so the projects of the kings of Israel and Judah in the latter days, when they speak lies at one table, will not prosper, for the Lord will render void their counsels, for the Lord has purposed that the end shall be at the time appointed, which is "a time, times and a half from the time that they take away the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation, till the power of the little horn (the king of Israel) is to be broken by the king of the north who then comes against him like a whirlwind.

(Verse 28) "Then shall he return into his land with great riches, and his heart shall be against the holy covenant, and he shall do exploits, and return into his own land" (the holy land). When he returns into his own land from a very successful invasion of Egypt, bringing with him great treasure, then his heart is against the holy covenant, for it is said of him, "He shall think to change times and laws, and they shall be given into his hands for a time, times and a half." Therefore he now begins to meditate changes in God's institutions in the Temple. After this he invades Egypt' again, but he will not be successful as he was before, for it is said of him (verse 29), "At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south, but it shall not be as the former or as the latter." But why, it might be asked, will the king of Israel not be as successful in this last invasion of Egypt as he was in the former, and especially the latter? The answer is found in verse 30, saying, "For the ships of Chittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant. So shall he do; he shall even return (back to Palestine) and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant."

THE SHIPS OF CHITTIM

The reason why the king of Israel at this time is frustrated in his attempts upon Egypt is because of the fulfillment of a very ancient prophecy which the Lord compelled the man to utter whom Balak, the king of Moab, sent and brought from the mountains of the east to come and curse Israel, that he might destroy them. But the Lord turned the curse into a blessing, and compelled Balaam to bless Israel, and after this had been repeated three times, the anger of the king of Moab was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together, and Balak said unto Balaam, "I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee thou to thy place; I thought to promote thee unto great honor, but lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor." And Balaam said unto Balak, "Spake I not also to thy messengers, which thou sentest unto me, saying, if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of my own mind? but what the Lord saith, that will I speak. And now behold, I go to my own people; come therefore and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days."

Balaam's Advertisement

Balaam's advertisement, dictated by the God of Israel for the information of Balak, the king of Moab, and all others whom it may concern, reads as follows: "And he took up his parable and said, Balaam the son of Beor

hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said, he hath said, which hath heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open, I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him but not nigh. There shall come a Star (Christ) out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies, and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations (to war against Israel), but his latter end shall be that he perish. for ever. And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock. Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. And he took up his parable and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this?" The answer to this question is, The members of the body of Christ, having been raised from the dead, will live when God doeth this, and will be active agents in molding the events that will then transpire among the people of Israel and the surrounding nations.

But the principal reason why we refer to this prophecy of what shall transpire in the latter days, is to point out what is here said about the movements of the ships of Chittim in those times, as it is written of them, “And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim (in the latter days) and shall afflict Asshur (that is, the Assyrian), and shall afflict Eber (that is, the Hebrews), and he also (the Hebrews, or house of Israel) shall perish for ever" (Num. 24: 14-25). Eber, or Heber, as Luke hath it, was the fourth from Noah in the line of Christ, and his posterity in the line of Abraham are called after his name, Hebrews." Therefore Abraham was called the Hebrew, and his posterity also in the line of Isaac and Jacob, Hebrews. Heber appears to have been a man of distinction in patriarchal times. He had two sons, the one he called Peleg, because in his days human language was confounded, and the earth divided among the sons of Adam.

This compulsory prophecy by the hand of Balaam advertised the king of Moab of what should befall his people in the latter days, and what the land which he desired Balaam to curse would do to his people in those times; for Moab will have a future history as well as Israel and other nations, as it is written of her, saying, "Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab, in the latter days" (Jer. 48:47).

The Hebrews or Children of Heber

This part of the prophecy which refers to the ships of Chittim afflicting Eber, or the Hebrews, in the latter days, is very valuable in the interpretation of what the angel spake to Daniel, saying, "For the ships of Chittim shall come against him" (verse 30); but he does not tell us who the "him," or person is against whom they come. This is a sort of riddle for us to find out, as none of the kings of Israel who figure in this wonderful prophecy are plainly spoken of; but by the aid of Balaam's advertisement the reader may

see clearly of what people or nation the person is that the angel refers to, whom the ships of Chittim come to afflict in the latter days. It is, as we have shown before, a vile king of Israel; and as this king of Israel will also be a confederate of the Assyrian, or king of the north in these times, the ships of Chittim will afflict Asshur as well as Eber, as Balaam says.

When it is said of Eber, "And he also shall perish forever," it refers to the rebellious house of Israel under the old heavens and earth, which is to pass away and never appear again, even as the Lord says of the rebellious house who forsake the Lord and forget his holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering to that number (666). Therefore the Lord says of them, "I will number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter, because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear, but did evil before mine eyes, and did that wherein I delighted not" (Isa. 65:11-17). "And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen, for the Lord God will slay thee, and call his servants by another name." (Verse 17) For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."

These new heavens and earth will consist of the seed spoken of in verse 9, saying, "I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains, and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there." This remnant, organized into a kingdom under the new covenant, constitutes the new heavens and earth when Heber shall have perished forever, according to Balaam's advertisement.

