The Lost Dream I a . a.0 , 1 7^ PRINCETON, N. J. ^f^ Presented by Pre5'\(ier\"t ?at^on Division. ^S?}.?' 5^ <> Section . .vW 7 4- J£l^^ The Lost Dream -OR- AN EXPOSITION OF THE DREAM OF NFBUCHADNEZZAR, AND OTHfcK VISIONS AND PROPHECIES OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL BY REV. LUTHER WILSON, The work is composed on a new plan, and con- tains some NEW LINES OF THOUGHT, which the Author hopes will be helpful as well as instructive to every student of the book of Daniel. Sent by mail zo any address for $1 00 The book is a 12 mo vol. 240 pages. Send orders to REV. L. H. WILSON, DICKEY, GA. 912 ^-Oiur.L o\-)\ The Lost Dream OR AN EXPOSITION OF THE DREAM OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND OTHER DREAMS AND VISIONS OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL BY / LUTHER WILSON *'The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure {Dan. 2: 45) . 1906 COPYRIGHT, 1907 BY LUTHER H. WILSON ERRATA. page 18. Footnote, 2nd Hne, instead of beeauhe, read because. -^"■^^ "rune JCbotCi^^dof tben, read next. -i:-^strrrr=':"'- o...- .ad ''?a;eS^n *:* n'oSter "the glorious land," insert and. Page 103. verse 22, f-^^^^^l';'^^^, figures to fingers. Pase 104. 11th line from bottom, cliange ug Pa|t 128. verse 28, change unto into mto. Pn^el74 1st line, change 1905 mto 109o. Page 175. 7th line, change lor mto tar^ ^^^^ Pale 181. 10th line from ''""om, u^sW ot tha r ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^pS:l"."hnT'frr::?tom^"=a oNelpless, read ''i:^ 207. Note F. 6th line, remove the comma from where it is, and put it after reach. meditation, read Page 211. 11th line from bottom, insteaa o mediation "'Slorious Mountain," read Page 212. Note K. msteao oi CONTENTS Preface 5 Introduction 11 The Panorama 27 The Lost Dream 33 The Times of the Gentiles 47 The March of Empire 59 The Crescent and the Cross 75 Weighed and Found Wanting 105 Messiah the Prince 115 The Man of Sin 129 Closing Scenes 199 Notes 205 PREFACE. This work is not a commentary nor an exposition of the Book of Daniel as a book, but merely a brief exposition of i-ts prophetical part. Hence the reader will not find in it any discussion of controvierted points connected with the date, authorship, authenticity and inspiration of the book. The author of this work proceeds upon the accepted and well-nig-h univei^al 'belief of evangelical Christendom upon these questions, and, consequently, does not enter upon their discussion at all, as matters or things in doubt or requiring discussion. That the Book of Daniel was really writtien by the one who claims to have written it, and at the time, place and circumstances in which he states that it was done, to the great mass of evangelical and orthodox Christen, dom is not an open question, and admits of scarcely a reasonable doubt. It goes almost without saying. Of course, there are some who profess to have doubts on these points, and there always will be some, until Daniel himself can arise from the dead and satisfy their lingering doubts, and remove every shadow or suspicion of uncertainty, as to whether the matters he narrates did or did not take place, and take place just when and wh/ere and how he states that they did. But until tlat takes place, these doubting ones will just have to nurse 6 THE LOST DREAM. their suspicions and hold to their doubts with all the zeal and conscientiousness they can, and get what comfort they can out of them, while the great overwhelming mass of the thinking, believing, reverent Christian world will continue to receive, believe and revere the writings of Daniel as those of an insipired Prophet and a true child of God, as they havie been doing for ages. One would think that when a Prophet's character and genu- ineness and authenticity of his writings as well as the inspiration of those writings, should be so unqualifiedly and so conspicuously borne witness to, as was done by our Savior to Daniel and his writings, speaking of him as "Daniel the Prophet," and appealing to certain mat- ters and things tbat were to take place as being matters and things that had been foretold by that Prophejt — one would think that such statements would set at rest for- ever all douibt and uncertainty as to the genuineness, truth and inspiration of his writings. Confirmed as it also is by the Apostle Paul's manifest allusion to one of Daniel's prophecies, when describing the coming revelation and development of the (Lawless One who was to sit in the Temple of God and as God — it would seem that at least Daniel's character and truthfulness as a prophet, and the inspiration of his writings, would be placed beyond the shadow of a doubt or suspicion. Con- sequently, such has been the almost universal belief of the Christian world for ages, and he has occupied the place of a true prophet of God. And the more that his book has been assailed by fierce and hostile criti- cism, the more has its truth and genuineness and im- pregnability been established and its reliability as a true and trustworthy hisftoric record. Like so much of the other Scriptures that have been questioned, doubted, rejected and pompously thmst aside by these self-in- flated and self -constituted '^Critics" as improbable, im- possible or spurious and false, and which, nevertheless, was afterwards found to be not only possible and proba- ble, but, also, absolutely true — so it has been with this book. Everything in the way of discovery by mod-ern research into the hitherto undiscovered and undeciphered PREFACE. T records of the past, and bearing upon the questions con- nected with the reliability and trustworthiness of Dan- iel's writings, has but served to confirm them and es- tablish the disputed facts and statements of his book, and put them upon a surer foundation than before. Their truth has been confirmed in a manner little anticipated by these arrogant and eagerly-destructive critics. Con- sequently, the author of this work upon the Prophecies of Daniel has not deemed it necessary to enter into these questions at all, such as the truth and reality of the scenes described, the genuineness and authenticity of the book, or the date of its composition. The Pro- phet speaks for himself— tersely, impressively and con- vincingly — and evangelical Christendom has everywhere unhesitatingly accepted his statements as unquestiona- bly true, and, therefore, worthy of all credence and confidence. The interpretations of most of the dreams and visions, as found in this work, will not be new or startling to the reader, because being already so clearly fulfilled his- tory, and, therefore, matters with which he is no doubt sufficiently familiar. But there are other of these in- terpretations that may perhaps be new to him, and, therefore, not so readily assented to. Of course, that is his privilege, and if he is not convinced of their correct- ness by the reasons presented in support of them, it still is his right and privilege to reject them, it is, however, the belief of the writer that, although some of these new interpretations may, at first, be rejected, yet that subsequent thought and reflection will senre to confirm them. He, at least, hopes that if possibly they may not be, entirely assented to in all their par- ticulars, they will, nevertheless, open up to the reaider new and untrodden fields for thought and reflection, and fields, too, that may afford him much pleasure and satisfaction in reading them now perhaps for the first time. And, further, it is his hope that all who read this work, may be drawn to the Prophet Daniel and his writ- ings more earnestly than ever before, and be led by that 8 THE LOST DREAM. to revere and esteem him as unquestionably one of the greatest of the Prophets. The Book of Daniel, to many persons, is too much a neglected and but little-perused book. But it should not be such. It occupies too prom- inent a place in the sacred Canon, sheds too much light upon the history, experience and destiny of God's Church, and has furnished too much prophetic imagery and description to other writers of Scripture, to be a neglected or overlooked book by God's people. Not only have Ezekiel and Paul alluded to it, but much of the gorgeous imagery and impressive description of the book of Revelation by the Apostle John has been drawn, likewise, from the pictured pages of Daniel. One who has been so highly honored of God as to be one of the favored fe,w who were to announce long be- fore his birth the coming of the Messiah, and who fore- told, not only that fact, but, also, his atoning death, finished work and righteousness, and, also, the very time of his coming — who was so affectionately addressed as the ''Man greatly beloved" by the Angel Gabriel, and afterwards so emphatically designated as "Daniel the Prophet" by that Messiah himself — whose coming he foretold, cannot be otherwise than one of the greatest of the Prophets, and desei-ving of the confidence and highest honor by all who love and revere the Word of God, as well as those faithful servants who have pro- claimed that Word. As to why these dreams and visions have all been ex~ plained, both in verse as well as in prose, by the writer of this exposition, it may be sufficient to say that this mode of exposition perba^ps naturally suited his turn of mind, and the prose exposition was added afterwards to give 'the reasons for the views expressed as -well as to present a fuller explanation of the prophecy. He also felt that very often the mind will be impressed with facts and take hold of truths expressed in verse more forcibly and hold them in memory more s?curely than when expressed in plain and simple prose. All the great facts and truths of religion have been thus expressed in the hymnology of the Church, and have often been bet- PREFACE. 9 ter remembered thereby than if they had not been so expressed. And many a one will turn to the sweei, hymns and expressive songs of the Church because more easily learned, and remembered longer, than when these same truths are presented in simple prose. The exposition of these wonderful dreams and visions has been to the writer a pleasurable employment, and he trusts that the reading of them may prove no less a pleasure and enjoyment to the reader. Hence, both po- etry and prose have been employed in tihis exposition of the prophecies of Daniel. May the reading of this work be instrumental in enthroning the Prophet more securely in the heart as one inspired of Giod, and secure for him that reverence and honor due to one of those ^'holy men of old who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," and who was used by that same Holy Ghost 'to foretell both the experience and destiny of his persecuted people down through the ages, the sufferinjrs and death of the Lord's anointed, their great Messiah, his wondrous work and its imperishable effects, and also to announce the very period of earthly history in which he was to appear and accomplish his glorious work. With this hope and prayer, this work now goes forth upon its silent mission with the added burden from Dan- iel's own book, ^'Go thou thy way till the end be." INTRODUCTION. The Book of Daniel is largely a book of fulfilled prophecy. Much of it is already accomplished history, and has been for a long, long time. Some of its predictions were accomplished ages ago. The interpretation of the book is, therefore, a comparatively easy task, and is to be looked for principally in the records of the past, and not in the occurrences of the present, or the wild and hazardous speculations of the future. The book consists of but twelve chapters. In these chapters there are really but five great prophecies, viz.: the Great Image smitten and destroyed by the mystic Stone ; the Four Wild Beasts emerging from the storm-tossed sea; the Ram and the Goat ; the cutting off of the Prince Messiah, and the rise, development, growth and overthrow of the Wilful King. The prophecy, contained in the fourth chapter, of the towering Tree and seven times passing over it, was evi- dently not intended or delivered as a prophecy in the same sense as were the other visions and prophecies of the book, and contains only incidentally a propheey of the future, and with no minute details. The predictions made in the fifth chapter refer only to the approaching end of Belshazzar and the overthrow of his kingdom — ^all of which took place and were ful- filled within a few hours after their delivery. So that 12 THE LOST DREAM. tiiere are really only five great prophecies or visions, which have all been largely fulfilled, most of them centu- ries ago* At the same time it is also true that not one of these great prophecies has ever been completely or entire- ly fulfilled, and some of them may have centuries yet to run before they ever can be thus fulfilled. In this respect the Book of Daniel differs very eon- spieuous'ly from some other of the Prophetical Books. Isaiah has quite a number of prophecies, and some of them very important ones, too, that have long siu'ce been completely fulfilled. So, too, has Jeremiah, and also Ezekiel. But not so with Daniel. None of 'his great prophecies have yet been thus completely accomplished. The intei-pretation of the book, for some cause or other, seems to have given some coanmentators considerable trouble. But why it should have done so does not appear very clear, for there are certain great principles under- lying its interpretation, which, if they had been observed and adhered to, ought to have relieved this difficulty. But being approached too often with preconceived opin- ions as to what the prophecy must mean, and what it must be made to mean, the interpretation of the book has occasioned much difficulty, and has yielded as a necessaiy result some very divergent, contradictory, and in some instances absolutely absurd and impossible con- clusions. On this account not only the Book of Daniel, but also all prophecy in general, has often been bix)ught into 'great disrepute and great discredit. If the reader will constantly bear in mind while study- ing this book, 1st, that the object and aim of all prophecy- is not to reveal or foretell future history, "but to shed light on Grod's purposes relative to the future trials, vicissitudes and experiences of his Church, it will aid him very materially in ascertaining 'the fulfillment of that prophecy as revealed in history. It is not the disclosure ♦Strictly speaking, Daniel had but four visions himself, and Nebuchadnezzar two, which were interpreted by Dan- iel, making in all but six visions in his book, and in these visions only five great prophecies. INTRODUCTION. 13 of w'hat kingidoms or empires are to come into beino^, what they are to do, or how long tney are to continue, or when or how they are to fall, that Grod is making known to mankind in prophecy — but what is to be the experience and history of his Church during that time, how it will fare, what it will suffer, and what will be the final issue of these trials and sufferings which it is called upon to undergo. Hence it is only incidentally as bearing on this history and experience of his people tiiat this revelation of the rise and fall of empires, king- doms and kings comes in. It is the Church that God is guiding, directing and watching over as she journeys through the wilderness to her home in heaven, and it is her future, her trials, and her vicissitudes that he is outlining in prophecy, and for her comfort and encour- agement, and not the rise and fall of empires, or the history of wars and conflicts that will constantly be oc- curring amongst mankind. The object of prophecy is not to gratify human 'curiosity, or merely to foretell coming events, or what great wars, civil or religious commotions or revolutions are one day to take place, but to reveal the trials and sufferings, the conflicts and conquests and final destiny of his people, and his own deep hidden purposes in connection with these events. Hence the Apostle Peter says that, ''no prophecy is of any private interpretation, but holy men of old spake as they werei moved by the Holy Ghost." And, therefore, in its proper interpretation, prophecy cannot be applied to compara- tively trivial events of insignificant actors, and these occupying only a very small place in history, and with no bearing upon the welfare or prosperity of his Church. The history of Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome for many centuries comes out in Daniel ^s prophecies, not because God is purposing to reveal the career and conquests of these mighty empires, but only because that under them and during their continuance his people were to have a marked and most eventful experience. And it is only in connection with their trials and experience that the history of these colossal empires is so briefly, yet so majestically made known. 14 THE LOST DREAM. The remembrance and application of this principle will at once rule out a great deal of what is often given as the interpretation of prophe-ey, and prevent the ob- server of current events from rushing to the pages of Daniel or of John for an explanation of every political commotion that takes place among the nations of the earth, or every gigantic war that occasionally breaks out between different peoples and countries. Ever since the French Revolution, the reign of Robespierre with its carnival of blood, and the wars of Napoleon, this ten- dency has continually manifested itself amongst the students of prophecy and the so-called '^ observers of the signs of the times. ' * The great Crimean War, our own Civil War, the war of Napoleon III, and almost every other outbreak since among"st the nations of Europe or Asia, has been thus in- terpreted and applied by these persons to some of the prophecies of Daniel or of John, simply because this plain fact is so often forgotten, that it is not wars or commo- tions that God is foretelling by his serv^ants, but only the future of his people and his own kingdom. Hence noth- ing of the future is made known except so far as it has a bearing upon them and their destiny. 2d. That prophecy must, therefore, necessarily em- brace and include vast periods of time for its fulfillment. This is particularly true of Daniel's prophecies. It is neither the lifetime of an individual, nor a generation, nor an age, no matter how conspicuous or remarkable the life of that individual may have been, that can at all meet its requirements. To so interpret any of its pe- riods, or thus to apply its solemn and majestic disclosures to the exploits of such insignificant actors as Antiochus Epiphanes, Robespierre, Napoleon Bonaparte and the lit- tle brief period of time in which they acted or strutted pompously across the stage of history, is beneath the dignity and majesty of prophecy. Its scenes, its actors and its periods of time are vastly greater and of vastly more importance to the Church of God than are any such scenes and actors as these, and to apply its solemn and INTRODUCTION. 15 majestic predictions to such performers and such per- flormances as theirs, is to bring it down to a very low lev^l, and almost make a 'burlesque of it. When it BpeaJks, it speaks of periods of long duration, and not of mere days and weeks, or even years. When, very often, one of ita single statements includes the sweep of cen- turies, or embraces an unbroken line of actors running through a period of more than a thousand years, how absurd, as well as how belittling to it, to attempt filling up its stupendous outlines with such insignificant periods as three and a half literal years, or with such individual lives as those mentioned above. It seems positively degrading as well as dishonoring to prophecy thus to do. Antiochus did indeed forcibly set aside the offering of the ^^ daily sacrifice'' of the Jewish ritual and cause to cease the oblation of dumb irrational animals at the temple in Jerusalem for three and a half years, and he did, also, persecute and destroy many of the Jewish people themselves for that period of time — but what was that removal of the ''daily sacrifice" in comparison with the perv'erting, trampling under foot and removal of Christ's one great offering, the real ''daily sacrifice" and the real oblation for the sins of the world, and for 1,200 years and more, as has been done both by the Moslem and the Papacy? And what were those three and a half years of perse- cution of a comparatively infinitesimal part of God's flock in comparison with the ravages, desolations and sav- age ferocity with which the great Church of God has been ■wasted and desolated and destroyed, and for so many hun- dreds of years, by those ferocious Powers? It actually shrinks into almost nothingness in camparison with this so much greater "desolation of the sanctuary" and those so much severer and longer-continued persecutions.