The Prophet Isaiah also prophesies in many places of Jerusalem under the title of Babylon, and as one example which is appropriate and which sets forth the same things as are found in the Revelation, we will quote from chapter forty-seven, where it is said, "Come down and sit in the dust, O Virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate" (verse 4). “The remnant of Israel say, As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel." Then speaking again of the mystical daughter of the Chaldeans (the daughter of Jerusalem) he says, "Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms." Then the Lord says, "I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand, thou didst show them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke." That is as Zechariah said (11:6), "Lo, I will deliver every one into his neighbor's hand, and into the hand of his king, and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them." This is a king in Jerusalem, when she is called the lady of kingdoms. Isaiah, continues in verse 7: "And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it. Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly (as they do when Gog comes against them); that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness; thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know."

There can be no question but that the things that are here affirmed of the daughter of Babylon, are the same as are spoken of Babylon in the eighteenth chapter of Revelation, where it is said, "How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her, for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." Neither can there be any doubt in the mind of an honest and scripturally instructed person that the Babylon that John speaks of is Jerusalem. And there are other places in the Old Testament prophecies where Jerusalem is spoken of as Babylon, as Nineveh, as Sodom, as Egypt, and as Tyrus, as we may show as we progress with our investigations.

THE BEAST UPON WHICH THE WOMAN SITS (REV. 13 AND 17) Before proceeding further with the things testified of the woman who sits upon the scarlet colored beast, we shall now speak of some important features of the beast.

We have already shown (while treating of Gog under the symbol of "the beast"), what the heads of the beast are; that they are not the seven little hillocks on which Rome was built, nor the seven different forms of the Roman government from ancient down to modern times, but instead they are seven distinct parts of Gog's vast confederation of nations, all of which Ezekiel (38) calls by name, and are as follows: Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Ethiopia, Libia, Gomer, and Togarmah, seven in number. These heads the angel said to John are crowned (Rev. 12:3), thus indicating that they are kingdoms under the dominion of kings who are in alliance with Gog, or over whom Gog is guard, or chief commander, as the Lord says, "Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them."

THE TEN HORNS OF THE BEAST

With reference to the horns of the beast, the toes of the image, the horns of Daniel's fourth beast, the horns of the dragon, and the ten horns of the beast which rises out of the sea, all of which refer to the same things, our modern interpreters are just as far astray as they are in their views of the heads of the beast. They say (but simply as a matter of speculation of their own and without the slightest authority), that they are ten kingdoms into which the old Roman Empire was divided. But as it was divided into more than ten states, it has been a puzzle to these men to know which of these states shall be selected to be known as the ten horns. This fact of itself is sufficient to show But if we follow Paul's instructions,

that their theory is a mere speculation. to compare spiritual things with spiritual, we should be at no loss to know who these ten horns are, or to point them out, and call them by name. One prophet gives us the names of the heads, and another prophet gives us the names of the horns; Ezekiel tells us who the heads are, and David gives us a list of the horns, and states what they propose to do, and points out how it all ends, as it is set forth in the eighty-third Psalm.

In this Psalm the prophet speaks of that same confederation of nations in the latter days which, as the Lord says by the hand of Ezekiel, has been the theme of the prophets of Israel in old time and of which also he says, This is the day whereof I have spoken." This great confederation, with a certain well defined purpose as set forth in this Psalm, and the great overthrow that they finally meet with, is something which has never transpired in human history, nor in connection with the house of Israel since this psalm was written; and as the Scriptures cannot be broken, the things contained therein will come to pass in the future, in the latter days.

The Psalmist says, Keep not silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy hidden ones; they have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance." Now this evil purpose which animates these powers (which are hereinafter named, and which we shall see are the horns of the beast), should be carefully noted. This confederation God has gathered together to punish and destroy his rebellious and idolatrous people. But there is a remnant which is to be hid in the day of

the Lord's anger, and when the enemy consult together to destroy this remnant also, so as to utterly extinguish the nation of Israel, they go too far. Therefore it is said, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed" (Job 38: 11). This "remainder of wrath" God

restrains.

This remnant, though small, is of more value than the balance of the rebellious house, for they repent and their sins are blotted out as a thick cloud (Isa. 44: 22). And again the Lord says of them, "I will pardon them whom I reserve" (Jer. 50: 20). God's command to the enemy is this, "Go ye up upon the walls, and destroy, but make not a full end; take away her battlements, for they are not the Lord's. For the house of Israel, and the house of Judah (the two houses) have dealt very treacherously, saith the Lord" (this refers to the latter days, as there has been no two houses since Jeremiah's time) (Jer. 5: 10-11).

