it, in his word and doctrine, inasmuch as he opened and fully set forth the deep and comprehensive meaning of these, either personally (as Luke 24:27, &c.), or otherwise (John 16:7–15); he fulfilled both, also, in his life and actions, inasmuch as he actually and really exhibited in his own person all that was prefigured in the former and foretold in the latter. The ceremonial law was a shadow and type. Christianity brought the very image of good things (Heb. 10:1); hence, the type necessarily lost its significance and validity.—Kurtz’ Sacred Hist., p. 296.
Error Supplants Truth.
By James White
Sad indeed is the admission that error in many instances has supplanted truth; but facts in the history of the Christian church compel the admission. And probably we have no more striking illustration of this lamentable fact than in the manner the literal coming and reign of Christ, and the literal resurrection of the dead have been supplanted in the minds of a considerable portion of the Christian world by the doctrine of the world's conversion and the temporal millennium.
The second coming of Christ is a subject of great importance to the church. This is evident from the amount of testimony relative to it, in connection with the resurrection of the just and the Judgment, found both in the Old and New Testaments. The inspired writers, in their threatenings against the ungodly, in their words of hope and encouragement for the saints, and in their exhortations to repentance and holy living, hold up the great fact of the second coming of the Son of man, as that which should alarm and arouse, and also comfort the people of God.
Before Adam passed from the stage of life, Enoch, the seventh in the line of his descendants, proclaimed this doctrine in the ears of the impenitent, “Behold,” said he, “the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all.” Jude 14. And as we pass from book to book through the Bible, we find that the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles, have made the same use of the doctrine; and in the very last book, John describes a coming day, when all classes and ranks of men, because they have not prepared for the coming of Christ, will call for rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the overwhelming glory of his presence, as he appears in the clouds of heaven. Rev. 6:14–17.
Christ's coming is also held prominently forth in the Sacred Writings as the time when the righteous will be rewarded. “When the chief Shepherd shall appear,” says Peter, “ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” 1 Pet. 5:4. And Paul looks forward to the day of Christ's appearing as the time when not only he, but all who love the appearing of their Lord, shall receive the crown of righteousness which is laid up for such. 2 Tim. 4:8.
Most frequently, however, is this great doctrine used as an incentive to repentance, watchfulness, prayer, and holy living. “Watch,” is the emphatic injunction of the Son of God in connection with the numerous declarations of his second coming in the gospels.
Paul exhorts to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:12, 13.
James says, “Be ye also patient; establish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned. Behold, the Judge standeth before the door.” James 5:8, 9.
Peter says, “But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” 1 Pet. 4:7. And again, “What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God.” 2 Pet. 3:11, 12.
Such is the use which holy men, who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, have made of the doctrine of the second coming of Christ. Have not they, therefore, lost the spirit of the gospel, who openly contend against so prominent and weighty and precious a doctrine, or who even pass it by in silence?
Ministers and popular professors may cast this doctrine aside as not essential to the Christian faith; nevertheless, it may be traced through the Sacred Scriptures, as made prominent by prophets, Jesus, and apostles. The Bible dwells upon essentials. It does not deal in non-essentials. When the Lord in his Word gave his people a rule of faith and practice, he was careful to leave the non-essentials all out. Hence, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine.” 2 Tim. 3:16. And let all the people say, Amen!
But the doctrine of the second appearing of Christ, made so very prominent in the Scriptures, is lost sight of by those who receive theories not found in the Scriptures. Thus the fulfillment of all the threatenings of God's Word, relative to the swift approaching day of wrath, and the revelation of the Son of God in flaming fire, to destroy the inhabitants of the earth, as they were once destroyed by water, are put far into the distant future, if not completely lost sight of, by the unscriptural doctrine of the world's conversion and the temporal millennium.
The second personal appearing of Jesus Christ, is most absurdly applied to several different things. Some teach that death is the second coming of Christ. This is not only a violation of plain Scripture declarations, but of the laws of language. There can be but a single second advent of Christ; while this misty sentiment has as many appearings of Jesus as there are deaths. The early disciples did not receive the idea that death was the second coming of Christ.