* ♦Antiochus Epiphanes is indeed foretold in one of Dan- iel's prophecies (11th chapter), but the space given to a foretelling of his exploits is taken up by a very few sent- ences, and he forms but one out of a number of actors foretold in the first part of that chapter, one and all le THE LOST DREAM. And what bearing", on the triads and \'icissitudes of the vast Church of God ,did Napoleon and his brief career hsLve — or the mad reveling-s of tihe French Revolution continuing only for a few months? In those s-eenes of riot and shocking shedding of blood which marked the progress and continuance of that revo- lution in Paris and throughout France, God's true Church was scarcely involved, and its destiny was in no manner perceptibly affected by them. It was a judgment that fell largely on the Apostate Church and her blood-stained clergy, who had themselves been for centuries the savage ptei^ecutors of God's flock in France, and even in that very Paris, where so many of these sanguinary scenes took place, and was simply the just retribution of Provi- dence in giving her that cup of blood to drink that she bad so often and so ruthlessly pressed to the lips of his innocent and unoffending people. When God, therefore, so briefly and so graphically sketches the outlines of the trials and struggles and changing vicissitudes of his persecuted people, and the outlines of the savage Beasts of prey that were to so devour, devastate and tear in pieces that people, and for Bueh amazing periods of time, it is simply foretelling the conflicts of his Religion wth other Religions, which were to trample down and destroy his flock during all that time. And even to hint at such a fulfillment as has some- times ibeen suggested by some inteipreters of prophecy, is entirely beneath its dignity and majesty. Centuries, and not days or years, is what is ordinarily necessary to meet its requirements. Sd. That the ravages and havoc wrought upon the Church, as foretold in these prophecies, were to be wroug'ht by persecuting Powers, and not by mere indi- to be vastly overshadowed and vastly surpassed in gigan- tic wickedness by that colossal Power that was afterwards to trample down, persecute and destroy, and for long, long ages, the suffering Church of God . In comparison with its long, weary, desolating reign, that of Antiochus was short and almost insignificant. INTRODUCTION 17 viduals as such. Neither ^' horns" nor '^kings'' means single individuals, but Ruling Powers, unbroken lines or succession of rulers. They mean dynasties, Ruling Pow- ers viewed as a whole, and continuing down for centu- ries. But it is the same Power or Government, whether administered by kings, emperors, princes or popes. They were to be political or ecclesiastical forms of govemment continuing down through centuries of rule and dominion. They simply mean kingdoms or states, continuous ruling Powers. Even the instance of Alexander the Great, the ''notable horn'' of the Grecian Goat, which was so sud- denly snapped asunder and came to an end, is no excep- tion to this principle. It was not Alexander alone that was there represented under the symbol of the Great Hbrn, but his dynasty, consisting of himself and his two sons, one of them as yet unborn at his death, but all three of them constituting one line or race of kings. And while two of them never reigned at all, but wer« cut off veiy soon after his own death, yet all three were included in the symbol of the Notable Horn, because be- longing to the same dynasty, and when all three were cut off within a very few years, the Great Horn was com- pletely biYtken. It was the extinction and abrupt termin- ation of Alexander and his dynasty. He was succeeded by four other ''horns," i. e. : four other kingdoms or lines of rulers. Likewise with the "little horn" of the seventh chapter, having "eyes like those of a man," and a "mouth speaking great things." It does not refer to any one Pope more bold and blasphemous than the rest, or even dozens of them, but to the entire Papacy from its beginning to its close — the whole succession of Popes viewed as a continuous unbroken ruling Power. "^^ The "little Horn" of the eig*hth chapter is also an- other of these political ag well as ecclesiastical Powers — not Mohammed alone, nor Mohammed and hig suc- *The Papacy, or Papal Monarchy, does not begin with the first of the Popes of Rome, but long years afterwards. There were quitf a number of Popes that lived and died 18 THE LOST DREAM. cessors, but the Religion of Mohammed exercising a continuous and unbroken sovereignty for ages over the entire Eastern Church — a sovereignty and sway both ecclesiastical and political, but still a sway of the same goyerning power. So, with the ''Wilful King" of the eleventh chapter. It is not a single individual that is here designated, but a succession of nrlers, a continuous line of Popes, all representing the same ecclesiastical and politioAl form of government and the same princi- ples, and exercising the same unbroken sway. It is a succession of nilers, occupying the same authority, and holding and enforcing the same set of principles. No one individual has ever done all that is there attributed to this Avilful king, nor could it all have ever been ac- complished in the lifetime of one individual. But there has been a succession of rulers, all exercising the same authority, peipetuating the same dominion, wielding the same sway, and continuing through centuries of rule and power, that has done each and every one of the thing* there foretold over and over again. And that was the Papal Monarchy. It is the ''Little Horn" of the seventh chapter, and the "Wilful King'' of the eleventh chapter. Let the reader constantly bear this in mind, that a "Horn" in the prophecy, as well as a "King," simply means a kingdom or state, a continuous line of rulem until it comes to an end, and not merely an individual. In the eleventh chapter, from verses 5 to 30, individuali are spoken of and their actions and exploits minutely before the Pijpsc> began. Historians differ as to the ex- act beginning of this monarchy, becauhe more than one Pope made some arrogant and pretentious claims before they were admitted by other Rulers in the Church or State, and its most monstrous pretensions were not even thought of for some time after it began its career as one of the "Horns" of Prophecy. Somewhere in the sixth or sev- enth century it began to appear, and thrust up its head as a political as well as an Ecclessiastical Power among the nations of Europe, and by the end of the seventh century it was generally recognized as such and took its place as the Papal Monarchy. It then became one of the "Horns" of Prophecy. INTRODUCTION. 19 foretold, and they are spoken of as '^King^s/' but they fonn no exception to the principle laid down above, for they each form parts of one or the other of the two ^' horns," the kingdoms of the North and the South w^aiTing against each other, until they are both broken off and destroyed by another Mighty Power that now comes into view, and designated as ''Anns." So, also, with this same '^Anns." It is Rome in her entire history as a warlike military Power, whether un- der kings, consuls or emperors. The form of the gov- ernment changed several times during the course of centuries, but it was the same military Power exercising its sovereignty and sway over the nations of the earth. When the military power of Rome w^as broken and the empire fell, the supremacy passed silently and by degrees into another foi-m of government, and another set of hands, and the Papacy became seated on the throne and henceforth rules the world. And this ^'Kiing," the Papacy in its entire history, is the ''King" who does ''according to his willy" and of w4iom the subsequent declarations of that chapter are made/^ 4th. Prophecy never repeats itself. I do not mean by this that Prophecy never alludes to the same events or series of events more than once, for this it often does ■ — but that the same Prophet never utters two prophecies covering exactly the same ground, or alluding to exactly the same series of events. If one Ruling Power comes in again after having been already foretold and its career sketched off in outline, it is because another phase of its character and some new facts entirely distinct and not as yet disclosed before, have now been developed and are to be sketched off. But if it is the same old Power ali^ady foretold and described, and nothing new to be revealed about it, it does not come up again in detail, for the Prophet never repeats himself in this manner. It will readily be seen *As a military power, Rome appears in Daniel's Proph- ecy as "Arms." As an Ecclesiastical Power, it appears as the Wilful King. 20 THE LOST DREAM. that tJie application of this principle at once rules out the Jew from Daniel's eighth chapter as the '^trans- gressors" now ''come to the full." These are an entirely different set of "transgressors,' never alluded to before, and not to appear again in Daniel's prophecies. The Jew, as the great "transgressor" in rejecting hi« King and putting him to an ignominious death, even that of the cross, will appear in the ninth chapter and be fully described there, receive his punishment, and pass from view to re-appear no more in Daniel's visions.* But in the eighth chapter neither he nor the rejection of Christ by him is the subject of the Prophecy, Jinj consequently neither one is alluded to. So, likewise, is the Roman also ruled out as the Power that took away the "Daily Sacrifice," and "polluted the sanctuarj^ of strength" in that same chapter. Be- cause in that capacity, taking away the literal daily sacrifice and polluting the literal sanctuary of strength, he will be foretold in the ninth chapter. Hence it can- not be, and it is not the Roman who is there spoken of. It is another Power now rising into view, of whom noth* ing had been foretold before, viz.: the Moslem and his fierce and faimtical Religion. It is the Religion of the Koran, representing the Mohammedan Power, and not the Roman there coming on the stage. 5th. Added to these is another fact continually to be remembered — ^the intentional concealment from human minds of the full meaning of these prophecies until near- /y the time of their complete accomplishment. These prophecies were put under sea/1 by Grod himself, and were intended to remain so until near the time of their termination. As Time moved slowly on, and the Proyi- denee of God gradually unfolded to his i)eople his hidden ♦The Jew is indeed seen in Daniel's 11th chapter (vs. 5-30), a vision subsequent to that in the 8th and 9th chap- ters, but his history as there foretold is what took place long before his conduct as foretold in the 9th chapter. No later glimpse of his history is given in Daniel than what is given in that chapter. INTRODUCTION. 21 purposes, the salient points of these prophecies would coine into light and be seen and discerned by "the wise." Those who were carefully and prayerfully observing th« siknt march of events, and thoughtfully studying the prophecies of this book, would ''undei^tand" something of their meaning, though not clearly perceiving all that was meant becauee a great part of them was as yet un- fulfilled. Thus even before the Refonnation, the Papacy was de- tected and the Pope recognized as the predicted '^Man of Sin,'^ as he slowly disclosed through mist and gloom his hard and repulsive features, and gradually revealed his forbidding, yet unmistakable, form. Deep darkness for a while enveloped and enshrouded him, and his full outlines were not yet perfectly disclosed, but enough was seen to clearly point him out as the one beyond all question of whom Prophecy spake. His blasphemous mouth uttering ''gTeat things against the God of gods," his frightful character as the savage Waster and Deso- lator of God's ravaged and slaughtered flock, his impious lies, his cori-uption and pe inversion of the truth, and his arrogant claims and pretensions as he slowly grew into shape and form during the silent march of centuries, all so clearly pointed him out as the predicted ''Lawless One" who would set himself above all human authority, both in the Church and out of it, that there could be no mistaking him. And he was recognized and pointed out as such. And even the giant ''Apostasy" had also been dis- cerned by some of these enlightened observers of the times, and proclaimed by them even before the days of Luther, some of whom suffered for their faithful testimony and sealed it with their blood. * All these things "the wise" understood. At the came time the full meaning of many of these prophecies had not yet been reached by the oecurrence of the events foretold, and the seal was still unremoved upon them, *See note A. 22 THE LOST DREAM. consequently it eould not be discerned at the time. And it was only when they had well nigh run their cours«, and thus been very largely fulfilled, that their real mean- ing^, ooiild b© perceived. It required centuries for the accomplishment of this. From some of these prophecies the seal has now been almost entirely removed by the silent march of events. Centuries of accomplished history have almost completely taken it away. On some of them, however, the seal yet partially remains, as there are still some very momentous events yet to take place, but at present, lying far dowo in the deep, dark, pregnant womb of futurity. Specula- tions, therefore, as to when, where or how they are to be fulfilled are manifestly in vain, and can be little more than idle speculation, or uncertain conjecture. Time alone can make them known, and as its Mystic Stream flows silently along, emerging slowly from the clouds and mist and darkness of a yet undeveloped futui-e, the events themselves will come prominently into view and their meaning then unmistakably be discerned. From some of these prophecies, however, the removal of that seal evidently cannot be far distant. By carefully remembering and noting then* wftll-kaown and reasonable principles, there will be littU difficulty on discovering and identifying the great events of history in which these predictions of Daniel have been so minute- ly and marvellously fulfilled, and the reader will be prevented the conspicuous mistakes so often made in interpreting the Book of Daniel, many of which have not only been absurd and impossible, but also dishonoring and degrading to the dignity of Prophecy. The visions and prophecies recorded in the Book of Daniel took place under three different kings or rulers of Babylon, and cover a period of nearly 70 years. Two of them (Chaps. 2 and 4) were under Nebuchadnezzar; three of them (Chaps. 5, 7 and 8) were under Belshazzar; and two (Chaps. 9, 10, 11, and 12) were under Darius the Mede. The first two were seen by Nebuchadnezzar^ INTRODUCTION. 23 the remainder by Daniel. The other portions of the book are principally a narrative of important events that took place in Babylon rlurin^ the Prophet ^s lifetime, and most of thera in connection with his own personal experience. ORDER OF THE VISIONS. 1st. Under Nebuchadnezzar. The Lost Dream. (Chap. 2.) The Times of the Oentiles. (Chap. 4), 33 years afterward. 2d. Under Belshazzar. The Mareh of Empire. (Chap. 7), 15 years afttjr- •ward. The Crescent and the Cross. (Chap. 8), 2 years af- tei-^vard. Weighed and Found Wanting. (Chap. 5), 15 years afterward. 3d. Under Darius. Messiah the Prince. (Chap. 9), 1 year afterward. Th^ Man of Sin. (Chap. 10 to 12), 3 years afterward. Daniel's ministry thus covered a period of nearly 70 yeai-«. THE PANORAMA. Like the Book of Revelation, to which it bears in many respects a very remarkable resemhlance, the Book of Daniel is a most magnificent Panorama — a striking dis- play of some of the most stupendous scenes in the thrill- ing drama of history. One by one they are brought out as the curtain is si- lently withdrawn, which conceals them from view, and are seen to be sketched by a Master's hand. The Artist moved a pencil that was touched and directed by the Omniscient Spirit of God. One after the other appear the actors on the mystic stage, as they are afterwards to appear in the real drama of life, fulfill their parts, re- «ede from view, to be succeeded and followed up by oth- ers, until the tragedj^ is finished and the sublime drama is brought to its close. Successively appears to view, each one in its appointed place, the various Empires and Dynasties that are to have such tremendous bearing on the history and expe- rience of God's Church. First rises into view the Baby- lonian with head of gold and royal rod of power — fol- lowed next by the Persian with silvery Arms and breast. Then comes the conquering Greek with brazen helm and heart unqu^ailed, as his flying legions rush irresis- tibly to victory. Then mounts the stage the blood-be- sprinkled Roman and moves athwart the scene like some destroying Demon, as he carves his way with sword and 28 THE LOST DREAM. steel and horrid implements of war, through hecatomhs of dead, to the lordly dominion of the world. All come and go and move in majestic silence as they act their parts upon the mystic stage. In its appointed place, and at its appointed time, as tlie hour hand of divine purpose travels silowly round the dial plate of Time, the designated spot is reached, the signal sounded, and the great Tragedy of all history appeal's. The hour is come, *Hhe hour and power of Darkness," and there on Calvarj^'s summit stands out' the Cross in all its lustrous glory, though blackened foi a time with agonies and blood and death. Upon its outstretched arms hangs One, the meek and lowly Naza- rene, dying not for his own, but for others' sins, dis- owned and rejected by his own race and people, but hon- ored and acknowledged of God the Father as Heaven's all sufficient sacrifice for the atonement of a world's transgressions. It is Messiah's glorious day, and Messiah himself the *' Prince." Quick follows the doom and desolation of that city and her sons, who such a deed could do, and trib- ulation, anguish, wrath aJid indignation dire roll in upon them like a flood. And now, through dim haze and mist of centuries, may be seen the weary-footed race, the wandering Jew toiling and staggering on beneath his aw- ful load, as he journeys down the centuries, without a country and without a home , toward the appointed con- summation. It is the "Desolate Nation" now moving wearily across the scene. But human history now grows dark, and horrors un- speakable and woes settle down upon a frightened world. It is the "Eclipse of Faith." Shadows weird and wild are seen slowly ^creeping o'er the face of the earth, and monstrous shapes and forms peer through the dark- ness or commence enveloping the nations. Dimly shining in the Eastern skies is seen a pale, thin, glimmering Crescent, from whose lower horn there hangs a dripping sword, and from whose upper point there burns and blazes a fiery torch in most threatening THE PANORAMA. 29 form. Fierce turbanecl warriors in countless thousfinds and armed with Jehovah's avenging sword, burst upon the scene and ride with maddened n^sh and trampling fury over the doomed countries. It is the Moslem with his bloody sword, and his fierce, fanatical creed of hatred, lust and death. FoUowino- close upon his wake, and from behind the same mystic curtain, rush forth the mighty armies of the Crusader, bold and fearless champions of the Holy Cross and the Holy Sepulchre. Flashin-g like a gleam of light, as he, too, for a brief period fulfils his part, his armies ride in their resistless might, or roll like a desolating inundating flood o^er Moslem lands and Moslem realms. Then clash and clang and shout and shriek, and horse and rider, dead and d\dng, Moslem and Christian, saint and Saracen lie blended and inter- mingled together in vast piles of slain on the battle fields of Europe and the Holy Land — and he, too, silently sinks beneath the engulfing w^ave. And still the darkness deepens, and the shadows grow more awful and horrifying. The Eclipse of Faith grows blacker and blacker, for it is in Western as well as in Eastern lands that the truth of God lies buried in deep- est ignorance and darkest superstition. Clouds of incense offered in blind idolatry to a newly-created God, darken •the very skies. Crucifixes and rosaries, meaningless masses or mumbled prayers pattered in an unknown tongue, are the order of the day. Relics, bones and beads receive tihe devout adoration of their senseless worehip- pers; the Man of Calvary has died in vain and supersti- tion, ignorance and death settle down upon a Church and worship -called by liis name. The ''eye within," (Matt. 6: 22-23), has indeed become ^ ' darkness, ' ^ and, alas, "how great is that darkness." And now, arising amid the gloom and darkness, in dim and indistinct outlines at first, but slowly taking shape and form, are seen the Awful Features of another Rising Power, foretold full oft by seer and sentinel as he stood ©n the distant watchtowers of the past, small, insignificant and unpretentious in its beginnings, but destined to 30 THE LOST DREAM. swell to colossal size, trample down and terrorize fae na- tions by its heel of power, and befoul and blacken history with its deeds of crime and blood. As centuries roll along, the undeveloped features of that repulsive fa^e assume more clear and distinct shape — a hideous counte- nance is seen scowlino; and glowering amid the mist and g^loom, and unmistakably is discerned the Satanic gleam of a cunning, crafty ej^e — the opening of a huge and hell- ish mouth pouring forth its blasphemies, and all sur- mounted by a glittering Triple Crown. It is the Man of Sin, the mighty ''Mystery of Iniquity," the G-igantic Papacy, that is for its 1,200 years and more to beat down, trample into dust, and cnrsh and curse mankind a-s no Power before it or since has done — ^the most monstrous Iniquity that has ever befouled the earth or blasphemed high Heaven. Shifts again the tumultuous scene — rises once more the mj^stic curtain, and now a crowned and canonized Ghostly Power, slowly rises into view. A deified virgin, bedecked and brightened with goms and gold and pre- cious stones, assumes the place, where Jesus sat supreme, and prostrate millions bow and pour forth to her the homage of the heart in shameful, shocking idolati-y. 