zar's empire, who stood in an analogous relation of subordination and dependence to him.

The third agent was the watcher who descended from heaven, and commanded to hew down the tree, and strip it of its foliage and boughs; and he was the symbol of the watcher and holy one, who descended from heaven, and announced to Nebuchadnezz ir, when walking upon his palace, that his kingdom was departing from him, an i he should be driven from men, and have his dwelling with the beasts of the field.

The fourth and only other agents in the vision, are the men who were commanded by the watcher to hew down and dismantle the tree, and leave its stump among the tender grass of the field; and they are symbols of the men who were to remove him from his throne, drive him to the open fields, and cause him to dwell with the beasts.

All these symbolic agents are thus representatives of agents; not of characteristics, acts, effects, or places, but simply of agents; and of living, conscious, and intelligent, and with one exception, human agents. They are not all used, however, on the same principle. All but the last two are employed on the principle of analogy or a general resemblance only, the symbol differing in kind from that which it represents. The last two are used on the principle of a sameness-not simply a resemblance of nature. The watcher, a messenger from heaven, symbolized a watcher, a messenger like himself, in nature and office from heaven. The men who were to hew down and dismantle the tree and leave its stump among the tender grass of the field, were the symbols of the men who were to dethrone Nebuchadnezzar, drive him from the capital, and leave him to dwell with the beasts of the field. And the reason that these symbols were used to represent agents of their own kind, obviously was, that no agent of a different species could properly represent them in the different spheres they were

The

announcement that was to be made to Nebuchadnezzar at the fulfilment of the vision, that his kingdom was departing from him, and he was to be driven from men, and dwell with the beasts, was to be made by a holy messenger from heaven. That that symbol might be a proper representative of that messenger, it was necessary that he should be a mes

senger from heaven, with a like power of speech, and should utter a command that was an appropriate representative of that announcement. And as there are no messengers from heaven but angels, who make, or can make, vocal communications to men, it was requisite that an angel of the same nature and office should be employed as the symbol of him who was to utter the proclamation to Nebuchadnezzar by which he was apprised that his power was departing, and he was to sink to the condition of a brute.

In like manner, as the agents who were to remove Nebuchadnezzar from the throne, drive him forth to dwell with the beasts, and preserve his kingdom for him during his humiliation, were to be men, it was requisite that men should be used as their symbols, ina-much as no other agents were suited to fill that office. Involuntary powers could not, as they could not represent men as acting in those peculiar relations and forms towards Nebuchadnezzar. Angels could not; as they could not naturally be exhibited as acting in the relations in which the men to be symbolized, were to act, nor for the ends at which they were to aim.

It is the law, then, invariably of these symbols, that agents represent agents. When agents presenting the proper resemblances exist, the symbols are used on the principle of analogy, and differ in kind from that which they symbolize. When no such representatives exist, the symbol is of the same species as that which it symbolizes, and is used on the principle of sameness of nature instead of resemblance.

The next class of symbols are characteristics; such as the greatness, resplendence, and terribleness of the image, and the relative preciousness of the different metals of which it was formed, Dan. ii., and the height, breadth, beauty, conspicuousness, and fruitfulness of the tree; and these are representatives of analogous characteristics of the agents whom the image, and the individual monarch whom the tree represents. The greatness, splendor, and terribleness of the image, bespoke a corresponding greatness, magnificence, and terribleness in the conquerors and oppressors whom the image symbolized; while the superior preciousness and beauty of the gold to the silver, and of the silver

to the brass, and of the brass to the iron, of which the four divisions of the shape were formed, denoted that the Babylonian dynasty represented by the gold would surpass the Persian in splendor and magnificence; and the Persian the Grecian, and the Grecian the Roman; and the strength of the iron above the other metals, indicated that the Roman was to transcend the other empires in the energy and severity of its domination.

The towering height, the immense breadth, the great strength of the tree, its beauty, its visibleness throughout the earth, and its fruitfulness, were symbols of corresponding characteristics in Nebuchadnezzar as the monarch of Babylon. "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."

The third class of symbols in these visions are the acts or operations of the symbols that are agents; and these acts are representatives universally of corresponding acts of the agents who are symbolized by those representative actors. Thus the stroke on the image by the stone cut from the mountain, symbolizes the corresponding act of the saints of the Most High, by which the rulers represented by the feet of the image are to be struck from their organization and power as rulers; the act of the men who were to hew down the tree was the representative of the corresponding act of the men who were to remove Nebuchadnezzar from his throne, preclude him from acting as king, and drive him to dwell with the beasts. And so of the other acts of the wind, of the watcher, and of the beasts and birds that dwelt under or on the tree.