Peter, seeing the beloved John, “saith to Jesus, Lord, what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.” Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die; yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” John 21:21–23. So far were the disciples from holding that death was the second coming of Christ, that when they understood their Lord to intimate that John might remain until his return, they at once concluded that he would not die.
And what foggy theology is this, that makes death the second appearing of Christ! He is coming as the Life-giver, and the believer's best friend. Death is the life-taker, and men's last enemy. 1 Cor. 15:26. Christ is coming to give life to the just, and to destroy him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil.” Heb. 2:14. The devil has the power of death, and in the providence of God, is permitted to send the barbed arrow even to the heart of the just, lay him low in death, and lock him in the tomb. But the Life-giver, having passed under the dominion of death, and having been gloriously raised from the embrace of the grave triumphantly says, “I am he that liveth and was dead; and behold I am alive forever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell [hades, the grave] and of death.” Rev. 1:18. The devil holds the power of death. Christ holds the keys of death and the grave, and at his second appearing he will unlock the tombs of the just, break the power of death, their last enemy, and lead them forth to immortal and eternal scenes of glory.
Again, conversion is said to be the second coming of Christ. Then there are as many second comings of Christ as there are conversions. There can be but one second appearing of Christ. And again the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are said to be the second advent of Christ. Hence, men talk of the spiritual coming of Christ and his spiritual reign for one thousand years. But here, also, they are involved in the difficulty of a plurality of second comings of Christ; for in this case they would have Christ appear at each gracious manifestation of the Holy Spirit. There can be but a single second advent of Christ.
The distinction between the manifestations of the Holy Spirit and the personal presence of Christ at his second appearing is made very plain in the Scriptures. Says Jesus, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter.” John 14:16. This language implies the distinct existence of more than one comforter. When Christ was with his people, he was their comforter. In his absence, the Father was to send another Comforter, even the Spirit of truth. During the absence of the Son the Holy Spirit was to be his representative, and the comforter of his sorrowing people.
The facts in the case are distinctly stated in the following impressive words: “But now I go my way to Him that sent me.” It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart I will send him unto you. And when he is come he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. John 16:5, 7, 8.
And again, Shakers see the second appearing of Christ in the person of Ann Lee. And the Mormons see the fulfillment of the prophecies relative to the coming and kingdom of Christ in the gathering of “the Latter-day Saints.” And the Spiritualists generally agree in saying, Lo, here is the second advent of Christ in the manifestations of Spiritualism.
In the prophetic discourse of Matt. 24 and 25, covering the entire Christian age, our Lord, after speaking of the tribulation of the church under papal persecutions, says of our time: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matt. 24:23, 24. The word then in this passage points to a specific period of time when, “Lo, here is Christ, and Lo, he is there,” would be heard. Our Lord here describes the spiritual deceptions of the present age. False christs arose not far from the first advent, to deceive the Jews in regard to that event (Matt. 24:5); likewise false christs and false prophets have arisen at this day to deceive the people on the subject of the second advent.
Dr. Henshaw, the late bishop of Rhode Island, speaking of the doctrine of the temporal millennium, in his Treatise on the Second Advent (page 115), says:
“So far as we have been able to investigate its history, it was first advanced by the Rev. Dr. Whitby, the commentator, and afterwards advocated by Hammond, Hopkins, Scott, Dwight, Bogue and others, and has been received without careful examination by the majority of evangelical divines in the present day. But we may safely challenge its advocates to produce one distinguished writer in its favor who lived before the commencement of the eighteenth century. If antiquity is to be considered as any test of truth, the advocates of the pre-millennial advent and personal reign of Christ with his saints upon earth, need have no fears of the results of a comparison of authorities with the supports of the opposite theory.”
And from the modern and popular error of the temporal millennium and the spiritual reign of Christ have grown those mystical applications by which the plainest declarations of Scripture relative to the second appearing of the Life-giver, are applied to death, to conversions, to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, to Shakerism, to Mormonism, and to Spiritualism.