'Tis ''Holy Mother," "Mother of God," "Queen of saints and angels," "Queen of Heaven," "Hear us, Holy Mother, look down and bless and save." Mariola- try! The vision fades away, the scene grows dark and in- distinct, and yonder behind the shrouding curtain ap- pear the towers of Rome, the gorgeons palaces where dwells this Man of Sin, planted in all their magnificence and splendor "between the seas," and beneath his pon- derous power and dominion, the down-crushed Church of God, the "Glorious Holy Mountain," over Avhich he sits supreme and lords it with a rod of iron. Again the sickening scene recedes from view, and now as the curtain parts for the last and crowning scenes, is dimly seen in the far-off distance the kindling of Mich- ael's eye and the fiei^ flashing of Michael's sword, as THE PANORAMA. 31 i'he Great Archangel rises from his place for the defence and delirerance of Grod's helpless saints. Quick work now, for Michael wields a mighty arm and swing* SI mighty sword! And then, tribulation, anguish, wrath and fiery indignation roll in once more like over- flowing flood to whelm the nations, and earth grows pale. Now, conflicts, wars and strifes amid opening graves and resurrection robes, and crowns of victory, triumphs and everlasting joy. And then the ceaseless ages go whirling by. Intermingled with all these scenes of woe and horror — this silent appearing in the drama of history of so many of its most conspicuous actors, are to be seen vast piles of slaughtered saints, dungeons, rack and fieiy flame, martyrs by the million mounting to the skies, as fag-got, sword and nameless tortures do their deadly work — and then at last thei rumbling of the chariot wheels and kindling of the glowing skies. Lo, yonder! Yonder, wreathed in flame and borne on wheels of flashing fire rolls triumphantly along the Advancing Chariot. It bears ifche King Himself, the Great Ancient of Days, hoary with the ag-es of Eternity, with attendant angels and thousand thousiands, ministering around him. There, too, the Great White Throne, the Judgment Tnimp, the Peal of Doom, the saints triumphant, and the final close. The mystery finished, human history ended, the actors come and gone, the drama carried to its full completion — and the curtain falls! Truly a most awful but impressive Panorama of the history of God's people, surpassed in its matchless gran- deur and comprehensive brevity only by that of the seer of Patmos, the Revelation of St. John. Dazed and blinded by the astonishing scenes as that stupendous Panorama passed so swiftly before us, we close our e\^s and tremblingly ask, ''Where are we?'^ ''What has happened; has it all gone; is the vision closed!" And, anxiously, with him of old, inquire, "How long to the end of these wonders — how long, oh, Lord, how long?" And as we wait to catch the answer, whis- 32 THE LOST DREAM; pered, perhaps, from heaven, there sounds but a dim, faint, feeble echo, '^Hcw long, oh, Lord, how long:?'' fol- lowed by a brief but unsatisfying reply, ''Go thou thy way till the end be," and that is all. I. UNDER NEBUCHADNEZZAR. (1) The Lost Dream. (2) The Times of the Gentiles. THE LOST DREAM. (Daniel 2d Chapter.) 1. And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnez- zar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and they stood before the king. 3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, O king, live forever; tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 5. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me; if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. 6. But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation there- of, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour; therefore, shew me the dream, and the inter- pretation thereof. 7. They answered again and said. Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. 8. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. 34 THE LOST DREAM. 9. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you; for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed; therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. 10. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter; thererore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11. And it is a rare thing th?t the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, ex- cept the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 12. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain: and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. 14. 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: 15. 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. IG. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the liing the interpretation. 17. Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his compan- ions : IS. 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 of Babylon. 19. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night \ision. Then Daniel b'essed the God of heaven. 20. Daniel answered and said. Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21. And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know under- standing: 22. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he know- eth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth v/ith him. 23. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my lathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. 24. Therefore, Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he THE LOST DREAM. 35 went and said thus unto him: Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. 25. Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26. The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27. Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the sooth-sayers, phew unto the king: 28. But, there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these: 29. As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. 31. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee: and the form thereof was terrible. 82. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass. 33. His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 84. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors: and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. 36. This is the dream: and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. o7 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, atid glory. 38. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the 36 THE LOST DREAM. teasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry- clay. 42. 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. 43. And whereas thou sawest 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 is not mixed with clay. 44. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it f;hall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the 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 Bhall come to pass hereafter; and the dream is certain and the interpretation thereof sure. 46. Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 47. The king answered unto Daniel, and said. Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 48. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 49. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shad- rach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king. THE LOST DREAM. 37 It was in the second year of the reign of Nebuchad- nezzar, King of Babylon, i. e., about the year 603 B. -C, that the events narrated in the second chapter of Daniel occurred. His spirit was troubled and ''his sleep brake from mm." Disturbing dreams had been flitting through his mind, and he tossed anxiously upon his sleepless couch. Wbat may have been the occasion t<) suggest such thoughts to the king's mind, of course we do not know. But the cause appears to have been an anxious desire on his part to learn the future and ascertain what it con- cealed. Did it bode good or ill to him now approaching the summit of his gloi'y? How long would that colossal empire, which he was now establishing and strengthening, continue? When and how would it temiinate? Would one of his own posterity succeed to that imperial sway that he was now wielding with such lordly power, or would the sceptre pass at his death to another's posterity and another dynasty? These, or similar thoughts, per- haps passed through his mind. Disturbed by them he fell asleep. But his rest was broken, and he ''dreamed dreams whereby his spirit was troubled." And they were dreams of empire, A strange commotion and overturning of earthly thrones was witnessed in his visions and a bewildering succession of d;^masties, one after another in wild and rapid suc- cession. Kingdoms were rising and falling, erowns crumbling, and sceptres vanishing away. While gazing in astonished bewilderment upon the perplexing scenes, the whole \4sion assumed definite form and shape, grad- ually a Majestic Image of blended elements and gorgeous yet terrific appearance stood before him. Its form was commanding, and its aspect awe-inspiring and terrible. Incongruous materials entered into its composition. Its head of the finest gold, its breast and arms of glittering silver, its loins and thighs of burnished brass and its feet partly of iron and partly of miry clay. But suddenly, and to the unspeakable astonishment of the royal dreamer, a small and insignificant-looking stone, 38 THE LOST DREAM. cut without bands from a mountain, falls with irresisti- ble power against the Image, strikes it upon the feet, topples it over, and crushes its shattered fragments into atoms, which are blown hither and thither by the whirling winds so that no place was found for them; and the stone itself, which had caused such iiTetrievable destruc- tion, swells to immense proportions and fills and covers the earth. , This was the dream which was ''certain," and ''the interpretation thereof sure." It was the Impersonation of Imperial Power that stood before the king — the blended, towering and awful form in which some of the splendid creations of Time were to appear and hold sway over the sons of men. Four Mighty Empires, a part of the prolific offspring of the future, were to burst into being-, succeed one an- other in the order represented in the Image, and be themselves, in turn, overpowered, annihilated and swept away by another, a mightier and more mysterious Power than any that had preceded it. The kingdom which is not of earth, and which was to rise in splendor over the ruins of all earthly thrones and dominions, overcome all opposition, and extend its bounds until co-extensive with those of earth, was even then pro- jecting its shadows across the interval of centuries, and the bewildered Monarch caught a glimpse of its mys- terious rise, progi'ess, and irresistible advancement to universal dominion. But suddenly the vision vanished, and with it all recollection of the same. Morning came, but all was gone. Dream and vision, gold and silver, brass and iron, towering Image and smiting stone had dis- appeared and faded from his mind. So utterly was it effaced from memory that no effort on the king's part, no skill of Chaldean astrologer or soothsayer could recall the faintest impressions of it. Enraged beyond measure at the exposed vanity and worthlessness of the arts of the magicians, astrologers and dream-expounders of Babylon, the king, in a fit of wild and ungovernable rage, gives orders for their im- THE LOST DREAM. 39 mediate destruction. At this juncture, and just as the order was a'bout to be carried out, or, perhaps, had al- ready begun to be carried out, God interposes, and once more, as so often before, ''the hour of man's extremity- is found to be the hour of God's opportunity." The se- cret is made known to Daniel, a Hebrew captive of the princely line of David, but a mere youth at the time, who discloses both the dream and its interpretation to the astonished king. High honors are heaped upon the youthful seer, fragrant incense is burned before him, profound homage paid to him as the divinely-favored dis^loser of Heaven 's secrets to men, and Daniel and his friends are promoted to the highest positions in the gift of the king. The following particulars are those pointed out, and es- pecially emphasized in the vision: 1. The vision was to be fulfilled in the latter days (''last days," as it is sometimes expressed), a common expression occurring quite frequently in both the Old and the New Testa- ments, and usually meaning the Gospel Dispensation. (See Isaiah 2: 1-2 — ^Hebrews 1: 2, etc.) Hence Christ, on beginning his ministry, announced the "Kingdom of Heaven" as at hand, and because of its near proximity, called upon man to repent and believe the Gospel. In this announcement of his there was a manifest allusion to this prophecy of Daniel, and "the kingdom of Heav- en" which was at hand was none other than that kingdom spoken of in the prophecy when "the God of Heaven would set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed," (v. 44). The period was now fulfilled, and that kingdom thus foretold by Daniel -was about to be set up. The Stone \^as soon to smite the great Image on its feet. 2. Before the appearing of this smiting Stone four great Empires were to rise, succeed one after the other, viz., the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and the Rom- an — represented by the gold, silver, brass, and iron and clay of the Image. 3. These were all to be succeeded by a fifth, repre- 40 THE LOST DREAM. sented by the emblem of a Stone, cut without hands from out the mountain, and which was itself to become a mountain and fill the earth. 4. The peculiarities of this Fifth Kingdom were (1), it appeared as an unsig'htly stone and insignificant in its appearance — not gold or silver or brass or iron, as the other kingdoms were I'epresented as being, but simply a stone, something without life and apparently of no value or worth. This Stone represented Christ's Religion as a ruling, governing, conquering Power, God's Kingdom here upon earth and among men, unsightly, unattractive, oi no worth or value in the eyes of men in comparison with the more glittering gold and silver of earth, — simply a stone and nothing more. (2) But with all that, and its apparent unattractiveness and insignificance with men, it was of divine origin. It was **cut without hands" and cut from out the mountain. Christianity when it ap- peared upon earth did not make its appearance at the time, place, or in the circumstances in which it did, through any design, intention, pui-pose or plan of man. It was derived from no human source whatever, nor set up or established by the power of man, being cut without hands from out the Mountain. Its origin was in God. And so it was represented as arising from no human origin and through no human intention. The Mountain represents Grod, the mighty unchanging and unchangeable One — ^^steadfast, immovable, and imper- ishable, surviving all the ravages of Time, unaffected by any of the revolutions of earth, remaining the same yes- terday, today and forever — the Refuge, Rock, and sure Defence; the impregnable stronghold of his people and their '^Dwelling-place in all generations." Out of this Rock was the religion of Christ first taken, and in Him it had its origin. (3) It was to be overwhelming and irresistible in its power. Nothing would be able to Avithstand or success- fully oppose it. It was to overthrow, shatter, crush and annihilate the towering Image and scatter its broken THE LOST DREAM. 41 fragments like chaff before the whirling winds. That is, all forms of earthly power are to go down before the triumphant principles of Christ's Religion, and all the broken frag-ments of human glory, power, opposition are to be driven away like the whirling chaff before the storm and disappear forever. Human Creeds, systems of Philosophy, false religions, predictions of defeat, prophecies of disaster, opposition of every kind, all of it simply chaff in God's estimation, is to be shattered, scattered, swept away before the ad- vancing principles of this triumphant Religion. And all this Christianty began to accomplish and has continued to accomplish ever since its first appearance on earth. Its maxims, principles and teachings so different from all that had preceded it in the political principles and maxims of human governments, viz., those principles of righteousness, justice, truth, equity, the rights and brotherhood of man, forgiveness of injuries, love of ene- mies, and love for our fellow men, all of which have ever been its distinguishing principles and characteris- tics, have made utter havoc with what had been before the teachings and tenets and characteristics of man's rule and government on earth. It has utterly broken them to pieces and scattered them like chaff before the driv- ing storm. Wherever it has gone, these principles of unrighteousness, sin, injustice, wrong-doing, oppression, on which preceding governments had been founded, and by which they had been maintained and upheld, have been swept away and ''no place found for them." Wherever it has become- the reigning ruling power, all such ideas and principles have been dashed to pieces and blown away. Beneath the benefi- cent and heavenly principles of this Most Holy Religion "no place will ever be found for them." And this ef- fect of the prevalence of the principles of Christ's reli- gion will oontinue to he more perceptibly marked, until this religion has obtained complete and universal ascend- ency over mankind. (5) This Stone was to smite the Image on its feet. 42 THE LOST DREAM. As interpreted by Daniel, this Kingdom of the God of Heaven was to be ''set up in the days of those kings. '* The religion of Christ was to appear on earth under the Roman State or Government in its last form as a politi- cal Power, which last form was the Empire. And this Christianity did. Our Saviour, the Founder of that Religion, was born in a province of the Roman Empire, and his religion was commenced being preached during the existence of that empire, and before its final overthrow. It was *'in the days of those kings." (6) It was ''not to be left to other people." It was not to be abandoned or given up of God as had been those others, to be succeeded by some other. This king- dom was to have no successor. It was Earth's last and mightiest Religion. The idle prattle that is sometimes heard about a "universal religion" yet to come, or "the coming reli- gion of the future" is but childish prattle. "The uni- versal religion" for mankind has already come. "The coming religion of the future" is even now here, and has been here for nearly twenty centuries. There will be no other. It has made its appearance according to vision and prophecy, and it has come to stay, and one day its beneficent blessings are to be extended over all the earth. And it will continue forever, for such is the uniform, unvarying, and constant testimony of Prophecy. Dream and Vision, Sage and Seer, Science and Scripture, as well as the unutterable and unquenchable longings of humanity, all proclaim that fact. 'Twas in the second year of Babel's mightiest king When on his royal couch the Prince lay slumbering, That dreams of empire vast disturbed his troubled r6st, And drove sweet sleep away far from the Monarch's breast. A vision filled his mind, a vision dire and dread. And stood before him as he lay upon that sleepless bed; THE LOST DREAM. 