When this vile person is baffled in his attempts upon Egypt by the ships of Chittim that come against him, he is grieved and returns into his own land to spend his indignation against the holy covenant and his own people, and therefore he has intelligence with the wicked in Israel, who forsake the holy covenant. (Verse 31) "And arms (the arms of the king of the north) shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength (the temple), and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate."

A NUMERICAL EPOCH IN THE LATTER DAYS

The point of time referred to in the above passage when they take away the daily sacrifice and place in its stead their image, called the abomination of desolation, constitutes the starting-point of most of the prophetic numbers found in the Book of Daniel and in Revelations.

First, the new covenant is confirmed with many for one week of years. In the midst of the week, they shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, so that there are three years and a half before, and three years and a half after, in which the covenant is being confirmed with many.

Second, the little horn makes war on the saints three years and a half, commencing at this same time (Dan. 7:25).

Third, the dragon is given to the beast as a mouth, and in that relation, and in being sustained by the beast that rises out of the sea, he speaks great things and blasphemies against the Most High for a period of forty-two

months, that is three years and a half, during which time it is given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them, counting from that date (Rev. 13:5-7).

Fourth, the holy city is given unto the Gentiles to be trodden under foot forty and two months (Rev. 11:2), which is the same as the dragon and little horn, in connection with the Gentiles, making war upon the saints, commencing at the same time (Rev. 11:3).

Fifth, the witnesses prophesy one thousand, two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth, commencing at that date (Rev. 11:3).

Sixth, the woman flies away into the wilderness where she is nourished for a time, times and a half from the face of the serpent, or as it is said again, that they should feed her there a thousand, two hundred and three score days (Rev. 12:6, 14).

Seventh, the scattering of the power of the holy people according to the oath of the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, continues for a time, times and an half, until the end of these wonders (Dan. 12:7).

Eighth, from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be 1290 days. This period extends one month beyond the termination of the time, times and a half. "Now shall a month devour them with their portions" (Dan. 12: 11; Hos. 5:7).

Ninth, 1335 days from this same beginning the dead are raised who have been slain for the witness of Jesus and the word of God during these times of trouble and persecution, while the little horn, sustained and strengthened by the beast which carries him, makes war upon the saints (Dan. 12:12-13). Tenth, 2300 days, being six years, four months and twenty days counting from this same epoch, the sanctuary will be justified and vindicated by the destruction of the Assyrian upon the mountains of Israel (Dan. 8: 13-14).

The prophecies that are fulfilled during these periods which commence at the same date, running parallel with each other, are both various, great, and marvellous. The covenant, that is the new covenant, is confirmed with many; the little horn makes war upon the saints; it is given to the dragon to make war upon the saints; the holy city (the saints of the Most High) is given unto the Gentiles to be trodden under foot; the witnesses (men like Moses and Aaron) prophesy; the woman flies into the wilderness; the power of the holy people is scattered; the transgression of desolation is set up and the Temple is defiled during the prevalence of these prophetic times and periods.

THE TIME OF TROUBLE (DAN. 11:31-35)

The time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, commences with the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, which they set up in the Temple. Then the troubles and persecutions begin and continue for three years and a half, even until this vile person, this profane and wicked prince of Israel, is overturned, as it is written of him, saying, “I will overturn, overturn, overturn it (the diadem and crown), and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him."

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Now the things which will befall the righteous during these unexampled persecutions are described in chapter 11 (verses 32, 33, 34), saying, "And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he (the king of Israel) corrupt by flatteries, but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits, and they that understand among the people shall instruct many, yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help, but many shall cleave to them with flatteries, and some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, for it is yet for a time appointed."

This passage indicates that while the saints of these times are comparatively few in number, yet it is said that they that understand among the people shall instruct many. Again it is said, "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week a period of seven years. Therefore the numbers of the saints will increase greatly, even in these times of persecution. Moreover they will be strong and resist the enemy and the avenger, for it is said of them, that the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And again, "When they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help."

Therefore the righteous will not be left altogether at the mercy of the powers of darkness, and although many will fall before the enemy, yet a goodly number will be written among the living in Jerusalem, who will survive and live through these times of trouble and will see peace upon Israel, when the scorner shall be consumed out of the land and the accuser of their brethren shall be cast down, which accused them before their God, day and night (Rev. 12: 10).

THE KING THAT DOES ACCORDING TO HIS WILL

The deeds and evil works of this mighty king in Israel are described by the angel as follows, saying, "And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every God, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished, for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god, for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the god of forces, and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold and silver and with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain" (Dan. 11: 36-39).

This is a graphic description of a king in Israel in the latter days. He is a great and mighty king, but not by his own power, and he prospers till God's indignation against his own people, the remnant, is accomplished, for that which God hath decreed shall be done. He claims to be a god, and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God, even as Paul says of him under the title of the man of sin (II Thess. 2:1-12). And although this king magnifies himself so greatly, he nevertheless is but a horn