final war will manifestly be decided in Palestine between the two seas*.

The corresponding and joint declaration of Dapiel, Zechariah, and Joel, relative to the country which is ultimately to be the seat of this last war, is confirmed in a very remarkable manner by St. John. In his brief account of the vintage, under which Popery and Infidelity are for ever destroyed, he informs us, that the winepress, meaning the winepress of Armageddon, should be trodden without the city, and that blood should come out of it, even to the horses' bridles, by the space of 1600 furlongs. Both these descriptive marks perfectly correspond with the land of Palestine; the land, in which by the unanimous testimony of the prophets the last great controversy of the Lord will be carried on. In one sense, that country is within the great city; and, in another sense, without it. It is within it, if the whole Roman em▾ pire be considered, as including both its proper seat in the West, and its Eastern conquests from the third or Macedonian beast. But it is without it, if the revived or Latin empire be considered, because that empire was confined exclusively to the West. Hence we find it said, in perfect harmony with this supposition, that our Lord was

I have an unfashionable partiality," says Bp. Horsley, "for the opinions of antiquity. I think there is ground in the "prophecies for the notion of the early fathers, that Palestine "is the stage, on which Antichrist, in the height of his impiety, "will perish." Letter on the 18th chap. of Isaiah.

crucified

crucified in the great city *; because he suffered during the existence of the ancient Roman empire, which comprehended the sovereignty both of the East and of the West. And hence we moreover find. it said, that the winepress of Armageddon should be trodden without the city; because at the time when this event is to happen, the East should not form a part of the sovereignty of the received or Latin empire: and history accordingly testifies, that it never did form any part of itt. This land, without the city, where the figurative winepress is to be trodden, is described by St. John as extending 1600 furlongs: and all the other prophets declare, that the land in question is Palestine hence we are naturally led to expect, that Palestine should extend 1600 furlongs. Now it is highly worthy of observation, that the length of that region between the two seas which is destined to witness the fall of Antichrist and his congregated host, if a line be drawn along the sea-shore from its southern to its northern frontier, amounts exactly to 1600 Jewish Risin or Stadia ‡.

* Rev. xi. 8.

2. Not

+ The temporary prevalence of the Latins in the East, during the time of the crusades, forms a solitary exception to this general rule.

See D'Anville's Map of Palestine with scales of measures. This coincidence between the length of Palestine and the 1600 stadia was noticed by Jerome; and it probably was one reason why the fathers rightly believed, that Antichrist should perish. in that country. Mr. Mede mentions the circumstance: but, from an idea that the city means the literal city of Rome instead

of

2. Not merely the land however is pointed out, where this great battle is to be fought, but even the very place in that land. Zechariah, as we have seen, fixes in general terms the scene of action in Palestine and in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem Joel likewise fixes the scene of action in Palestine, declaring that the northern army shall be destroyed between the two seas: Daniel no less explicitly affirms, that the infidel king, after having planted the curtains of his pavilions between the seas in the glorious holy mountain, shall come to his end, none being able to help him: and St. John asserts, that the winepress shall be trodden in a land which extends 1600 furlongs-In addition to this general statement of the country, where these events are to happen, Joel further informs us, that the battle of the nations shall not only be fought between the two seas but in the valley of Jehoshaphat; and St. John predicts very definitely, that

of the Roman Empire, he supposes, contrary to the express de clarations of all the prophecies which treat of the subject, that the last great war will be decided without the walls of Rome and in the territories of the Pope; and thence observes, that the measure of Peter's patrimony, from the walls of Rome to the last mouth of the Po, is 1600 furlongs (Comment, Apoc, in Vindemiam.). Upon this it will be sufficient to observe, that the whole length of the papal dominions is considerably more than 1600 furlongs and even if the coincidence had been exact, nothing would have been proved thereby, because the prophets unanimously direct our attention to quite another country, namely Palestine, which is found to be precisely 1600 furlongs in length, See Pol, Synop. in loc.

this same battle shall not only be fought in a land which extends 1600 furlongs, but in a certain place of that land called Armageddon-The valley of Jehoshaphat therefore and Armageddon are one and the same region-Now the word Jehoshaphat signifies the Judgment of the Lord: and the valley of the battle is indifferently styled by Joel the valley of Jehoshaphat or the judgment of the Lord, and the valley of concision or destruction, It is plain therefore, that this is not the proper, but only a descriptive*, name of the place; that is, of some place or other between the two seas-Here then St. John steps forward, and furnishes us with the literal proper name of the region, which is thus to be made the scene of the just judgment of the Lord, Armageddon signifies the destruction of Megiddo: and Megiddo is a town situate between the two seas, in the half-tribe of Manasseth, at a small distance from the shores of the Mediterranean †. In the

*That Jehoshaphat is only a descriptive name of the place, is evident from the context: "the valley of Jehoshaphat, for “ there will I (Jehovah) sit to judge the nations round about.”. + Armageddon is the abbreviated compound of Arma-Mageddon, the devoting to utter destruction at Megiddo.

אב רב המון pro אברהם Hic itaque crasis est, ut in nomine *

1

"&c." (See Pol. Synop. in loc.). I prefer this derivation of the word to that proposed by Calmet. He conceives it to be compounded of Ar and Megiddon, and thence to signify the mountain of Megiddo. Such a supposition however by no means tallies either with the ordinary language of Scripture employed in speaking of Megiddo, or with the parallel prophecy in the

book

the valley of this place, Josiah lost his life in his. fatal encounter with Pharaoh king of Egypt: and it appears, that this valley of the destruction of Megiddo, or, as it is termed by Joel, this valley of the judgment of the Lord, is hereafter to be the scene of a yet more dreadful conflict.

3. I have observed, that the gathering together of the kings of the earth to the battle of Armageddon seems, to mean the gathering together of some great confederacy of the infidel popish powers,

book of Joel. The valley of Megiddo is twice spoken of (2 Chron. xxxv. 22. Zechar. xii. 11.); the Mountain of Megiddo, never: and, agreeably to this phraseology, the future stage of the great battle of Armageddon is termed by Joel the valley, not the mountain, of Jehoshaphat. Hence I think it scarcely probable, that Armageddon should signify the mountain of Megiddo.

It may not however be improper to remark, that Mr. Brightman proposes another derivation of Armageddon, which some may possibly prefer to that which I adopted, though he himself by running into mysticism does not make the use of it which he' might have done. He conceives Armageddon to be Ar-magedim, the mountain of delights. Now Daniel teaches us, that Antichrist, immediately before his destruction, will pitch his tents between the seas in an Ar-tzebi, the mountain of glory. It is possible therefore, that Ar-magedim and Ar-tzebi may both alike mean mount Zion; and consequently that Jerusalem, not Megiddo, is meant by the apocalyptic Armageddon Perhaps this opinion may be supported by Zechar. xii. 2, 3, 4. xiv. 2, 3, 4. It is almost superfluous to observe, that Jerusalem answers to the description of being between the seas, no less than Megiddo. But, whatever precise place may be intended, Palestine is plainly the region in which Antichrist will be des stroyed.

against