43 And when the morning dawned the dream had vanished all, Nor thought nor effort strong one feature could recall. Fled was the gorgeous vision, fled — the wondrous scene was gone — • ISTor could soothsayers skilled within great Babylon, Nor practised Magian learn 'd the faded dream restore. And boasting wise men well their vaunted arts give o'er. ''M'ake known the dream,'' th' impeerious monarch crieis, ''Or dies each one." Wdiile Magian well replies, ''Nay, 'tis a rare, rare thing the king doth now require. Which none but unseen Gods in mortals can inspire." In vain; no words the wrath of angered King can lay. And goes the mandate forth proud Babel's seers to slay. Then in that direst hour of man's extremity Heaven makes the secret known, and shows what is to be. Within those towering walls a Hebrew captive dwelt, Who at Jehovah's shrine in lowly homage knelt, Daniel, of princely birth — to him, and him alone. High Heaven disclosed the dream, and thus he made it known : "Thou, King, upon thy sleepless couch didst lie In anxious thought to read futurity; Sleep from thy troubled breast did fly, And Time his fateful scenes disclosed to thee. Thou sawest in visions startling on thy bed A Form colossal, terrible and dread; Of frightful mien, and glittering golden Head, And silvery Arms and Breast, but brass midway, And Feet of iron part, and part of miry clay. "Thou sawest until a Stone, hewn without hand From out the mountain, fell with ponderous power 44 THE LOST DREAM. Against the towering Form so terrible and gi'and, And overthrew its glory in an hour. Then were the crumbling iron, clay, and brass, And gold, and silver broken, shattered, hurled, And mingled in one shapeless mass; And like the flying chaff by tempest whirled, Were borne and scattered far throughout the wide, wide world. ^'Henceforth were found for them nor place nor name, ^Yhile lo! the Stone of such mysterious birth, Which smote with might so terrible, became Itself a Mountain, filling all the earth. This, this thy Dream — learn now what it portends. By Heaven enthroned o'er field, fowl, flock and fold. And sceptre potent which o'er earth extends, And wide dominion such as ne'er of old — Thou, mighty King, thou art this glittering Head of gold. '^ Succeeding thee shall rise an Empire vast, Another world-wide Realm, but yet by thee excelled As silver is by shining gold sui*passed. 'Tis Persia next by whom the sceptre's held, Then comes a Third, foreshadowed by the brass, Inferior gi'eatly to the Second and thee. A brazen kingdom 'tis which comes to pass; The brazen-annored Greek earth now shall see, Who'll sway a mighty sceptre and a mighty race shall be. "A Fourth, with strength of iron, this succeeds: 'Tis Rome the iron-handed and of iron heart. Gloating in human gore and bloody deeds; Remoi-seless, ruthless, and of devilish art. And inasmuch as thou didst further see The feet, part iron, part of potter's claj', So in this Realm two elements there'll be THE LOST DREAM, 45 Of strength and weakness, till it fills its day; Though frail like clay, like iron, none so strong as they. ''Of iron nerve, and proud undaunted soul, Indomitable will, unknowing fear, Imperial power that bursts o'er all control, Unfeeling, stem — with manners rude, severe — These, these her mighty elements of strength. But weak by mingling with such ones as they; Allied to those they conquered, till at length Becoming like them; civil faction, fray, Intestine strife, corruption — these the miry clay. "Then in the day of Rome's imperial sway Will God erect his kingdom on the earth, Before whieh all shall fall and fade away — Brass, iron, clay: while this, of heavenly birth, O'erspreads the earth, and evermore shall stand. Yet not by war and blood in torrents spilled, Kor man's devices, but by Unseen Hand. This, this thy dream — 'tis sure, for God hath willed, And what High Heaven decrees shall surely be fulfilled.'' The Prophet ceased. Heaven's pui-poses disclosed. His mighty task is done. Then prostrate fell The awe-struck king, as fumes of incense rose, To honor one who secrets such could tell; And spake the King, "In truth thy God alone, Daniel, is a God of gods, and Lord Of Kings — none other could such scenes make known. None other secrets such reveal.'' Then gives he word, And gifts and honors rare are on the Seer conferred. "THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES." (Daniel, 4th Chapter.) 1. Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 2. I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 3. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. 4. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: 5. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troub- led me. C. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 7. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chal- deans, and the sooth-sayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the inter- pretation thereof. 8. Put at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, 9. O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. 10. Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. 48 THE LOST DREAM. 11. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height there- of reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of the earth: 12. The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field bad shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. 13. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven: 14. He cried aloud, and said thus. Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches. 15. Nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field: and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16. Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him: and let seven times pass over him. 17. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and tbe demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. 18. This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee. lt>. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered, and said. My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. 20. The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sigbt thereof to all the earth: 21. Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: 22. It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. 23. And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES. 49 thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him: 24. This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king: 25. That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwell- ing shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the king- dom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 26. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. 27. Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. 28. All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29. At the end of twelve months he walked in the pal- ace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the nught of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 81. While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee: ?2. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwell- ing shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Neb- uchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. 'M. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding re- turned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose do- minion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 35. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army 50 THE LOST DREAM. of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? 26. At the same time my reason returned unto me: and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom and excellent majesty was added unto me. 37. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his vays judgment; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. There are no means of ascertaining the exact date of this Dream and Vision of Nebuchadnezzar. It took place after the occurrences mentioned in the preceding chap- ter, but how long afterward can only be conjectured. The Dream refers particularly to Nebuchadnezzar him- self, and was a solemn prophecy as well as premonition of a heavy judg-ment of God coming upon him because of his exceeding pride and forgetfulness of God. It was completely fulfilled in the course of the events so minutely and graphically described in the chapter itself. On recovering from his period of madness, the chas- tened king looks up to Heaven in humble gratitude, acknowledges the justice of his punishment, and pours out his heart in adoring praise and worship. And after- wards, having been restored to his throne, his honors and his former greatness, he issues his royal proclamation to **all people, nations and languages,'' relating his expe- rience and God's marvelous dealings toward him, and calling upon all that ''dwell in all the earth" to exalt, extol and honor the same Glorious Being, ''all whose works are truth and his ways judgment." This might seem to be all that was intended or implied in this Dream and Vision of Nebuchadnezzar, relating principally, if not exclusively, to his individual history and when accomplished in him as foretold in the vision, completely and perfectly accomplished. Yet commenta- tors and students of Scripture have not failed to see in it a deeper and wider application of Prophecy than mere- ly what was fulfilled in the experience of Nebuchadnez- THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES. 51 zar. By some of them it is believed to be a prophetic revelation of that period spoken of by our Saviour in his great prophecy of the fall and destruction of Jerusa- lem and the subsequent dispersion and oppression of the Jewish people until the "times of the Gentiles" be ful- filled. They regard this period, i. e., ''the seven times" which were to pass over Nebuchadnezzar as the period there alluded to by our Saviour in his prophecy under the description 'Hhe times of the Gentiles." His statement is. ''And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gen- tiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21.24), using- an expression that seems to have been familiar to the disciples and needing no explanation. It was evidently an expression well known among the Jewish people and having a precise and definite meaning and hence requiring no explanation when used in the presence of his disciples. Now there is no other place in their Sacred Writings where that period thus described seems to be so clearly alluded to as in this prediction made in connection with the malady of Nebuchadnezzar. Hence "the Seven Times" which were to pass over him seem to have a deeper meaning than merely the seven years which were to mark out the duration of his malady, and evidently were understood among the Jews themselves as indicat- ing a period in the history of their nation, during which the Gentiles were to have the ascendency in some way or other, and which came to be known among them as "the times of th^ Gentiles." Hence the expression was used by our Saviour to his disciples, and requiring no explanation to enable them to understand it, that Jeru- salem was to be trodden down of the Gentiles until "the times of the Gentiles" were fulfilled. Paul also seems to allude to this well-known opinion and belief prevalent among the Jewish people, in his ex- planation of the excision and rejection of Israel because of their sin and unbelief (Rom. 11:25), and how long they were to remain in that state of excision and rejec- tion. It was to be "until the fullness of the Grentiles be 52 THE LOST DREAM. come in." During- that time Israel as a nation would stand aloof from God and be cut off from the blessings of the Gospel because of their unbelief and sin, but the Gentiles would be broug'ht especially near and have conferred on them such gi'acious privileges and blessings as they had never before experienced in their history. It was their day of grace and during- its continuance mul- titudes of them would be broug'ht into the church and saved. But when that period was completely fulfilled, then the ^^ times of the Gentiles" would come to an end and Israel would be once more brought near to God and received back into his church. Now if these '4imes of the Gentiles" (in our Saviour's prophecy) refer only to the period of Jerusalem's deso- lation, as some think, beginning with the capture and de- struction of that city by the Romans, we have no defi- nite data to go upon by which to deteimine how long they will continue nor when they will end. Nothing m.ore than that they cover the period, long or short, when the Gentile will occupy the place in the church so long held and occupied by the Jew. It may be 2,000 years, or it may be If^ss. We have no means of knowing. But if the term refers to 'Hhe seven times" which were to pass over Nebuchadnezzar as the representative of the Gentile world, then they began long before our Saviour's day, and when they are fulfilled Jerusalem will cease to be trodden down and not before. Taking, therefore, one ''time" as a prophetic year, i. e., 360 common years, 7 times will be 2520 years. And beginning it at 588 B. C, when Nebuchadnezzar first captured and destroyed Jerusalem, and when Jerusalem first began to be ''trodden down of the Gentiles," it vrill tei-minate in A. D. 1932. This great period (2,520 years) will be the period known as "the times of the Gentiles." At its termination therefore in A. D. 1932, or about that time, we may confidently look for some great religious movement among the Jews themselves or among Christian nations that will result in the deliver- ance of Jerusalem from the oppression of that Power that THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES. 53 has trodden it down so long-, and also in the conversion of the Jews to Christianity. The ^' seven times'^ will then have passed over mankind, and ''the times of the Gentiles'' as last be fulfilled. In some form or other, it is to be an era of great joy and blessing to mankind. (Rom. 11:12.) This chapter, from beginning to end, seems to be un- questionably a regular decree which Nebuchadnezzar issued after his recovery from that malady of madness from which he had suffered for seven years. It was no doubt copied out of the original records preserved in Babylon by the Prophet Daniel, and to which he had free access, and contains the very words which Nebuchad- oezzar himself used. It is addressed to all the provinces and all the differ- ent people in his vast empire, and is a brief but very clear and impressive narration of the circumstances con- nected with his malady, what led to it, God's design and purpose in it, how his reason returned to him, and with it his restoration to the honors, dignity and glory that he had previously enjoyed, and the feeling of reverence, love and obedience that he now exercisd towards this adorable King of heaven *'all whose works are truth and his ways judgment." It is one of the finest, as well as most ancient, records of antiquity now in existence, and is a model of dignity, majesty, modesty and impressive declaration. The Decree as proclaimed by King Nebuchadnezzar: Ye people, nations, tongues — and all that dwell Within this realm of mine — to you be peace. Methought it good to shew, make known, and tell The wondei'^, which the Mighty God Most High In majesty divine, toward me hath wrought. How great his wonders ! and how strange his acts ! How glorious that dominion wide of His, That kingdom which from age to age endures! 54 THE LOST DREAM. While in mine house at rest, and flourishing , "Within my palace fair, I dreamed a dream And saw a vision startling — and which much Affrighted me. In vain magicians learned, Astrologers, and dream-intei-preters Came in at my command and sought to make Its meaning known, till Daniel came — so famed In Babylon as he within whose breast Resides the spirit of tlie Holy Gods. Known too as Belteshazzar — called by name Of mine own God — to whom I thus then spake: ''Oh, Belteshazzar, favored one, whose skill And knowledge rare in searching secrets deep, And reading dreams divine, so well I know — Thus are the visions of my head. I saw And lo, a towering tree whose height sublime Reached even to the skies, and seen from far Throu'gh all the earth. Its branches spread; its leaves Were fair; its fruit exceeding much; and food It furnished free to all; while crouching beast, And fowl of every wing flocked underneath Its shade, and freely fed of its fair fruit. And thus it stood, a gorgeous sight indeed For all to see. ''Then lo, a Holy One, A watcher from the skies came down and cried With mighty voice, 'Hew down the tree so high; Each goodly branch cut off; shake off its leaves, And scatter far its fruit. Let beasts and birds From underneath its sheltering shade be driven. Yet leave its stump and roots deep in the ground, Secured by iron band and wet with dew ' Of heaven; his portion with the beasts of earth; His heart from that of man to brute's be changed; And this be done till seven times shall pass O'er him, and thereby all the living know THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES, 55 That Grod Most High niles here e'en on the earth, And giveth unto whomsoe'er He will Its kingdoms, glory, power — tho' base they be Among the sons of men. This great decree, Now thus made known by those who never sleep, Is sure: 'twill come to pass, for so God wills/ "Now, Daniel, with that wisdom rare which God Hath given th^e, this strange, mysterious Dream With all its pui-port deep disclose to me.'' Speechless, in mute astonishment and awe, The Prophet silent stood, nor moved nor spake, While troubling thoughts disturbed his breast, for well The mighty meaning of the Dream he saw. And shrank to make its solemn message known. Perceiving which, the king, as if full well Its import deep he silently had giiessed. Cried out, ''Oh, Belteshazzar, fear thou not, Whate'er its message be, to set it forth And now disclose what Heaven reveals to thee.'* Then spake the Seer, ''The Dream, my lord. Be to thy foes; its meaning deep fulfilled In him who hateth thee. May Heaven now ward From thee what there's so solemnly revealed. The Dream is this: the Tree of towering height. And branching limb, and leaf all flourishing, (So fair, so beautiful, so grand a sight,) With welcome shade to fowl of every wing, And food to bird and brute which flocked there sheltering, *'That tree is thou, to awful greatness grown, And spreading out in pow€r and pride, AVith wide dominion and on mighty throne, 'Twas thou, oh, King, to whom the Watcher cried. And whereas thou didst further see and hear That Watcher call aloud from out the sky, 'Hew down the Tree,' 'twas Heaven's message clear. 56 THE LOST DREAM. Now shadowing forth thy doom, so sure, so nigh — A judgment from the King of kings, the Lord Most High, ''Forth from the haunts of men shalt thou be driven, Thy reason from her lofty throne be fled; Thy portion with the brutish herd be given; As feeds the ox, so too shalt thou be fed — Thy body moistened with the dews of night; The field, thy home; its sustenance, thy fare; While seven times roll around in silent flight, Until that lesson thou hast learned so rare, That Heaven rules on high, on earth, and everywhere. ''Yet wheiv^-as to the stump of that proud tree Was left its root remaining in the gi-ound, So shall thy kingdom still remain to thee Secure, and by thee yet again be found. Wherefore, oh, King, accept I pray thee now This humble counsel that I offer thee; To Heaven ^s high will thy haughty spirit bow; Break off thy sins; hear and obey — 'twill be Thy life, and lengthening out of thy tranquility. '* Such was the dream, and such its meaning true. And all accomplished soon. As walked one day The king with stately majesty, to view The City as she in her beauty lay — Surveying wall and tower and palace gate, And gardens as if hanging in the sky — His heart breaks out, with boastful pride inflate, "Is not this Babylon the Great which I Have built for mine own honor, greatness, state. And my own glorious name to long perpetuate?" Scarce had these swelling words of pride been spoke Wlhen thunder peal burst from the opening skies, And startling voice from heaven the silence broke. As swiftly to his ear the message flies: "Oh, King, thy kingdom passes from thee now; THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES. 57 Thy heart within thee, to a brute's be turned — Forth from thy throne, with madness seized, go thou, And brutish be, until God's hand discerned That lesson humbling to thy pride at last ihou'st learned. ' ' It spoke no more. The heavens closed again. That selfsame hour the king in madness fled, Forsook his throne, his home, the haunts of men. And like the grazing beast of field he fed; His locks unshorn, like eagle's feathers grew; His nails, like talons of the bird of prey; His body, moistened by the falling dew. Until the appointed period passed away, And Babel's king bows meekly to his Monarch's sway. Then reason once again returns, and he Subdued, looks up to heaven — reveres, adores; And God, his kingly throne and dignity And power as erstbefore, to him restores. With grateful heart and hymn of praise sincere The humbled king then summons all to bless And honor Him whom hosts of heaven revere; And Him extol in joy or deep distress. Whose ways are truth, and all whose judgments right* eousness. IT. UNDER BELSHAZZAR. (1) The March of Empire. (2) The Crescent and the Cross. (3 Weig-hed and Found Wanting. THE MARCH OF EMPIRE (Daniel, 7th Chapter.) 1. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3. And four great beasts came up from the sea, di- verse one from another. 4. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings; I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 5. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it. Arise, devour much flesh. r.. After this, I beheld, and lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceeding- ly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it: and it had ten horns. 60 THE LOST DREAM. 8. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up araong them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and be- hold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the An- cient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne wat like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judg- ment was set, and the books were opened. 11. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had theii dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13. I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which Bhall not pass away, and his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed. 15. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. IG. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. IS. But the saints of the Most High shall take the king- dom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. iO. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dread- ful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet: 20. And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell: even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his frllowB. THE MARCH OF EMPIRE. 61 21. I beheld, and che same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22. Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was gl\eu to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all king- doms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall sub- due three kings. 2i). And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose king- dom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 28. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. Forty-eight years had elapsed since the then unknown youth had been summoned from his obscurity to stand before the king of Babylon and recall to him his forgot- ten dream. But he is now a youth no longer nor an unknown stranger. He has lived through four success- ive reigns *of Babylonian Kings, and is now entering upon the fifth, and his reputation and fame have long since spread beyond the narrow confines of Babylon. Belshazzar, the imbecile and profligate descendant of Nebuchadnezzar, has but recently ascended the throne, but his dynasty and his empire are limited now to a brief lease of power and are soon to pass away. The Head of fine gold beheld in Nebuchadnezzar's vis- ion of empire had been slowly gTowing dim; the Arms and Breast of silver of the same vision are already throw- 62 THE LOST: DREAM. ing their portentous shadows across the horizon, and the Mede and the Persian are now appearing conspicuously on the scene. Belshazzar had reigned nearly one year when Daniel was admitted to another vision, a continua- tion, as it weie, of the dream he had intei^Dreted nearly half a century before. It is the March of Empire that he now beholds — the furious rage and strife of savage Empires rising upon the ruins one of another, like wild beasts emerging from the storm-tossed deep. It was a wild and tumultuous succession of thrones and dominions, of crowns and kingdoms, one after the other, as the fleet-footed centuries hurried by, until One came in the clouds of heaven and took the dominion to him- self. ''I beheld," says he, ''until the thrones were cast down and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow and the hair of his head like the pure wool; his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. I saw in the night visions and behold One like to the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of Da3^s and they brought him near before Him. And there was given him domin- ion and glory and a kingdom that all people and nations and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." It was a glimpse of the solemn future, a vision of one of those oft-occuiTing scenes so frequent in the history of earth, Avhen nations stand before the Great Tribunal and receive from the Judge of all mankind the recom- pense due to their deeds — one of those scenes, When God, who holds nations as Avell as individuals responsible for their conduct, steps in, makes bare his mighty Arm, sum- mons them to his judgment throne, and in the vicissi- tudes of his awful Providence executes on them the pun- ishment due to their crimes. Such, for example, as oc- *See note B. THE MARCH OF EMPIRE. 63 ourred in the overtbrow of Babylon, Persia, Rome, Jeru- salem and many other worldly Powers that have arisen upon the earth, flourished, grown strong and powerful — become wicked, corrupt, oppressive, tyrannical, diaboli- cal, and then been shattered and broken to pieces by one Providence after another, and finally passed away, dis- appearing from the theater of history forever. Of the four great Beasts that Daniel beheld emerging from the sea of human passion, strife, and ambition, the first was the Babylonian represented by the Lion with eagle's wings. For awhile it pushed its conquests with great rapidity and success — which feature of its history was denoted by the eagle's wings, a bird that soars far and high. When its conquests under Nebuchad- nezzar were brought to a close and he was bereft of rea- son, driven from the societj^ of men and made to eat grass like the ox, ^'his wings were plucked' '; and when reason returned and he recognized and acknowledged God's authority over him and with profound thankful- ness and gratitude paid him sincere worship and adora- tion, ''a, man's heart was given him." The second Beast like to a Bear was the Persian Em- pire which succeeded the Babylonian. It pushed its con- quests principally in one direction, westward, which was denoted by its raising itself up on one side. The ^Hhree ribs between itis teeth" were the principal provinces it conquered, viz.: Lydia, Babylonia and Egypt. The thirst for conquest which led to so many and such vast military expeditions that characterized so many of the kings of Persia, and many of which were extremely disastrous to them, attended with such shedding of blood and loss of life, is what is probably meant by the command given it to *' arise and devour much flesh." Next followed the Leopard with its four heads and four wings. This was the Macedonian Empire, which, first, under Alexander the Great, had but one head, but after his death was divided into four great divisions or king- doms under four of his most prominent generals. 64 THE LOST DREAM. The four wings indicated the extreme rapidity of its conquests. Under Alexander the armies of Macedonia seemed rather to fly than to march through the lands on their career of conquest. And a wild and irresistible impetuosity characterized his onsets against his enemies, more like the spring of a panther upon its victim than anything else. It was the leap of the Leopard on the back of its prey. The next wild Beast that slowly arose from the wildly- tossing waves was without a name. No wild beast in existence had those marks and those features that so conspicuously distinguished it. ^'Dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly/' with great iron teeth tearing and rending flesh and bones together, and nails or claws of brass, and with feet that stamped and ground to the earth all that it did not devour — differing from all the Beasts that had preceded it, and with ten huge horns growing out of its head, it was the wildest and most frightfully savage creature that the Prophet had ever beheld. While looking in wondering bewilderment upon it in its savage ferocity, rending and tearing the flesh of its victims, another horn, insignificant and inconspicu- ous at first, but afterwards growing to enormous propor- tions, was seen to slowly rise up and grow among the others, having a cunning, crafty eye, and impudent, arro- gant look, and which uprooted and overturned three of the otii«r Horns around it. This little Horn opened its mouth ag-ainst the Most Hig^h in most blasphemously-bold and astonishing lan- guage, persecuted and put to death his innocent and un- offending saints in almost countless multitudes, changed times and laws, and raged almost unrestrained like a fe- rocious wild animal until judgment was executed upon it and its dominion broken and taken away forever. There can be no mistaking the Wild Beast here rep- resented. Though without a name its distinguishing features are so marked and pronounced as to point it out unerringly among the nations of the earth. It is Rome, THE MARCH OF EMPIRE. 65 first as a Pagan Power conquering, ravaging, trampling down and devouring the nations as it carried its victo- rious arms throughout the earth, slaying and putting to death such vast numbers of God's people during the period of its supremacy — and then afterwards as Rome Papal, i. e., Rome under the Popes. And in its savage ferocity, butchering and slaughter- ing God's faithful saints, Rome Papal has far exceeded Rome, Pagan, both in the vast multitudes of those that she has butchered, as well as in the horrible cruelties she has inflicted upon them, and also in the length of her reign of blood.* It has been estimated that nearly Fifty Millions of people have been ruthlessly slaughter- ed by the Church of Rome during the 1,200 years of her supremacy among the nations, by her racks, dungeons, fires, inquisitions and ^'Holy Wars," so called. The '^Little Horn" is the Papacy that silently grew up among the other horns, i. e. : the other Powers constitut- ing the Empire, and which eventually rooted up and de- stroyed three of them, viz. : the Merovingian dynasty, the Lombard, and the Exarchate of Ravenna. This was accomplished by the Papacy during the Eighth Century. The ''eyes of a man" in this little Horn denoted that running, crafty, far-seeing intelligence for advancing its own interests that has always been such a conspicu- ous feature in the history of the Papacy. Its unblush- ing arrogarice, as well as bold and determined manner in which it has asserted and pushed its presumptuous pretentions, are denoted by the stout look, ''more stout than its fellows" that has marked the Papacy more than any other form of government that has ever been known upon earth. It was "divei'se from all the other Beasts" that had preceded it. It exercised a double form of power, claim- ing and exercising jurisdiction over both the souls as well as bodies of mankind. It was to be both a political and also an ecclesiastical Power in one. And this has * See note C. 66 THE LOST DREAM. been one of the distinguishing marks of the Papacy, the Popes carrying two keys and also two swords in token of this claim — a dominion spiritual as well as a domin- ion temporal. But judgment is to sit, its dominion be taken away, consumed and destroyed even to the end, and the Papacy, like all other blood-thirsty and diaboli- cal Powers, is to perish. Already has its dominion been 'greatly shattered. Some of it has been taken away and consumed, and the rest of it one day will be. Its temporal sovereignty has even now been annihilated, and in the course of time its ec- clesiastical sovereignty will also be. For as a Ruling Power, both spiritual and temporal, its dominion over mankind is to be utterly destroyed. No power has ever appeared in history that has so minutely and so astonishingly fulfilled each and every one of the«e predicted features as has the Papacy, and there can -be no posible question but that it is Rome Papal as well as Rome Pagan that is here described. Vv. 9-11. The appearance of the Ancient of Days, '^judgment sitting," etc, etc., is summed up and explain- ed briefly in three single verses (18, 22, 2G), in which the whole matter is explained as meaning that "the saints took the kingdom and possessed it forever," — "judgment would be given to the saints," etc., etc., aaid "the dominion of the Beast be taken away," etc. It is only a grand and vivid description of the destruc- tion of Rome under the representation of a judgment scene, in which the "Ancient of Days," attended by his flaming ministers of justice, is the Judge, etc., It is Grod against whom she has so grievousely sinned, God who pro- nounces her doom, and various nations and Powers of earth are the appointed ministers of his justice to exe- cute his sentence upon her. It, therefore, simply means the manner in which the power and dominion of perse- cuting Rome has been steadily broken, and its destruc- tion by the different nations she lorded it over, and that it will be completely annihilated. And also that all this power and authority, accompanied and accomplished by THE MARCH OF EMPIRE. 67 different crushing-s and this breaking of her power haye been attended with great slaughter, loss of life, loss of earthly possessions!, Buffering, sorrow, anguish, death. This is very probably meant by ^'its body being destroy- ed and given to the burning flame" (v. 11). Its loss of authority and power accompanied and accomplished by such bloody and destructive revolutions and uprisin-gs of the nations, has been both attended and followed by grievous calamities, misery and suffering, represented by the '^burning flame," and her anguish and misery have been like consuming fire. V. 13: "I saw in the night visions, and behold„ One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days," etc. These are "night visions," because they are visions which foretell calamity, distress, perplexity, ruin to those who are the subjects of the vision. Of all these things '^ night" is the recognized symbol in Scripture, and consequently visions which are burdened with calam- ity and retributive Providences to proud, oppressive, and persecuting Powers are very significantly and appropri- ately emphasized by the Prophet as ''night visions." Another fact, too often overlooked to the proper un- derstanding of this vision, is the fact that the judgment here foretold and the judgment scene so graphically de- scribed, are both to take place here upon earth. It is not m the skies, nor amid flaming worlds that the Judge appears and the thrones are set, but here upon earth and at different times as the occasion may require, for it is national judgments and not individual ones that the Prophet portrays, and nations have no hereafter. When- ever judgment is pronounced upon them, therefore, it must be in this world and not in the next. Consequently the scenes here described are scenes to be witnessed upoB earth and in the experiences of nations and peoples. Still another fact — the symbolical nature of the scene. The language, while representing real and actual occur- rences, is nevertheless entirely symbolical. Thrones, wheels, flames, fiery attendants, clouds, books, etc., are 68 THE LOST DREAM. all clearly and plainly symbolical, but yet representing solemn realities, as may easily be proved from Scrip- ture. For example, the '^ cloud" was a familiar and well- understood emblem among the Old Testament Prophets, of the solemn and awful judgments of God as inflicted in the movements of his Providence upon nations and people. See, for example, Is. 19: 1, where the most fearful calamities and judgments about to be visited upon the kingdom of Egypt are represented under the figure of Jehovah '* riding upon a swift cloud" into the land of Egjrpt for its destruction and overthrow. So also, the Prophet Nahum (1: 3-6) in one of the sublim- est descriptions of the wrathful power and righteous judgments of God ever penned, represents him as march- ing through the skies in awful splendor and magnificence, find attended by clouds of dust as his chariot rolls tri- 5imphantly along. He is marching forth to the punish- Inent and overthrow of haughty Nineveh, and his Provi- dential judgments are to fall in *'fury" upon her, end- ing in her complete iniin and destruction. These awful judgments of his Providen'Ce are the ^'clouds" iwith which he is surrounded as he rides ir- resistibly on. In a similar manner the Prophet Zephaniah (1:15), foretelling a day of national calamity in which the sol- emn judgments of God are to fall upon Jerusalem and Judea and the entire Jewish people as a nation for their sin and wickedness, represents it as a day of clouds and thick darkness. In Ezekiel, too (32: 7-8), God uses the same figure to represent his coming in judgment upon Pharaoh and his people, in the way of great national calamities, when he declares his purpose of darkening the heavens, cov- ering the sun with a cloud, the moon and stars also, and ^'darkening the bright lights of heaven," — all of which was accomplished in the overthrow of their Rulers, Princes, Counsellors, and the destruction of their cherish- ed national institutions. These were their ** bright THE MARCH OP EMPIRE. 69 lig-hts," and by such awful "clouds" of judgment and calamity were they to be ''darkened" and put out. The prophets were all familiar with this metaphor, and to them the ''cloud" was the expressive symbol of God's solemn Providences, irresistible, overwhelming, dark, dense, mysterious, and by which guilty nations were to be visited whenever God rose up to execute his judgments upon them. Of course the same figure was also familiar to Daniel. "One like the Son of Man, coming in the clouds of heaven," and attended by flashing flame and burning chariot wheel was, therefore, merely a grand and sublime but entirely symbolical description of the movements of God in his Providence, as he visited upon nations their punishment or destruction. Of course it is language borrowed from the scenes and solemnities of the Great Judgment Day, but at the same time representing what is constantly taking place here upon earth as the Su- preme Judge of mankind rides his judicial rounds and summons the guilty nations to his bar. Hence it may readily be seen what "the clouds of heaven," divested of their symbolical dress, really mean. Dark Providences, desolating judgments, fearful calami- ties, national distress and trouble brought upon people for their sins — these are the "clouds" in which God •comes, this is the manner in which he summons them to his tribunal — and in this way the "thrones are set," on each of which, as the particular nation is judged, the Great "Ancient of Days" takes his seat. V. 19. "Diverse From All the Rest." At first Rome was only a political or secular Power, and under its earlier foims of government like all other kingdoms. But when it changed those forms and passed into its second stage of existence and became Rome Papal, claiming jurisdiction over all the spiritual affairs of earth, it became an ecclesiastical Power, and united both secular and ecclesiastical sovereignty under one dominion. It lorded it over the bodies of men and over 70 THE LOST DREAM. their souls. like it before or since. V. 26. "They shall take," etc., i. e.: these Horns shall do so. (See Rev. 17: 16-17, where the same events are alluded to as they are here in Daniel.) In verse 12, ''Their dominion was taken away . . . yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.'^ That is, the power and dominion of each one of these mighty Empires would be broken and destroyed as each one was overturned by its successor, but the spirit which animated and controlled each one would still exist and reappear in its successor. The same ambition for con- quest, lust of power, tendency to oppression, injustice, cmelty and wrong-doing', that was characteristic of one, and for which it had been destroyed by the hand of God, would be the leading characteristics in its successor. While its dominion had been destroyed and its existence as a distinct ruling Power in the earth brought to an end, its spirit still survived and was displayed again in its successor. The new-comer in this respect was little or no improvement on the one that had preceded it, and been overturned by it. The body of the one had been hopelessly destroyed but its life had been perpetuated in the next that followed. It was just another imperious, cruel, tyrannical and oppressing Power. The body had been shattered, but the spirit survived. Persia destroyed Babylon, Greece Persia, and Rome Greece, but each, in turn, exhibited the same tyrannical, despotic love of power and the same course of wrong-doing. Even under Christian governments, and while the 8tone (of Neibuchadnezzar's Dream) is breaking to pieces the fragments that remain of the principles of a sinful an)d wicked world, the life of these desitroying monarchies is too plainly seen. Yet it is only for " sl season and a time" that this life is to be prolonged. As the religion of Christ, designated in. Daniel's pro- phecies as the "Kingdom of the God of heaven," ob- tains supremacy over mankind and over the hearts and consciences of its followers, the spirit of love, peace THE MARCH OF EMPIRE. 