In like manner, the effects wrought by the symbolic agents represent analogous effects wrought by the agents whom those symbols represent. The crushing of the image denoted the disorganization and dissolution of the combination of rulers symbolized by the image. The hewing down and dismantling of the tree, the dethronement and degradation of Nebuchadnezzar of whom the tree was the symbol.

And finally, places, the only other class of symbols in these chapters, are used as symbols of places, the only thing plainly they can denote on the ground either of resemblance or of Thus the earth on which the great image Daniel

sameness.

ii. was beheld, was the symbol of the earth and that part of it over which the dynasties the image symbolized were to reign. The earth on which the tree beheld by Nebuchadnezzar stood, was the symbol of the earth, and that part of it, in which the Babylonian empire was situated.

Such being the relations in which these symbols interpreted by the Spirit of God are used, the principles on which they are employed, are undoubtedly common to all the other symbols of the Scriptures; and present the laws by which such of those as are not interpreted by the Revealer himself, are to be interpreted by those who would know their true meaning. We scarcely need add, that they are the laws we have heretofore stated, and have taken as our guides, in our endeavors to unfold the meaning of the symbolic Scripture prophecies. If followed implicitly, they will lead to a true solution of all the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Jolin, conveyed through symbols that are left unexplained by the inspiring Spirit.

ART. V.-DESIGNATION AND EXPOSITION OF THE FIGures of ISAIAH.-CHAPTERS LXI., LXII., AND LXIII.

1

THE theme of the preceding chapter, the second coming of Messiah and the restoration of Israel, is continued in this. The Messiah announces his work. He is to proclaim glad tidings, to bind up the broken in heart, to comfort the mourning, and give joy and salvation to his people Israel, vs. 1-3. They are to rebuild the fallen cities, vs. 4. Strangers are to be their laborers, vs. 5. The Israelites are to be the priests of Jehovah, vs. 6. Instead of disgrace they are thus to be honored; instead of treacherous they are to be faithful ministers, vs. 7, 8. They are to be known among all nations as blessed of Jehovah, vs. 9. The Messiah rejoices in Jehovah because of his success in their salvation, vs. 10, 11.

1. Metaphor in the use of broken in heart, to denote those who are overwhelmed with sorrow. "The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah has anointed

me to bring good news to the humble, he has sent me to bind up the broken in heart; to proclaim freedom to the captives, and a full opening (release) to them that are bound," vs. 1.

2, 3, 4. Hypocatastases in the use of binding up the broken in heart for consoling and cheering them, and proclaiming freedom to captives, and release to prisoners, for the analogous deliverance of the guilty from sin. The speaker, as in the preceding chapter, is the Messiah, manifestly from the office he fills, and from the express appropriation of the passage by Christ to himself, Luke iv. 16–22. The office described here and in the verse that follows, is that of proclaiming, as the anointed of Jehovah, the glad tidings of the salvation he came to bestow; not absolutely bestowing it, and giving freedom to captives, and release to prisoners; and that office he filled in an eminent sense at his first advent. The good news, that the kingdom of heaven was nigh, was the great theme of his preaching; and his proclaiming it was alleged by him in his message to John the Baptist, Matt. xi. 5, as proving.that he was the Messiah. He did not thus proclaim liberty to the Israelites in exile, nor a release of the bound in prisons; but only a freedom from sin and release from its curse. And that office, which he filled in his first, he is to fill in a far higher and more effective manner at his second coming, when he is to bestow salvation on the Israelites as a nation, and also to recall them from exile, and re-establish them in their own land. And it is to that period that the passage chiefly refers, as is seen from the predictions that immediately precede and follow it, which relate to his second advent, and reign over Israel as a restored and redeemed people. That it is the Messiah who speaks, is shown also by his being anointed by Jehovah; that is, constituted Messiah in order to the proclamation he was thus to make. It is shown likewise by the descent on him of the Spirit; as that, which took place at his baptism, was peculiar to him, and was the signal for his entering on his trial in the wilderness, and his ministry to the people.

5, 6. Metaphors in calling the redeemed Israelites, Trees of righteousness, the Planting of Jehovah. "To proclaim the year of favor for Jehovah, and the day of vengeance for