of things, that we should see whether there may not be another interpretation. When a symbolic year is mentioned, the word employed is eviavTòs, but these 1000 years are ern. The choice of a different word seems to indicate a different idea. The former a symbolic, the latter a natural year.

In computing the 1260 days during which the saints of the Most High were delivered into the hands of the Little Horn, a difficulty arises because of four occasions when the supremacy of the Pope in legal causes was recognised, so far as concerned ecclesiastical affairs. The first was a decree of Gratian and Valentinian, A.D. 378 or 379; the second by Theodosius II. and Valentinian III., A.D. 445. But as there were emperors of the West as well as of the East at these periods, the Popes had not become a little horn. It is, however, remarkable that 1260 years from each of those eras marks a declension in Papal power. A.D. 1638 saw the conclusion of the thirty years' war; and A.D. 1704 marked the commencement of Marlborough's victories, by which the French and Papal power were so much weakened.

In A.D. 606 Phocas acknowledges Boniface as universal bishop, and A.D. 1866 was a fatal year for Papal power by the utter overthrow of Austria as a western power, and the establishment of the supremacy of Protestant Prussia.

But A.D. 533 was the real year in which Justinian gave a legal status to the Bishop of Rome as the judge of heresy, since which time no western emperor reigned

in Rome. A.D. 1792 was therefore, I think, the true termination of the time, times, and a half of the Little Horn.

From all the foregoing, I think there can be no reasonable doubt that the times of the Gentiles begin with Nebuchadnezzar, and close with the final siege of Jerusalem. In the following pages I shall consider those times in the various aspects in which they are regarded in prediction, and show how wonderfully history bears testimony to the fulfilment of God's Word.

THE FOUR EMPIRES AS REVEALED TO
NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

"Why dost thou strive

NEBUCHADNEZZAR had been revolving in his mind the probable history of the future. It was probably during sleepless nights. It pleased God to reveal to him in a dream the outline of the history of Gentile sovereignty until its utter subversion, to make way for "the kingdom of the God of heaven." This reminds us of those instructive words of Elihu, against him? for He giveth not account of any of His matters. For God speaketh once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that He may withdraw man from his

purpose, and hide pride from man" (Job xxxiii. 13-17). Men are never less able to guide their own thoughts than when dreaming. Any disclosures then given could not be ascribed to human skill.

To Nebuchadnezzar was shown a great image, "whose brightness was excellent, and form terrible." His head was of fine gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

A stone cut out without hands smote the image on his feet, and the whole image was broken to pieces, and became as the chaff of the summer threshing-floor.

The stone became a great mountain, which filled the whole earth.

The Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman Empires were thus revealed to Nebuchadnezzar as constituting in reality one continuous system, varying in form and qualities, but one in continuity. The two arms of silver symbolised the Medes and Persians; the two thighs, Greece, European and Asiatic; the two legs, Rome, West and East; the two feet and ten toes, Rome and Constantinople, with five powers round each. In quality the Babylonian was the best. As constituted under Nebuchadnezzar, there was a God-fearing monarch, with absolute power. Of Belshazzar we may say, how is the gold become dim, the most fine gold changed! In Persia there was at first a divided empire, and a council in some respects superior to the sovereign. In Greece the brazen phalanx, which secured victory, soon became mutual by weakening monarchies. In Rome there

was the dominion of force and the strength of institutions, at length degrading into representative governments and divided interests.

Potter's clay is valuable in its place for making even vessels unto honour. Its nature, however, is too friable to make a vessel which could stand the shock of battle. Therefore Daniel also calls it miry clay. This was to be the last condition of empire immediately preceding the second advent. The same suggestion is in other places: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Ps. ii. 9). Christ's people shall be associated with Him in that work: "He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to pieces; even as I received of my Father" (Rev. ii. 27, 28).

In this view of Gentile empire we have to note that the Grecian was to be partly Asiatic and partly European, so was it to be also with the Roman. The last condition of the Roman was to be with five toes belonging to each foot, i.e., five western and five eastern states, forming the last condition of the image.

The power which destroyed the image was shown to Nebuchadnezzar merely as a destroying power at first, and afterwards as a great mountain, filling the whole earth. This is explained by Daniel as the kingdom of the God of heaven; no Son of man, as the Great King was shown to him, nor the saints persecuted by the Little

Horn. It was simply a vision of successive empires, with their gradual deterioration.

We now are approaching rapidly to the last condition of the image. In the year 1866, the western foot, with its five toes, was formed by the expulsion of Austria from Western Europe. The five western powers are Germany, England, France, Spain, and Italy. The present "Eastern Question" will hurry on the formation of the eastern foot, with its five toes. We shall see, in elucidating the 7th and 8th chapters of Daniel, that these will be Austria and the four Alexandrine horns.

Such is the outline of Gentile sovereignty as thus wonderfully revealed to Nebuchadnezzar.

The same empires are revealed to Daniel in a far more complex manner, and with many added details, as we shall see in unfolding his 7th and 8th chapters.

THE FOUR MONARCHIES, AS REVEALED TO DANIEL IN CHAPTERS VII. AND VIII.

THE empires were shown to Nebuchadnezzar as one continuous image—they were revealed to Daniel as separate empires. To Nebuchadnezzar there was shown a dead image-Daniel saw them as living realities. The vision was given to him in a dream. Daniel records the

narrative in the Gentile language, and he introduces a Gentile idea unknown to the Hebrew Scriptures—the thoughts of the head. The Hebrew image is the thoughts