71 good-will and kindness to others will prevail and even- tually exting-uish all crime and injustice and expel all wrong-doing from the earth. Then ''the lives '» of these worldly Powers will be forever ended as well as "their dominion taken away." Beside the Great Sea's wave-washed shores he stood, WhiLe scene of grandeur wild th'," or the lands ruled by the Cross*, i. e., by the ♦See note D. 80 THE LOST DREAM. Christian Religion, that are here foretold, and words could hardly describe more accurately the irresistible conquests of this False Religion, or the direction in which it moved in its career of conquest, than do the predictions here made known. Extending to the East, over Tartary, India, Persia, even to China, and southward toward Arabia, Egypt, into the very heart of Africa, trampling and treading down the lands of the Christian, conquer- ing and retaining under its dominion some of the fairest domains once held and dominated by the Cross, it pushed on and spread out to such an extent as to number withiD its pale many hundreds of millions of our race. And it has been a ^'Fierce King," especially in its first and ear- lier conquests, breathing out cruelty and slaughter dur- ing all its history and wherever it has advanced. Christianity in all her history has never been called upon to confront a more fierce, merciless, and blood- thirsty foe outside of her own pale, or for a longer period of time, than she has in the fierce and fanatical Religion of the Koran. Next to the frightful slaughtei and suffering inflicted on God's church by the Papacy and the Church of Rome, that occasioned by the religion of Mohammed is the g^reatest ever suffered by mankind. There can be little doubt, therefore, that it is the rise of the Moslem and his intolerant Creed and their con- flicts with Christianity that the Hebrew Seer here wit- nessed and sketched off. Certain it is that no othef erents of history have at all so accurately or so perfectly corresponded with the particulars foretold in this proph- ecy as have the events connected with the rise, growth and triumphs of the Moslem Faith. The eighth chapter of Daniel, therefore, is but another of those wonderful visions covering such long periods of time, and depicting the experience of one branch of God's church during that time, for which the Book of Daniel is so famous. The vision is described in the chap- ter itself as "the vision concerning the Daily Sacrifice and transgression of desolation to give both the Sane- THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 81 tuary and the Host to be trodden under foot" (v. 13), and covers a vast period of time. As stated before the period of its duration is 2,300 years. During' this time the Persian Empire was to be overturned by the Greek; the Greek itself divided into four s-eparate kingdoms, and from out the territory of one of these in after ages was to arise another conquering Power, which was to meet with unexampled success, cast down and trample under foot a large part of the church of God, destroy and des- olate its Sanctuaries, hurl truth to the ground, cast down the stars from heaven, and rule with fierce and fanatical sway those who had been -given into its power because of their transgression and sin. And then it too in its turn was to be broken without hand and pass silently away. It is a revelation of the future history of that part of the Church known as the Eastern Church, which long after Daniel's day was to be planted in that part of the world covered by the Persian and the Greek Empires. The vision is described as 'Hhe vision of the Daily Sac- rifice," because the vitiating and making void of what was represented by the ''daily sacrifice" of the old Jewish religion, is the great fact here foretold. And it is fur- ther represented as being ''the transgTession of desola- tion," b'ccause that unparalleled trampling down, wast- ing and desolating for so many centuries, was the result and consequence of that transgression committed by his people in that part of the Church where these judg-ments were to fall. It would be a grievous transgression on their part, and most -grievously would it be punished in the awful -'desolation" it brought upon them. The Persian Empire, and after it the dominion of the Greeks, extended over those lands and countries which became the home and seat of the Eastern Church. Hence it was right and proper that after a revelation of the future of those Empires, there should be a further reve- lation of the trials, experience, and history of that Church that was afterwards to exist and flourish in those lands. The vision, therefore, when it comes to describe the fate 82 THE LOST DREAM. and expcrien^ie of the Church, confines itself to that branch of the Church known as the Eastern Church. The history and experience of the Western Church under the desolating sway of the Papacy will be revealed to Daniel in a subsequent vision even more terrible and frightful than this. But in the 8th chapter no reference is made to the Papaey. The Rum standing before the river may perhaps refer t^ the certainly very curious fact that when the Empire of Persia first met its predicted Foe, it met him in his strength and went down before his impetuous assault on the banks of the G-ranicus, one of its subsequeutly famous rivers. There the triumiphant phalanxes of Alex- ander were hurled against it with irresistible fury. "Pushing WesftW'ard, and Northward, and Southward, '^ all point out the direction in which the principal con- quests of the Persian Empire were extended under its different rulers during the period of its greatest pros- perity. During this period of its power there was no people or nation that could successfully resist it, for **it did according to its will and became great." But while it had been pushing its conquests in this manner and becoming so fonnidable, another Power had been silently growing up and becoming strong also, and one which had been foretold and pointed out in Prophecy as its future Conqueror. Th© Greek now rises into view and comes forward to fill his appointed place in the solemn drama of history. The Macedonian Power, represented by the ''He Goat from the West," and Alexander, its invincible King, rep- resented by the ''Notable Horn between its eyes," are seen moving with incredible rapidity from the West to the East, seeming scarcely to touch the ground in the swiftness of their march, and advancing against the hordes of the Persians drawn up first on the banks of the Granicus and afterward at Issus, a strong position in the Pro^dnce of Cilicia and on a Gulf of the same name, and both of them in the territoi'y of Persia. At both these places the Persian hosts met with terrible THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 83 defeat, as nothing could withstand the impetuous rush and fury of Alexander's troops, described by the Prophet as "the fury of his power." Nothing like it had been seen before. Alexander al- most ''flew'^ over the eountnes through which he moved his armies, so rapid and irresistible were his movements. He conquered countries faster than ordinary armies could conduct campaigns through them. Following up his unpar- alleled victories over the immense hosts that had con- tfronted him at the Granicus and at Issus, he met and utterly annihilated the power of Persia in the over- whelming defeat it suffered at Arbela, or more correctly, at Oaugamela.* Here the strength, energy, and vast resources of that mighty Empire had been collected by Darius for hii last and supreme effort, and there he awaited in grim and sullen silence the approach of his predicted Con- queror. Alexander came, and came as he always did, Tvith impetuous rush and fury, broke the dense and crowded masses before him, and with but a small force in comparison with the vast hosts opposing him, scattered them in wild confusion and defeat. They fled before him like the ohaff before the whirling wind, and with them disappeared the hopes, the expectations and the empire of Darius. His throne was overturned and hi« dominion forever ended. His aiTuy routed, his camp captured, and all that he possessed in his enemy's hands, Darins fled for his life, but Avas not long afterwards slain by one of his own people. It was one of the most de- cisive defeats of history, and the annihilation of one of the greatest Empires of antiquity. These facts are thus described by the Hebrew Seer hundreds of years before they took place. ^'And he came to the Ram that had two horns, Avhich I had s«en standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury * The battle was fought near Gaugamela, a small village a few miles from Arbela, but is usually described by his torians as the battle of Arbela, because of the insignifi- cance of the village of Gaugamela. 84 THE LOST DREAM. of his power. (The defeats of the Persians at tha Granicus and at Issiis.) And I saw him come close unto the Earn (battle of Gang-amela), and he was moved with choler against him and smote the Ram and broke his two horns ; and there was no power in the Ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and stamped upon him (utter annihilation of all opposition and re- sistance of Persia) ; and there was none that could de- liver the Ram out of his hand.'' (v. 6, 7.) The two-horned Ram has been cast down and stamped upon, the Conqueror foretold in Prophecy has done his work, and Greece now mounts the imperial throne. God's pui-poses have been singularly fulfilled, and the Macedonian Empire, for its appointed day, is henceforth to lord the nations of the earth. But its lease of power is short. Alexander soon dies, and very suddenly and a3 it were in the vei-y midst of his career of conquest. He is but a young man, not more than thirty-three years of ag'e, when he is cut off in the very flower of his manhood. The ''Great Horn is broken." His son Hercules, and also another son by Roxana, one of his wives, and bom after his death, are both speedily gotten out of the way by his ambitious generals who were coveting the envied throne, and then come the next appointed Powers who are to rule the world. Four Notable Horns appear ''to- ward the four winds of heaven." They are Alexander's successors. After years of conflict and strife among his leading generals, the dominion is finally divided amongst the four most famous of his chiefs, Seleucufj, Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Cassander, who each take pos- session of their allotted territory. Within the domin- ions of one of these kings centuries afterward, arises anotheT "Little Horn," very insignificant and un- pretentious at first, but soon gTowing into colossal proportions and going forth upon a career of conquest, triumph and desolation which was to continue for long and weaiy centuries. During this time it is to trample down God's host, cast down many of its most conspic- uous princes and rulers, tread down their sanctuaries un- THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 85 der its profane and polluting foot, and even lift up its towering head ag^ainst the Prince of that host himself. And it M'Ould continue doing so until ''the end of the in- digTiation'^ was reached, i. e., umtil the period allotted for the punishment of that greatly-erring church should ibave expired. This is the Religion of the Koran, the great Moham- medan Power, the intolerant, persecuting Foe of Chri&t- iajiity that has with its ruthless sword drunk the blood of thousands and hundreds of thousands, nay even mill- ions, of the human race, swept with insolent and des- olating tread over a large part of Asia, Africa, and even Europe — Aviped from the face of the globe Christian ■churches and places of worship almost without number, and ''waxed exceeding great'' even against "the Prince of the Host" himself. It was to prosper and cause craft to prosper, but not by its own power. Such unexampled success and such unparalleled gTeatness reached by its conquering sword were due to other causes. A commis- sion had been given it by Jehovah himself — a commission to punish, purify and purge, and it went forth with the avenging sword of justice in its hand to execute the appointed judgments on those " transgTessors " whose iniquities and whose provocations had now "come to the full." The church had sunk extremely low; super- stition, foiTnality, insincerity, and coiTuption had taken the place of true religion; faith had well nigh vanished; truth was so obscured or so utterly perverted as to be Bcarcely discernible; the harvest w^as ripe, and the fierce ftjid fanatical Reaper with sharp sickle in hand was sent forih at Jehovah's command to do his work. And fear- fully and frightfully did he do it. 'But it too, like all who have preceded it, at the ap- pointed time, is to be "broken without hand" and dis- appear forever from among mankind as a ruling, reign- dng, conquering power. The sanctuary is to be cleansed, Grod's pure and holy woi^hip to be reverently observed, the true religion everywhere to reign supreme, and where the Moslem with his intolerant creed has trodden down 86 THE LOST DREAM. the lands, truth once more shall prevail, and the Moslem himself be no more. His dripping sword and religion of hate and lust and blood is to vanish from sight, and the meek and lowly Nazavene and not Mohammed receive the lore and worship of earth's adoring millions. No other events in history have ever in the faintest degree ful- filled the predictions of this pmphecy, as have the rise, growth, progress and domineering supremacy of the Re- ligion of Mohammed, and no other possibly can. Tii« Creed of the Koran and its triumphant reign of blood, alone fits the niche in history cut out for it in the coun- sels of heaven and made known to Daniel centuries ago. So that it is clearly the Mohammedan and his fanati- oal creed that is here foretold, and no other. The following reasons will make this abundantly plain: 1st. It was to be a false Religion that was to arise and come into such dreadful conflict with the church, and a fierce and ferocious one at that. It was to "b^ "A King of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences." The '"King" denotes a ruling power, and ''understand- standing dark sentences'' a Religion, and the ''fierce countenance" the savageness and ferocity of its charac- ter. Hence, it was to be a fierce and blood-thirsty Re- ligion, carrying a victorious sword and a fanatical, in- tolerant creed. A ''King" here, as elsewliere in prophecj^, denotes, not merely a single inc^ividual, but a succession of rulers, a continuous dominion whether that dominion be temporal or ecclesiastical, or both temporal and ecclesiastic t1 — in other words a continuous governing power. This King was to be of "fierce countenance," a cruel, merciless, and savage power — and "understanding dark sentences" — skilled in mysterious, unintelligible dogmas which were in some way to be connected with its progress and su- premacy. The "fierce countenance" and "dark sen- tences" were in some manner to be linked inseparably together, and its fierceness was to be largely due to these dark sentences in which it was skilled or ha^d THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 87 "understanding." It was. therefore, to be a False Re- ligion, fierce, fanatical, intolerant, and carrying with it % written creed, which was to be forced upon the van- quished people wherever it went, at the point of the g'oiy sword. Such has been the spirit as well as the history of the Mohammedan Faith with its written creed the Koran, a dark, meaningless, and unintelligible jargon, which Gib- bon well describes as ''an endless, incoherent rhapsody of fable and of precept and declamation, which seldom excites a sentiment or an idea; which sometimes crawLi in the dust and is sometimes lost in the clouds." "The Christian elements in the Koran are borrowed, not from the canonical gospels, but from apocrj'phal and heretical sources. "With these corrupt Jewish and Christ- ian traditions are mixed, in a moderated form, the heath- en elements of sensuality, polygamy, slavery, and the usa of violence in the spread of religion" (Sehaff). No fiercer King has arisen, and no darker or more unintel- ligible sentences have ever been forced at the point of the sword upon the children of men, than the Religion of Mohammed and his meaningless Koran. 2nd. Its fierce opposition was to be directed against "the host of heaven," and against the Priilce, i. e., against the church militant and Christ its Prince. So the Angel explains it. "And he shall destroy the mighty and holy people," so that "the host of heaven" of the vision, was the same as "the mighty and holy people" of the Angel's interpretation of it. "And he shall stand up against the Prince of princes," who is none other than Christ himself. Hence, it is the church of God, the only "mighty and holy people" upon earth and Christ its exalted head who are to be made the objects of its in- dignation and fury*. As every reader of history knows, this has been exactly fulfilled in the conflicts that Chris- tianitv has been called to wasre with the fierce followers *The "Host" is nothing else but the Christian Church, and Christ as its Prince and Ruler is the "Prince of the Host." S8 THE LOST DREAM. of Mohammed, It has been against the visible church that its sword has been drawn, and against Christ its Prince. 3rd. It was to be a powder that was to arise somewhere within the bounds of one of the four divisions of the Empire of Alexander, and after the termination of their dominion. ''In the latter da^'s of their kingdom" (v. 23) trans- lated literally will be, "in the hereafter" or "in the afterwards of their kingdom/' — i. e., after those kingdoms shall have passed away, and somewhere within their former territoiy, shall arise this little Horn. Now that part of Arabia where Mohammedanism had its birth, and the Holy Land where it first directed its course after leaving the land of its origin, were both within the dominions of the successors of Alexander. The narrow Blrip of Arabia bordering on the Red Sea in w^hich is situated Mecca, the birthplace of Mohammed, wms once a part of the kingdom of Ptolemy Euergetes* (one of the "Kings of the South"), and Syria, AVhere it properly entered upon its career of conquest, was at different times a part of the domains of the "King of the North" and also of the "King of the South." 4th. It was to appear as a "Little Horn" at first — unpretentious and by no means formidable, and after- ward to tower to greatness, spread with prodigious suc- cess toward the East and the South, and toward "the G-lory" — not the "pleasant land" as our version has it, nor the "glorious land" as the revised version renders it — but toward "the Glory," the land of the Holy Se- pulchre and the land dominated by the cross — i. e., the lands of the Christian. ^ In other w^ords, this Religion was to advance iiTesist- * Or perhaps more accurately "the land of the Glory," translated in the authorized version "the pleasantland," and in the Revised version "the glorious land," is so described because being the land that contains the Holy Sepulchre. Of this the Mohammedan has long held possession. And for recovering its possession the fierce and gigantic Wars THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 89 ibly toward the East, which Mohammedanism did, push- ing even to the walls of China, and towards the South, conquering- and occupying Arabia and a great part of Africa and holding* possession of them even until this day — and toward the land of 'Hhe Glory,'' the land containing the Holy Sepulchre as well as the lands in •aJlegiance to the cross, i. e., the lands of the Christian. And all this M'ohammedanism has done throughout the East, West, and even in the western and southwestern portion of Europe. Everywhere in those countries once ruled by the cross and occupied by the Christian, it has exterminated "with its ruthless sword the upholders of that cross and conquered the territory long held by them and the church of God, In accomplishing this, it haa also ■won and maintained victorious possession of the burial place once occupied by Him who died upon the cross, against the combined efforts of Christian Europe. 