How forcible, then, are the words of Christ when applied to the subject before us: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.” Matt. 24:23. No one need fail to see who the men are that are crying, “Lo, here is Christ, and, Lo, he is there!” The Lord continues in verses 25, 26: “Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Our Lord is here dwelling upon what he had just before told them. His subject is still the teachings of those who cry, “Lo, here is Christ!” “Lo, he is there!” If the Mormons say, “Behold, he is in the desert,” the injunction of our Lord is, “Go not forth.” Or, if you hear proclaimed from the popular pulpits of our time, “Behold, he is in the secret chambers,” Christ's second coming is spiritual, and at death or at conversion, “believe it not.”
And why not receive such mystical teachings? The reason is given in the next verse: “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Our Lord has not only pointed out false prophets, and warned us against their mystical teachings, but he has, in contrast, set before us the manner of his second coming in the plainest terms. The vivid lightning, flashing out of the distant east, and shining even to the west, lights up the whole heavens. This, probably, is the most appropriate figure that our Lord could employ to illustrate the flaming glory that will attend his second advent, when he shall come attended by all the holy angels.
The presence of only one holy angel at the new sepulcher where Christ lay in death, caused the Roman guard to shake, and become as dead men. The light and glory of a single angel completely overpowered those strong sentinels. The Son of man is coming in his own kingly glory and in the glory of his Father, attended by all the holy angels. All the holy angels are coming with the Lord. Not one will be left in Heaven. The number of angels round about the throne, as the body-guard of the Son of God, are “ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands.” See Rev. 5:11. And Paul speaks of the heavenly messengers as “an innumerable company of angels.” Heb. 12:22. What grandeur! what dazzling brightness: when the King of kings shall come down the lighted vault of Heaven, attended by all the angels of the heavenly world! Then the whole heavens will blaze with glory, and the whole earth will tremble before him.
J. W.
Thoughts on the Book of Daniel.
THAT this book was written by the person whose name it bears, there is no reason to doubt. Ezekiel, who was contemporary with Daniel, bears testimony, through the spirit of prophecy, to his piety and uprightness, ranking him in this respect with Noah and Job: “Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast; though Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.” Eze. 14 : 19, 20. His wisdom, also, even at that early day, had become proverbial, as appears from the same writer. To the prince of Tyrus, he was directed of the Lord to say, “Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee.” Chap. 28 : 3. But above all, our Lord recognized him as a prophet of God, and bade his disciples understand the predictions given through him for the benefit of his church: “When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel, the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth let him understand), then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.” Matt. 24 : 15, 16.
Though we have a more minute account of his early life than is recorded of any other prophet, yet his origin is left in complete obscurity, except that he was of the royal line, probably of the house of David, which had at this time become very numerous. He is first introduced upon the stage of action as one of the noble captives of Judah, in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, at the commencement of the seventy years’ captivity, B. C. 606. Jeremiah and Habakkuk were yet uttering their prophecies. Ezekiel commenced soon after, and a little later, Obadiah; but both these finished their work years before the close of the long and splendid career of Daniel. Three prophets only succeeded him, Haggai and Zechariah, who exercised the prophetic office for a brief period contemporaneously, B. C. 520–518, and Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets, who flourished a little season, about B. C. 397.
Throughout the entire period of the 70 years’ captivity, Daniel resided at the court of Babylon, most of the time in honor and prosperity, prime minister of that first and most glorious of earth’s universal monarchies. His life affords a most impressive lesson of the importance and the advantage of maintaining from earliest youth a strict integrity in the things of God, and furnishes a notable instance of a man eminent in piety and communion with God, while at the same time engaging in the most stirring activities, and bearing the weightiest cares and responsibilities that can devolve upon men in this present life. But it is not his connection with the Chaldean monarchy, the glory of kingdoms, that perpetuates his memory, and covers his name with honor. From the height of its glory, he saw that kingdom decline and pass into other hands. Its period of greatest prosperity was covered by the age of one man. So brief was this nation’s career, so transient its glory. But Daniel was entrusted with more enduring honors. While beloved and honored by the princes and potentates of Babylon, he was also greatly beloved of God and his holy angels, and admitted to a knowledge of the counsels of the Most High.
