Again, in the Vision of the Ram and the Hegoat, the Ram (which answers to the Bear in the vision of the four Beasts) is thus described; Dan. viii. 3" Behold, there stood before the river "a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high, and the higher came up

last. 4. I saw the ram pushing westward, ❝and northward, and southward, so that no "beasts might stand before him."-And afterwards in the same vision, the He-goat (which answers to the Leopard in the Vision of the Four Beasts) is seen coming with such swiftness from the west towards the east, that he appears not to touch the ground; he has a notable horn between his eyes, and smites the Ram, and casts him down to the ground and stamps upon him, and it is added, that "when

he was strong, the great horn was broken, and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven."

These are the several texts which describe the three first ruling kingdoms of the world; and we find that Daniel, in giving the interpretation of the vision of the Great Image, informs King Nebuchadnezzar, that he himself, or the kingdom of Babylon, over which he ruled, is the head of gold.

As the kingdom of Babylon is in this vision represented by Gold, the most precious of me

tals, so in the parallel vision of the four Beasts, we find it represented by a Lion, the most noble of wild beasts, by the dignity of the emblem employed in both cases, is signified the extent of its dominion, its power, and its riches; thus, Babylon is called in Isaiah, "the golden city," and Nebuchadnezzar is said by Daniel to be "a king of kings."

The territories represented by the head of Gold, and by the Lion, are not to be considered as extending beyond the province of Babylon; though the dominion of the kingdom of Babylon (typified by the eagle's wings, that the Lion for a while possessed) extended to other countries, as Syria, Palestine, &e.

If the period of its duration, as the ruling kingdom of the world, be considered as commencing with the destruction of Nineveh, by the Medes and Babylonians, which took place six years before Nebuchadnezzar came to the throne, and as terminating with the taking of Babylon by Cyrus; the whole period would be from the year A. C. 612, to A. C. 539*, being only 73 years.

The second symbol (the breast and arms of Silver) represents the united kingdom of the Medes and Persians, which next succeeded to

*Prideaux's Connec, in loco,

the empire of the world. As silver is inferior to gold, so this kingdom is spoken of by Daniel, as "inferior" to that of Babylon; that is, inferior in point of dignity and riches, though more martial. Thus, in the vision of the four Beasts, we find it represented by the Bear, inferior in dignity to the Lion, but more savage and ferocious. The Bear is represented as having three ribs in his mouth, and as being commissioned to" arise and devour much flesh" and these three ribs, we learn from the prophecy of the Ram and the He-goat, represent the conquests of the Medes and Persians (typified by the pushings of the Ram) "west"ward, and northward, and southward;" in which direction the conquests of Cyrus were made*. First, he defeated Croesus, king of Lydia, and subdued the whole of Asia Minor, which lay in a westerly direction-by these victories paving the way also for the submission. of Syria and Arabia-next he marched into "the upper,"or northern" countries of Asia," and lastly marched southward, and besieged and took Babylon, which lay also in a southerly direction from Ecbatana, the capital of Media, completing, by this last action, the

Prideaux's Connec, anno. 548.

series of his conquests to the West, to the North, and to the South.

The symbols of the breast of Silver in this vision, the Bear in that of the Four Beasts, and the Ram seen in a third vision, all refer to the territories of the united kingdom of Media and Persia alone. Accordingly we find that the symbols of the Bear and of the Ram are represented each as composed of only two parts, for the Ram is said to have two horns, of which "the higher came up last;" and the Bear is said to raise himself up on one side, so as to make one side higher than the other. Media, the most ancient kingdom, is here represented by the first horn of the Ram, and Persia by the horn which came up last, and which eventually became the highest when Cyrus, the Persian, became head of the united kingdoms: which elevation of the Persians above the Medes, is likewise represented when the Bear is seen to raise himself up on one side.

Though the symbol of the Bear refers to the kingdoms of Media and Persia alone, its conquests as before mentioned, extended over many other countries, as Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, and all the East, as far as the river Indus. The same observation, of course, applies to the Ram seen in the other vision. If the pe

riod of the duration of this kingdom, as the ruling kingdom of the world, be considered as commencing with the taking of Babylon by Cyrus, in the year A. C. 539*; and as terminating with the defeat of Darius, the last Persian monarch, in the year A. C. 331*, it will include a period of 208 years.

The next emblem in the vision of the Great Image, is that of the belly and thighs of Brass, representing the kingdom of Alexander the Great, which succeeded to the empire of the world. This kingdom is also in the vision of the Four Beasts, represented by the Leopard, having four heads, and in the vision of the Ram and He-goat, by the He-goat, having eventually four horns.

As brass is inferior to silver, so the kingdom of Alexander is still inferior in dignity to the kingdom of the Medes and Persians which preceded it, but is yet more martial. Thus, in the vision of the four Beasts, the Leopard also may be considered as inferior to the Bear, though it is more fierce and swift in its movements and the Goat, seen in the third vision, may also he considered as inferior to the Ram, though it is represented as being more warlike and active.