5th. This Power was to magnify itself against the Prince of the host — or as it might more coi-rectly be translated (because the same word in Hebrew is frequent- ly so translated elsewhere) above the Prince o fthe Host. Mohammedanism not only magnified itself against Christ and sought to root out his religion from the world, but even exalted its prophet above Christ, making him the greatest of all prophets and giving Christ merely a sub- ordinate place. Its great battle cry and one watchword that has resounded ever since from all its minarets and mosques has been simply this, ^' there is no God but one and Mohammed is his Prophet." Thus by exalting- its own prophet above the Son of God. it has not only magnified itself against the Prinec of the Host but most truly above Him. 6th. It was to "take away the daily sacrifice and cast down the place of its sanctuary." The revised reraioD of the Crusades were furiously waged for nearly two cen- turies. A land that held in its possession such a tomb as that, even Jehovah's Tomb, might well be described by the Prophet as "ihe Land of the Glory." (See note D.) 90 THE LOST DREAM. renders the passage ^'and it took away from him (i, •. from the Prince) the continual burnt offering, and th« plaoe of his sanctuary was cast down." There can be but little question but that the word "tamidh," rendered in our version ''daily saciiflce" and in the revised version "continual burnt offering," means in this prophecy beyond the shadow of a doubt the one perpetual offering of Christ.* That is the one great ob- lation, the one perpetual sacrifice whose influence and eflficacy are to be felt through all time and through all eternity. And the prediction here is that this cruel and blood-thii'sty Religion, this "King of fierce countenance,*' was in some way to set aside and render nugatory the great oblation of the cross and destroy the place of ita sanctuaiy, i. e. the place where it was revered and adored. The word "hnram" translated "to take away" de- notes (1) "to lift up," "exalt, etc." — and (2) "t-o lift up and take away." And this is precisely what Mohammedanism has done bj'' means of its False Prophet and its written creed, the Koran, It has accorded much praise to Christ as being a gi-eat Prophet and a good Prophet, thus appa- rently "lifting him up" as though exalting and honor- ing him, '\vhile in reality it has but dishonored him and most effectually done away with his sin-atoning sacri- fice, by proclaiming him only a creature and Mohammed exalted above him. It has as effectually as it was possible for it to do, completely made void the efficacy and value of Messiah's sacrifice and "taken it away." Admit the claims of Mohammed and at once there is an effectual end to all that was to be accomplished by our Lord's great "one offering" on the cross. It is gone, completely gone, Tendered nugatory and vain and removed forever. Thus has this Religion of the Pit "magnified" itself even "above the Prince of the H<3st" and taken away from him "the one continual burnt offering," and "east ^lote H. THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 91 down and destroyed the place of its sanctuary." Not only by its false claims and its false creed has it remored all place where the sacrifice of Christ can come in, but even with its fierce and conquering sword has it cast down and destroyed the places, the sanctuaries them- selves, where that sacrifice could be publicly observed and celebrated. Wherever the Moslem has advanced in his career of conquest, airistian churches have been de- stroyed or else converted into Mohammedan mosques, and their worshippers put to the sword or else reduced to tribute. 7th. This power was to ''do its pleasure and prosper,'^ ''cast truth to the earth," and succeed by meani of craft and policy. How successfully it has done thii let faithful history- answer. Wherever the tenets of its false and filthy creed have been proclaimed and carried out, and its impious asser- tions enforced of Mohammed being- an Apostle and Proofx- et of God superior rto Moses, superior to Christ, ther^ ''the truth,'' i. e., the true Religion and the glorious truth in Jesus, has been literally and truly ''esat down.'* Its success was to be obtained largely by ''craft" and "policy." There are three ways in which these features of its character have been conspicuously manifest, and by means of wliich it has wonderfully prospered. There was first the base perfidy and treachery of so many of the defenders of the Christian faith who had been relied upon and confided in to meet and hold it in check, but who instead of doing so basely and perfidious- ly surrendered or betrayed the interests committed into their keeping. Cunning, craft and treacherous duplicity on the part of these Christian defenders of their faith, opened the way for the triumphant progress of the Mohammedan Faith. Castles, strongholds, and fortified places almost without number were surrendered or be- trayed, with scarcely a struggle or conflict worthy of :he name, to the advancing forces of the Saracens. And eren armies or large bodies of troops were in the same perfidious manner betrayed into the hands of their ex- 92 THE LOST DREAM. ultant enemies. Perfidy and treachery were conspicu- ous features in the character of many of these so-called viefenders of the Christian religion. This was especially true in the first encounters of Mohammedanism with Christianity, and in the earlier years of its history. Many of its most unexpected suc- cesses — its easy capture of almost impregnable strong- holds and fortified cities, and its defeat of armies vastly superior to its ovm, were due to this cause, and accom- plished through some unlocked for treachery on the part of its foes. The fall of Bosra, Damascus, Antioch, and multitudes of smaller places was effected mainly through this cunning ''craft'' and ''policy,*' this per- fidious treachery on the part of Christian governors, generals, and other military commanders. Cunning and craft and perfiditious policy both in the Christian and in the Saracen assisted greatly in opening up the way for the triumphs of the Moslem faith and the successes of the Mohammedan arms. There was a second way in which great cunning and craft was displayed by the folloAvers of Mohammed, and which aided greatly in their rapid conquests of various land? — the alternatives presented by them to their van- quished enemies. These were becoming Mohammedans, or paying tribute, or else being instantly put to death by the sword. And the unfortunate persons to whom these alternatives were presented were usually not long in deciding. The artful and convincing manner, also, in which these alternatives were presented displayed remarkable "craft" and "policy," and accelerated greatly its rapid career of conquest. To thousands of such indifferent, enervated, pleasure-loving people, and who cared noth- ing for principle, as were then found all over the Eas- tern Church, such an alternative was readily accepted, as anything Avas preferable to them to a manly defense of their religion at the risk of death. An abjuiing of their faith was a small matter in comparison with falling by the sword, and hence multitudes accepted it with little THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 93 scruple, because they knew nothing of the vital power of Christianity and to them one religion was as good a3 another, and became devout Mohammedans, or else meek- ly bowed their heads to tribute. And this trait of char- actor both in Christians as well as in other people wai very artfully played upon by the propagators of th9 Moslem Faith. It has been a conspicuous feature in all their history. And Third, its doctrines of lust and voluptuous de- bauchery in its promised rewards of Paradise as well as in the sensual delights of earth, so captivating to mul- titudes of mankind, and so glowingly pictured in their <5reed and by their turbaned leaders, have also been an- other f '- m in which its ''craft" and '' policy '^ have been conspicuously displayed. This feature of the Mos- lem faith alone would be a sufficient explanation of much of the success of that [Religion in some portions of the world. It held forth and proclaimed a system of doc- trines very congenial to the natural heart and exceeiiiing- ly palatable to mankind. Hence they were greedily received and believed. Thus it has, through its policy, ^'caused craft to pros- per," and through that craft has itself prospered amaz- ingly. Sth. It was to "arise" and make its appearance when "the transgressors had come to the full," when God's long suffering could be restrained no longer be- cause of the impiety and iniquity prevailing in his church, and when human wickedness had arisen to such a height that his laws were set aside, his ordinances disregarded or perverted, his truth obscured and covered up beneath a mass of monkisli lore and fable, and the church almost hopelessly corrupt. Then ''the transgTessors had come to the full" and the Little Horn was to make its appear- ance as the executor of God's judgments. And this wai exactly what took place. When Mohammedanism appeared and began its deso- lating career in the beginning of the seventh century the Eastern Church, upon whom the judgment was to fall, 94 THE LOST DREAM. had sunk very low. Religion consisted almost entirely in form and ceremony, and was buried beneath a mass of legendary- lore or densest supei'stition. The ordmances of God's house were completely perverted in their design And purport, saints worshipped, and truth so concealed under fable and fiction as scarcely to be discernible, all spirituality was well nigh gone, and clergy and people sunk in the deepest darkness and error. The transgress- ors had come to the full, and it was "time for God to work, for they had made void his law." 9th. And because of this transgi'ession, both "the host" (the church of Christ), and the "continual burnt offering" (the glorious sacrifice of the Son of God) were to be given into his hand until "the indignation" was ended, to be trampled down and set aside "according to his will." The people that could so dishonor God, load down and cover up truth with such a mass of error, miss the meaning so completely of the finished work and sac- rifice of "their Saviour &s to mix it up and vitiate it with the worship of saints and angels and worthless relics, must be severely scourged and punished. They must ex- perience the savageness and ferocity of a False Religion, bow beneath the sway of a despotic race of conquerors, and be deprived of that worship they had so dishonored by tiieir superstition. Mohammed and not Christ is to be their prince and ruler, and his religion and nof that of the Cmcified One their inheritance, imposed upon them at the point of the gory sword, until the period of "the indignation" shall terminate. 10th. And this Horn was to prevail and prosper and cast down and destroy mightily, and meet with such un- t>arallelcd success, not through any merit or virtue in itself, but solely because of this abounding wickedness pervading the church of God, and the transgressions of those who should have known and Avho did know better. The host was given into its hand simply because of their ein and transgression. Without divine permission as well as divine purpose in the mission of Mohammed and his false religion, its THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 95 sword could never have vanquished and so easily such strong people, or swept so triumphantly over such a vast extent of territory in such an incredibly short period of time as it did. But God had given it a charge against a corrupt and image-worshipping church, he was behind it by his Providence, and hence it flashed with such ir- resistible power wherever it was carried. (See Jer. 47:7.) How could it be otherwise? And in raising ap such a religion, and with such a meaningless and mar- velously absurd and lustful creed as the Koran (the Mohammedan Scriptures) there seems to have been an irony as cutting and severe as it was deserved. In that act God appeaa-ed to say to that Church that was so given up to monkish lore and legend, fable and fiction, error and superstition, **if you are so anxious to have that kind of religion and that kind of a Bible, you shall have it to your heart's content," and then sent Mohammed, that lustful and fanatical impostor, as the prince and ruler, and that worthless Koran with its absurd mixture of truth and error, as the senseless scriptures that per- haps such fable-loving clergy and people as they might possibly appreciate and value. It was a solemn, a severe, a terribly scathing piece of irony, but one that was well deserved, to impose on them at the sword's point, such a religion and such a Script- ure in place of the one they had so perverted and vitiat- ed by their corruptions and superstition. 11th. The appointed period of this indignation was to last for long, long centuries (2300 years is the lime of the whole vision), after which the indignation was to cease and the sanctuary be cleansed. And this too has been fulfilled in the reign and perpetuation of the Moslem Religion as by no other calamity that has erer befallen the Eastern Church. Already has the fierce Religion of the Koran swayed its baleful sceptre for more than 1200 weary y^ars over the prostrate peoples and with but little indication of its soon coming to an end. The 2300 years also have yet a considerable period to run before they reach 9^ THE LOST DREAM. their appointed termination. If we begin them with the year in which Alexander entered upon his career of conquest against Persia (B. C. 334) they will end in 1966, or at least not long- before. 12th. And finally this long-triumphant and vaunting Power, so insolent to Christ and the Christian; is to be ^'broken without hand.'* The Moslem is to vanish, the crescent disappear from the Eastern sky, the courts of the Lord's house be no longer profaned by his polluting presence, and the great sacrifice of the cross once more regain its place in the lands so long dominated by the followers of the false Prophet. In all probability this will be accomplished by the preaching of those doctrines so abhorrent to the Mos- lem, but which one day are to triumph over all opposi- tion, break down and surmount every barrier, and climb to the imperial dominion of the world. Christ is to reign and not Mohammed; ''King of kings, and Lord of lords" his title, with a dominion that_ is to extend ''from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth," the future of the one; waning until it vanishes away, and "broken without hand," the doom inevitable of the other. These are the particulars foretold in this remarkable prophecy of this future Power whatever it might be, and they have all except the last been most marvelou.s- ly and minutely fulfilled in the rise, growth, progress, 'Conquests, and dominion of Mohammed and his false Religion, and in nothing else. This is the only Power, and this series of events the only one that has ever occurred in history at all corres- ponding to the marks foretold, by which it was to be recognized and detected when it should appear. And if the false Prophet and his Christless creed are not here foretold and their fierce and fanatical sway over so large a part of the Christian world and for so long a time, then surely prophecy is an uncertain guide, and history as equally a poor interpreter. Before another century, in all probability the Moslem THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 97 will have vanished from among the nations, his place be known no more, and t^he religion of the cross become the accepted creed of those who have bowed so long- to the teachings of the false Prophet. Then the fierce king ■with his dark sentences will oppress no longer, the gory sword that has dripped with the blood of such vast mul- titudes be sheathed in its scabbard, the mosque and the minaret resound with the praises of Jesus, and the teach- ings of his faith iTile the world. It was a fearful vision, an awful exhibition of the righteous justice of God upon a faithless church, sunk in deepest, darkest superstition and idolatry, and an astonishing disclosure of the future which was to con- tinue ''many days." Upon seeing it and learning what it foretold Daniel ''fainted and was sick certain days.'' Afterward he ''rose up and attended to the king's business." It is not at all surprising that this noble servant of God was so affected, nor that one so accustomed to sin- cere and pure worship should be amazed at such a pos- sibility of formality, insincerity, perv^ersion of the truth and worship of saints and angels and by the professing church of G-od as was here revealed to him in this vision ; nor that he should be sick and faint at the sight of the awful calamities and so long continued that were to come upon that church for sin like that. It would have been surprising if he had not been so affected. Nearly 25 centuries have rolled away since the Prophet saw this vision, and still the ''many days" are not terminated! With these explanatory remarks, let us now return to the vision as interpreted by the angel. "The Kam thou sawest by the river's bed Two-horn 'd and terrible, is Persia's Realm, One day to rise all formidable and dread, Two mighty kingdoms banded 'neath one head. To smite the nations, trample, and o'erwhelm — Both born to conquest and to furious fray. The Median first, the Persian last but higher 98 THE LOST DREAM. Shall rise, and wend their desolating way, As kingdoms sink beneath their fierce, resistless sway. ** Westward, and Noi-thward, Southward, far and wide The furious Beast shall push his conquests dire, Trampling and crushing in his pitch of pride All who oppose him. And with sword and fire Wasting and ravaging the kingdoms all According to his will. And loftier still 'twill grow In pride and greatness, rising high and tall. Until it meets its heaven-appointed foe. And falls in final overwhelming overthrow. *^The rough Goat from the West with towering horriy Is Orecia's Realm — a famed and warrior race; The mighty Horn her first great king, unborn As yet, but destined to a lofty place. Swift o'er the earth with wild impetuous tread Shall rush the legions of this conquering Chief, And onset irresistible and dread. While fall the foemen as the falling leaf. And kingdoms break and boAV in helpless, hopeless grief. *'His fiery valor shall no power withstand, Nor Prince nor Potentate the fury of his stroke; And none, though strong, deliver from his hand. Until this mighty Horn itself is broke. And suddenly 'twill bi^^ak, this wondrous Horn, E'en though to such exceeding greatness grown. And prostrate fall, and leave to one unborn The fallen sceptre, but in vain. O'erthrown His empire and his race, no more will they be known. * ^ Instead of one, four kingdoms then will be ; Four chieftains struggle for the envied throne. Four wrestle for the world-wide mastery. And part the empire to themselves alone. Yet no such princely sceptre shall theirs be As his to whose dominion they succeed, (Thoug'h strong their throne and great their dignity), THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. 99 For wars and strifes and thirst of blood and greed Of power shall waste their strength away, as Heaven 's decreed. ''Then in their latter days, when impious sin Hath reached its height, shall suddenly appear Another Horn, a little Horn, within ', The confines of the vanished thrones, and rear Its head, obscure and unpretentious as it stands. But soon 'twill g-row and wax evceeding great, Advancing wonderfully o'er mighty lands, And magnify itself (with pride inflate) E'en to the very heavens, so lifted up its state. 'Tierce will be the King that Earth now sees arise, With treacherous, cruel, bold, designing heart. Versed in the deepest, darkest mysteries, - ' And practiced skill, and cunning, crafty art; - - A False Religion from the dark abyss, \^ To which dominion stern will hence be given — A base imposture from the Pit it is. Though claiming birth and origin in heaven, And men will gnaw their tongues in pain,* to madness driven. ^ "Yet wonderfully 'twill prosper and prevail, - ' - And do its pleasure, trampling truth beneath Its impious foot, and causing hearts to quail, And craft to prosper, and foul lust, and death — And Heaven's host, the warring church on earth Be trodden down beneath its hoof of power, Its princes fall like stars of heaven, their worth Unheeded, w^hile the angry storm-douds lower — •,; It is the day of gloom, the Crescent 's awful hour. "Against the Prince himself of that doomed host 'Twill lift its daring head, and foully dim *See Rev. 16:10 100 THE LOST DREAM. The lustre of his matchless name. 