His prophecy is, in many respects, the most remarkable of any in the sacred record. It is the most comprehensive. It was the first prophecy giving a consecutive history of the world from that time on to the end. It located its predictions with well-defined, prophetic periods, though reaching many centuries into the future. It gave the first definite prediction of the coming of the Messiah. It marked the time of this event so accurately that the Jews execrate the man who attempts to interpret its numbers, since they are thereby shown to be without excuse in rejecting Christ; and so accurately had its minute and literal predictions been fulfilled up to the time of Porphyry, A. D. 250, that he declared (the only loophole he could devise for his stolid skepticism) that the predictions were written after the events themselves had transpired. Every succeeding century has born additional evidence to the truthfulness29of the prophecy, and its fulfillment is still going forward.
The personal history of Daniel reaches a few years subsequent to the transfer of the Babylonian kingdom to the Medes and Persians. He is supposed to have died at Shushan, or Susa, in Persia, aged about ninety-four years; his age being the probable reason why he returned not to Judea with other Hebrew captives, under the proclamation of Cyrus, which marked the close of the 70 years’ captivity.
CHAPTER I.
Verses 1, 2. “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.”
With a directness characteristic of the sacred writers, Daniel enters at once upon his subject. He commences with the simple, historical style, that being the nature of his book till we reach the seventh chapter, when the prophetical portion, more properly so called, commences. Like one conscious of uttering only well-known truth, he proceeds at once to state a variety of particulars, by which his accuracy could be at once tested. Thus in the two verses quoted, he states five particulars, purporting to be historical facts, such as a writer of fiction would not be likely to introduce: 1. That Jehoiakim was king of Judah; 2. That Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon; 3. That the latter came against the former; 4. That this was in the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign; and, 5. That Jehoiakim was given into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, who took a portion of the sacred vessels of the house of God, and, carrying them to the land of Shinar, the country of Babylon, Gen. 10 : 10, placed them in the treasure house of his heathen divinity. Subsequent portions of the narrative abound equally with such historical facts.
This captivity of Jerusalem was predicted by Jeremiah and immediately accomplished, B. C. 606. Jer. 25 : 8–11. Jeremiah speaks of the fourth year of Jehoiakim, Daniel of the third. This seeming discrepancy is explained by the fact that Nebuchadnezzar set out on his expedition near the close of the third year of Jehoiakim, from which point Daniel reckons. But he did not accomplish the subjugation of Jerusalem till about the ninth month of the year following; and from this year Jeremiah reckons. Prideaux i, 99, 100. Jehoiakim, though bound to be taken to Babylon, having humbled himself, was permitted to remain as ruler in Jerusalem, tributary to the king of Babylon. This was the first time Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. Twice subsequently, the city having revolted was captured by the same king, being more severely dealt with each succeeding time.
The first of these was under Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, when all the sacred vessels were either taken or destroyed, and the best of the inhabitants, with the king, were led into captivity. The second was under Zedekiah, when the city endured the most formidable siege it ever sustained except that of Titus. During the greater part of its two years’ continuance, its inhabitants suffered all the horrors of famine. At length the garrison and king attempting to escape from the city were captured by the Chaldeans. The sons of the king were slain before his face. His eyes were put out, and he was taken to Babylon; thus fulfilling the prediction of Ezekiel who declared that he should be carried to Babylon, and die there, but yet should not see the place. Eze. 12 : 13. The city and temple were utterly destroyed, and the entire population of the city and country, with the exception of a few husbandmen, were carried captive to Babylon, B. C. 588.
Such was God’s passing testimony against sin. Not that the Chaldeans were the favorites of Heaven; but God made use of them to punish the iniquities of his people. Had the Israelites been faithful to God, and kept his Sabbaths, Jerusalem would have stood forever. But they departed from him and he left them. They first profaned the sacred vessels by sin in introducing heathen idols among them; and he then profaned them by judgments, in letting them go as trophies into heathen temples abroad.
During these days of trouble and distress upon Jerusalem, Daniel and his companions were nourished and instructed in the palace of the king of Babylon, and though captives in a strange land, were doubtless much more favorably situated than they would have been in their native land.