with seven seals, has never yet been put into the hands of the Lamb that was slain, to open and read. Therefore not one of the seals have yet been opened, nor a single trumpet of the seven yet been sounded, nor a single vial of the seven yet been poured out.

THE KINGDOMS AND EMPIRES OF ANTIQUITY

Before proceeding to interpret the visions of Daniel and John, and kindred revelations, we first propose to speak somewhat of the rise and fall of some of the great kingdoms and empires of ancient times. These great dominions, such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman, flourished contemporaneously with the people of Israel. When the Lord brought up Israel out of Egypt and planted them in the mountain of his inheritance, in the holy land, while they flourished there under various vicissitudes of fortune, the Assyrians were steadily increasing in numbers and strength, until in the days of the prophet Jonah, Nineveh, the chief city of the Assyrians, had become an exceeding great city, of three days' journey. Therefore, when Israel walked not in the laws of the Lord, he first employed the surrounding nations to vex his rebellious people and finally brought against them the Assyrians, who besieged the capital of the ten tribes, Samaria, three years; and having broken up the city, they carried away the ten tribes and dispersed them in the countries, from whence they have never yet returned.

Afterwards the Lord brought up the Assyrians against Judah, the object of which was, not that a righteous king of the house of David might fall before them, but to show that there is a God in Israel who rules over the kingdoms of the heathen, and at whose rebuke the armies of the nations before him are but as chaff before the whirlwind. And the Assyrian overthrow before the city of Jerusalem is a good illustration of how the great Assyrian of the latter days will fall at Jerusalem.

Next, when Babylon arose to power and supremacy in the earth, her kings gloried in themselves and were vain enough to imagine that Babylon was great by the might of their power, and for the honor of their majesty. The nations indeed had been subdued by them, and the kingdom of David had fallen before them; and Jerusalem, where the God of Israel's name was recorded, and where his temple was built, a house of prayer for all nations, was destroyed, and Judah was carried captive to Babylon and dispersed among the nations over which they held supremacy. But while they were captives in Babylon seventy years, the Lord raised them up prophets even there, and during this period particularly, the Lord taught these great and haughty kings, princes, and lords, some most valuable lessons, which kings and princes and all others do well to give heed to, for all time, as will appear from the following.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S PROCLAMATION AND VISION

"Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth, Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 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.

"I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts of my head upon my bed troubled me. 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. Then came the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. But 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, 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.

"Thus were the visions of mine head upon my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth. The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

The Decree of the Watcher

"I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven. 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. 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. 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."

This watcher of human affairs that came down from heaven continues, saying, "This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the 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."

Then the king Nebuchadnezzar says further, "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.

"Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied 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. The tree that thou sawest, which grew and was strong, whose height reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; 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: 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 ends of the earth.

"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 thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the earth; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times (seven years) pass over him; this is the interpretation, O King, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king: That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling 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 kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. Wherefore, O King, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

"All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of my kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? 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: and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling 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.

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'The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: 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. And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes, unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me: and I blessed the Most High; and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me, and my councellors and my lords sought unto me, and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol the King of heaven, all whose works are truth and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride he is able to abase." (Dan. 4.)

These wonderful things that the God of heaven did with the kings of

Babylon during the period that Judah was captive there were not simply to teach these great kings of Babylon, whose kingdoms extended over all the earth, that the heavens do rule, but as is set forth in the king's proclamation, it is intended for the information and benefit of all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth, to show to them that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men (as the watcher that came down from heaven said) and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

BELSHAZZAR

But this valuable lesson was soon forgotten by Nebuchadnezzar's successors, for it is said of his son Belshazzar, "Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 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. They drank wine, and praised the gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of

stone.

"In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 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."

Then the king, like unto his grandfather, called in his wise men, his astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, but they could not interpret the mysterious writing upon the wall. Then the queen reminded him of Daniel, one of the captives of Judah, who had before been made master of the magicians and wise men of Babylon; and he was called in and offered great rewards if he would interpret the writing. Then Daniel, in the presence of the king and this august assemblage of princes and lords, rebuked the king, and spake to him, and to all those present, in the wisdom of God, those memorable words, never to be forgotten by kings, princes, or people, saying, “O thou king, the most high God gave thy father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, and majesty, and honor. 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 alive, and whom he would, he set up, and whom he would, he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his kingly glory from him. And he was driven from the sons of men; and his 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 ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

"And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; but thou 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 see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified." Then Daniel interpreted the writing, and showed the king how God had numbered his kingdom, and finished it. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain, and Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about three score and two years old (chapter 5).

In this short oration Daniel informed this proud and haughty prince how his father became such a mighty potentate in the east. It was not because of his own great wisdom and might that it had been accomplished, but as the prophet informed him, "the most high God gave him a kingdom, and majesty, and glory and honor, and for the majesty that he gave him, all people, and nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him, insomuch, that whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive." This is the great lesson that all these wonders that the God of heaven showed in those days were intended to teach, and not that the great empires of antiquity came into existence by human agency, or, as many who are overtaken by the sin of unbelief would like to have it understood, that these things came by chance. And to show more fully the great truth that Daniel enforced upon the minds of Belshazzar and his lords, we will cite one more instance here. The Lord says of Cyrus, the great commanding officer who turned the river Euphrates and dried up her waters so that his army marched through her channels into the city of Babylon, slew Belshazzar, and took his kingdom, of him the Lord speaks as follows, "That saith to the deep, be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers; that saith of Cyrus, he is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates and the gates shall not be shut. I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.

And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me; I girded thee, though thou hast not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me: I am the Lord, and there is none else" (Isa. 44: 27-28; 45:1-6).

Therefore the great kingdoms and empires of antiquity, were neither built up nor torn down by human agency, but they were the creations of him who had a purpose in view in clothing man with such royal majesty, and in grouping together so many nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples into one great and mighty empire. And it must be observed that these great kingdoms of the olden time, flourished contemporaneously with the house of Israel; and the Lord employed them against his people to punish them for departing from his