'Twill boast Of its own Prophet false, exalting him. Messiah's cross 'twill hurl to earth, and scorn, And clothe with blackest shame; seek to make void His gTeat oblation, of its glory shorn; His sanctuaries where incense rose destroyed, Or else profaned, henceforth to viler use employed. *'Yet not by its own power doth it prevail Or to such greatness grow. Another cause Doth give it strength. Zeal in the church doth fail, Corruption dire pervadeth all; Heaven's laws Made void; saints worshipped; images adored; And faith obscured, and glowing love grown cold; And outward fonn and pomp, so much abhorred Of God. Hence Heaven, for such transgressors bold, Ordaineth this so fearful scourge as now foretold. '^Yet shall he fall, this impious daring Horn, Fall without help and broken without hand. Long, long the ruthless sceptre hath he borne, Aye, long hath trampled o'er the prostrate lands—* But time shall come when from his place on high The vaunting Moslem shall be flung, cast down, The flaming Crescent vanish from the sky. Its Prophet sink beneath iGk)d's awful frown. And He who wore the cross forever wear the crown. ''Long mocked by his vain Christless mummery, And long profaned by his befouling tread, The sanctuary shall yet be cleansed, -and he O'erwhelmed, be seen no more, forever fled; Nor with his impious lie give more offence. Yet, till that day when God thus righteously His long-polluted sanctuary shall cleanse. Two thousand and three hundred years shall be; And then shall be fulfilled t' is wondrous mystery. WEiaHED AKD FOUND WANTING. (Daniel, 5th Chapter.) 1. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2. Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Neb- uchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines might drink therein. 3. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 4. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 5. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part or the hand that wrote. 6. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 7. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 8. Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. 9. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonished. 10. Now, the queen by reason of the words of the king 102 THE LOST DREAM. and his lords came into the banquet-house; and the queen spake and said, O king, live forever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 11. There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchad- nez.^ar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers: 12. Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Beltshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpre- tation. 13. Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Dan- iel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 14. I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. 15. And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been bi'ought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: 10. And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make 4i:terpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 17. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to an- other; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchad- nezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor. 19. And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept aiive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. 20. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 21. And he was driven from the sons of men; and his WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING. 103 heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. 22. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this: 23. But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood and stone, which st^o not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified ; 24. Then was the part of the hand sent from him: and this writing was written. 25. And this is the writing that was written. MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27. TEKEL, Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting. 28. PEREZ, Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. 29. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chal- 3rs or wise men could read that mysterious writing. Neither sorcerer, magician, nor necromancer could decipher a single character. But there it blazed on the plastered wall ''over against the chandelier'' which threw its splendors over the entire assembly, like a death warrant from the King of kings who had been WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING. 105 SO openly and impiously insulted in that hall that night. In the midst of the profound awe that had settl€»d upon that hon-or-stricken assemblage of revelers, Daniel, who had been summoned from the obscurity in which he had been living during Belshazzar's dissolute and prof- ligate reign, makes his appearance and with majestic bearing proceeds to interpret the fatal writing, and pro- nounces on the affrighted king the richly-deser\-ed doom announced by heaven. The substance of the Prophet's message was this. Bel- shazzar had led a dissolute life. He had been abundantly warned; the experience of his grandsire, who had been brought down from his lofty throne and humbled in a most conspicuous manner because of his pride and for- getfulness of God. biid been well known to him: unadmon- ished by this experience, he had acted even worse than his humbled sire, and that very night had insulted Jeho- vah in the most open and impious manner by praising the idol gods of wood and stone as the authors of his prosperity, while at the same time profaning the sacred vessels of Jehovah's temple by a most sacrilegious dese- cration; his life had been a failure: he had been weighed in the equitable balances of heaven and found utterly wanting; his days were now numbered as well as those of his empire: his sceptre, wrested from his grasp, would be given to the Mede; the Persian would sit upon his forfeited throne; and that very night he himself, as a cast off and rejected reprobate, would be cut down and slain. This was the message and this the sentence pronounced upon the foolish and fated king. How long the Prophet had retired from the hall be»- fore the sentence was executed we do not know, but it could not have been long. Certainly it must have been a very brief interval, for it was already far into the night when this scene took place and before mornin? the city fell. Ere the king was aware or had recovered from his stupefaction, heaven's executioner's were at the palace gates, the king's guards were overpowered, and the king himself was slain. The Medes and the Persians were 106 THE LOST DREAM. swarming in the streets,* the city was hopelessly captur- ed, Babylon was fallen, and the empire of the Chaldans forever overturned. The race of the royal Cyrus was on the throne, the predictions of prophecy were accomplish- ed, and the second geat empire of history had entered upon its solemn lease of power. In reading this brief but graphic account of the lait night of Belshazzar's life and reign as narrated by Dan- iel, one cannot fail being impressel with the quiet dig- nity and bearing of the Prophet as he stood as God'f representative and messenger and pronounced sentence on the besotted and brutish king. ''Let thy gifts be to thyself and give thy rewards to another" was his calm and dignified declinature of the proltered gifts and hon- ors made by the king. So also the shameless impiety and presumptuous ir- reverence of Belshazzar himself are made very conspicu- ous in the occurrences of that memorable night. His character seems to have been one of utter selfishness, sensuality and profligacy. He had lived without God in the world, caring only for himself, and in the judgment of heaven his life had been a total and conspicuous fail- ure. Hence this solemn sentence passed on him "weighed and found w^anting" w^as the impres>ive fact blazoned before that vast assemblage in letteis of burning fire by the fingers of that mysterious hand. A very significant indication of his sensual and profli- gate character may be seen in the otherwise strange land almost unaccountable fact that such a man as Daniel, who had filled so prominent and conspicuous a place dur- ing the reign and in the public affairs of his gi-andfath- er Nebuchadnezzar, and whose fame was spread all over the land, had been allowed to fall into such obscurity and had so litle to do with the matters of state under Belshazzar 's reign that he did not seem even to know of his existence until urged by his queen-mother to send for him. At the same time Daniel's character and plac3 of residence were well known to others besides the kinj» * Jeremiah 51:14. WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING. 107 and his court, for he is sent for and very soon appean in the royal hall. But he was now an old man and far advanced in j^ars, and his grave and venerable appear- ance accompanied by that dignified bearing and self- possession 'which appears to have always been a marked feature of Daniel's character, would serve to add weight and dignity to the solemn message he was commissioned to deliver. Nor can the impressive gravity as well as terse and ©ententious brevity in which the immediate fulfillment of Daniel's message to the worthless king is announced, be surpassed. "In that night was Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans slain, and Darius the Median took the king- dom, being about three-score and two years old," is the brief and simple statement of an event that marked the orerturning of an empire and the annihilation of a race of kings. No enlarging on the accomplished prophecy, no comments, no description of the death scene when it occurred, and no attempts Avhatever at effect — nothing more than the simple yet majestic statement of the fact. And nothing more was needed. So it is with all Scriptura. It carries in its own sublime and majestic utterances one of the clearest proofs of its divine origin. It speaks in the name of the King of heaven, and it speaks as the King of heaven. V. 16. '^And shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.'' Belshazzar wa« the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar and son-in-law of Nabonadius who v/is the fiist ruler in the Kingdom. He would therefore be the second, and Daniel would of course have to be the third ruler." But Nabonadius was not in the city during its siege and capture by Cyrus, he having been absent in some other part of his dominions when the Persian army marched against it in the summer of 538 B. C. and did not return. Belshazzar was therefore in supreme authority, and its last king when Babylon fell. Along her banks the proud Euphrates flows, As silently her waters waste away; • ; 108 THE LOST DREAM. While Babylon's long--f oiled belea^iering foes Now gird them for the swiftly-nearing fray Which well they know must come before the opening day. Within, the sounds of revelry arose, For none that night so heedless and so gay As Babel's sons; and yet not Babel knows Until too late, how near, how dread, her dying throes. In gorgeous and in densely-crowded hall Sat B'abel's King, her last; while gorged with wine He and his court held noisy festival. A thousand lords, with queen and concubine Caroused, deeming themselves like gods divine — When suddenly amidst that midnight brawl Appears a direful, dread, portentous sign, A spectre hand which plainly seen by all Wrote slowly mystic message on the plastered walL Around the throng the whispered tidings flew As frightened hearts full on the portent gazed; While mute w^ith terror king and courtiers view The flaming omen as it brig'htly blazed, And cowered in speechless horror, awed, amazed. *'Call for the seers — who'll read this writing, who? Rich gifts be his; to highest honors raised, Let him be third, and robed in purple too, Who'll read yon mystic sign or give its faintest clue.*'' In vain; no practic'd art such mystery Can solve; let Babel's boasted Magians come And read what in those fateful symbols be. But Chaldea's future-telling seers are dumb, And like their king with freezing terror numb, Till enters one of princely ancestry, Daniel the Hebrew seer — who as the hum To silence falls, in solemn majesty Expounds to king and court heaven's dire decree. ''Great pomp, oh king,, possessed thy princely sire^ And regal glory; none like him so great; WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING. 109 None throned as he, none equaled, none was higher. He slew or spared as mighty Potentate, And lorded tribes or tongues in royal state; His will none thwarted, none opposed. But when Hjis heart swelled high with pride, his fate O'ertook him and he fell — a brute, till then Learned he that heaven rules in all the affairs of men. ^'And this thou knewest, aye knewest it all full well. Yet hast not bowed thy self-willed heart; untaught By heaven's reproofs, unmindful what befell Thine humbled sire, hast thou with all thy court Now praised these senseless gods, by creature wrought; But Him by whom thy breath and being's held And thy minutest ways, hast thou not sought; A w^asted life thou'st lived — thy doom is sealed, And heaven long wearied has her purpose stern revealed. '^ There, fated king, there flames the dread decree, Bright blazing yonder on yon lurid wall, 'Tis heaven's reverseless sentence passed on thee, And on thy soul like death-stroke will it fall. Thus reads it — 'Mene, Mene,' numbered; all Thy kingdom hath God numbered, and thy days; And 'Tekel,' weighed — ^by Him who actions weighs, And finds thee wanting; 'Peres,' from thee torn, Thy sceptre to the Persian falls, by him be borne. "Long at thy barred and doubly-bolted gates Has knocked that waiting Persian and the Mede, Wihilst thou, secure, hast laughed No more he waits; This night he'll enter — to thy throne succeed. Vain are thy guards, since thus has heaven decreed; Thou 'It laugh no more. The foe that Babel hates Shall riot in her palaces, while bleed Her sons and daughters, and in direst straits Shall Babel fall and perish, as foretell her fates." Echoing through lofty corridor and hall The slowly-uttered words of nearing doom 110 THE LOST DREAM. : (As wrote the mystic fingers on that wall) Fall like sepulchral message from the tomb, And fling deep horror, as some pall of gloom. On that assemblage into terror thrown; Forebodings dark and fears now frightful loom — Mirth from the joyous revelers is flown, And turns each terror smitten heart to senseless stone. Spuming the empty honors thrust on him The Prophet stern, heaven's messenger, retires — While lamps burn low and flickering lights grow dim, And hearts grow faint, and lingering hope expires. Forth from these scenes of vanished revelry He silently now wends his way, while wait The judgment-smitten throng their agony. Already sound the shouts of foes elate, And all proclaim too well the city's nearing fate. Then Babel burst thy long-told night of woe. Of blazing torch and midnight burnings red. Of thunder-shout, and battle's fiery glow. Of jositling chariot, and the marshaled tread Of ai-mies trooping to the fray; of terror, dread, And nameless horrors by exulting foe; Of reeking coi^e, and grim and ghastly dead. And scenes of hon-or as no words may know, Matched only in their depths by fiery Pit below. And Babel fell, the Queenly one, while rolled Remorseless war's dark puipling tide Through pillared hall and palaces, where gold And silver gleamed, and gems — the boast, the pride Of mighty Bab^'lon, now fallen and blood-dyed. And leaping flame, and clang of arms, and flight Of flying fugitives, and shout, and groan Mingled in one tumultuous din. That night Chaldea's fated king, by heaven disowned, Belshazzar, dies — and climbs the conquering Mede the throne. III. UNDER DARIUS. (1). Messiah the Prince. (2). The Man of Sin. (3). Closing Scenes. MESSIAH THE PRINCE. (Daniel, 9th Chapter.) 1. In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; 2. In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by hooks the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accom- plish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. 3. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by praj'-er and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: 4. And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments: 5. We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6. Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the coun- tries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. 8. O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our 112 THE LOST DREAM. kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him: 10. Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice, therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written In the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 12. And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 13. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil Is come upon us; yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth. 14. Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous iu all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. 15. And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sin- ned, we have done wickedly. 16. O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. 17. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. 18. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplica- tions before thee for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies. 19. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken anil do; defer not, for thine own sake O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. 20. And while I was speaking, and praying, and con- fessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy moimtain of my God; 21. Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning. MESSIAH THE PRINCE. 113 being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the tim« of the evening oblation. 22. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 23. At the beginning of thy supplications the command- ment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for in- iquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to Beal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. 25. Know therefore and understand, that from the go- ing forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and three score and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 2G. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end therefore shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27. And he shall confirm the covenent with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause tbe sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the over- spreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Long before the fall of Babylon Daniel had been study- in the prophecies bearing' on the restoration of Jeru- salem, and had evidently been a close observer of the ''signs of the times." He was familiar with the Scrip- tures relating to that subject, and clearly discerned the nearness of their fulfillment. Events were now manifei^t- ly moving rapidly to their consummation. From the computations he had made, he had discovered that the period foretold in the prophets was now close at hand, and that JeriTsalem's restoration could not be far off. Accordingly he makes his supplication to God in her behalf, first preparing himself for the revelation that might be made to him, by a season of fasting and prayer. Then confessing his own sin and that of his people, b* 114 THE LOST DREAM. ftcknowledges the justice of God in the calamities that had come upon the city and its people, and invokes his mercy in their behalf, asking that God would lift them from their low estate. While engaged in this earnest, fei-i^ent prayer, and at the hour of the evening sacrifice, he is touched by the angel Gabriel who had been sent to make known to him the future of his people and their city. In doing this the angel reavealed to him the additional fact, which up to this time had been kept entirely se- cret, the date of Messiah's Day and discloses the exact period when he was to appear. It was yet more than 500 years off and several centuries were to pass before it would be reached. Nevertheless the exact date could be known by carefully noting the time when a certain edict was to issue from the throne of Persia, and which might be readily recognized by certain particulars Avhich ihe angel proceeds to mention. Sixty-nine weeks of yeai^ from that designated date, i. e., 483 years, w^uld complete the period necessary to pass before his coming and usher in the day when the long-promised Messiah would be manifested to Israel, present his great oblation on the cross, forever finish transgression, and make an •nd of sin. His death, however, would be a violent one, attended by enormous guilt on the part of the Jewish people and resulting in fearful and unparalleled calamities to them and their city Jerusalem. Its end would be with a fiery flood of war, desolation, ruin — and they would be over- whelmed with the vials of divine wrath poured out on them '^ until the end of the indignation."