Again, in regard to the sparing of the remnant the Lord says, "He will bring upon them that mighty and ancient nation to destroy them," but he adds, "Nevertheless, in those days, saith the Lord, I will not make a full end of you" (Jer. 5: 18). And in regard to this remnant again he saith by the hand of Zephaniah (2:3), "Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgments, seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." And therefore he says to them in another place, "Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast; for behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain" (Isa. 26:20-21).

be

ye

These hidden ones in the time of the Lord's anger, are in the Revelation known as the hundred, forty and four thousand who stand on Mount Zion and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, that is, wheresoever he goeth to wage war against the enemy. For after the beast and kings of the earth (the ten horns) have made the harlot desolate and naked, and eaten her flesh, and burnt her with fire (Rev. 17: 16), then they consult against the Lamb's hidden ones, to destroy them also. Therefore it is said of them (verse 14), “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and they that are with him (the remnant of Israel that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth), are called, and chosen, and faithful." When this conflict comes, after the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion, and on Jerusalem, then he will punish the stout heart of the king of Assyria (Gog, or the beast), and the glory of his high looks, and the Lamb shall overcome them.

The Ten Horns Named

The ten horns as enumerated and named by the spirit of inspiration in David, in the eighty-third psalm, are as follows, "The tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagarenes, Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philistines, with the inhabitants of Tyre. Assur (the Assyrian, that is, Gog of Ezekiel, or the beast of John) is joined with them, they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah." The children of Lot" appear to in

clude the Midianites, which makes up the number ten. These are confederate with the Assyrian, who conspire to utterly annihilate the children of Israel including the Lord's hidden ones, the remnant.

Midian appears to have been numbered among the children of Lot" in this way: Midian was a son of Abraham by Keturah, Abraham's second wife, who was no doubt a daughter of Lot. For as Abraham would not allow Isaac to marry any of the daughters of the land, it is not presumable that he would take one himself, but that he would take one of his own kindred. Therefore Moab, Ammon, and Midian, we understand, are called the 'Children of Lot" in this Psalm. For the Moabites and the Midianites were

on very friendly terms with each other and conspired together before to hire Baalam to curse Israel (Num. 22). And Midian is also in the conflict in the latter days, for Habakkuk (3:7) speaking of those times says, “I saw the tents of Cushan (Ethiopia) in affliction, and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble."

The Ten Horns Identified

The Psalmist speaks of these ten peoples, Edom, Ishmaelites, Moab, Hagarenes, Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistines, Tyre and the Midianites, who are all confederate with Assur (the Assyrian), saying (83:5), "For they have consulted together with one consent (or rather as it is written in the margin, with one heart,' that is, they have one mind), they are confederate against thee." Now does any one desire a better identification of the ten horns than this, for in the Revelation (17: 12-13) it is written, “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet (that is, at this point in the prophecy); but receive power as kings one hour with the beast" (the Assyrian or Gog). And now note particularly, the tenor of the language, as being identical with that contained in the eighty-third Psalm, namely, "These have one mind (heart) and give their power and strength unto the beast" (that is, they are confederate with Assur).

SELAH

This word appears to be employed as a sort of memorial word. It is first used in the twenty-third chapter of first Samuel, when David and his men were surrounded by Saul, who sought his life. But the Lord distracted and divided Saul's attention from David by causing a messenger to be sent to Saul, saying, "Haste thee, and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land." Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth (verse 28), which signifies, "The rock of divisions"; for there the Rock of Israel miraculously interfered to frustrate the purposes of the enemy and to deliver David from death. This word is thus employed in the eighty-third Psalm to show how the rock of Israel will frustrate the wicked purposes of this confederacy to destroy the remnant of Israel.

Therefore, continues the Psalmist (verse 9), "Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison, which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb; yea, all their princes like Zebah and as Zalmunna; who said, Let us

take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. O my God, make them like a wheel, as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire, so persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame and perish; that men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth."

When this very remarkable and forcible language which is here employed to describe the manner of the overthrow and destruction of this great confederation of nations is compared with the language that is employed by Daniel where he describes the destruction of Nebuchadnezzar's image (2:34-44) and the destruction of the beast with great iron teeth and its ten horns and blasphemous little horn, as is brought to view in the seventh chapter of Daniel; also with what is said of the Assyrian by the prophet Isaiah (10) where he says also that his fall is to be as in the day of Midian (verse 26), and finally with John's description of the destruction of the beast, and the kings of the earth which are the ten horns (Rev. 19: 19-21), I say when one weighs all these different accounts together, he must indeed be very wanting in Scripture intelligence if he does not see that these descriptions refer to one and the same great event in our world's history and mark the destruction of the wicked according to the judgments written in the law, the coming of the kingdom of God, and the great inauguration of the reign of Christ and his saints upon the earth.

THE JUDGMENT OF THE HARLOT, JERUSALEM

One of the seven angels which had the seven vials said to John, Come hither, I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore, that sitteth upon many waters." Again he saith by explanation (Rev. 17: 16-17), "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." Now we may ask, why will they do this? The angel answers and says, For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."

Now where are the words of God to be found which are to be fulfilled by what these horns do in hating the whore, and by making her desolate and naked, and by eating her flesh and burning her with fire? That is to say, where in the prophets does the Lord say that Jerusalem is to be punished and destroyed after this terrible manner by these powers? Now inasmuch as this is a matter of the greatest importance that we should correctly understand the true interpretation of this prophecy, we will here refer to what the Lord himself says by the hand of Ezekiel in regard to Jerusalem and her people, and what he says in reference to his doings and his relations with this renowned city.

Ezekiel says (16), "Again the word of the Lord came unto me saying, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, and say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem, Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of

Son of

man,