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verfion, join iffue with their enemies, and refift them.

If we enquire more particularly who thefe kings and nations are that come to Armageddon, to support the beaft, we shall find an exact lift of them, Jer. xxv. 15.-23. But in regard the most approved commentators apply. that paffage to the conquefts of Nebuchadnezzar, it will be necessary to remove the prejudice arifing from their interpretation. The prophets are the best interpreters of the prophets. It is by comparing fcripture with fcripture that we arrive at its genuine meaning. There are fo many circumftances in the narration, correfponding exactly with the defcription of the battle of Armageddon in other paffages, that the concurrence of the whole affords a fufficient proof that the fame battle is here intended. Befides, many of these circumstances cannot in their literal meaning apply to the conquefts of Nebuchadnezzar.

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The punishment inflicted is called "the winecup of God's fury," ver. 15. The fame expreffions are ufed, Ifa. li. 22, 23. and Zech. xii. 2. and refer as we have already feen, to Armageddon. In confequence of this punishment, it is faid, that they" fhall fall, and rife ແ no more" ver. 27. So Armageddon is called "the valley of decifion," Joel iii. 14. be

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cause immediately after it the kingdom of Chrift is eftablished in the world. It is represented as a divine interpofition for God's holy habitation. "The Lord fhall roar from on high, and utter "his voice from his holy habitation; he fhall mightily roar upon (for) his habitation," Jer. xxv. 30. So it is faid of Armageddon, "Like "as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of thepherds is call"ed forth against him, he will not be afraid of "their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of "them: fo fhall the Lord of hofts come down "to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill "thereof," Ifa. xxxi. 4. This furely cannot apply to the conquefts of Nebuchadnezzar. It is called a wine-prefs: "He fhall give a fhout, "as they that tread the grapes, against all the "inhabitants of the earth," Jer. xxv. 30. a metaphor used to reprefent Armageddon, Rev. xiv. 20. and xix. 15. "He will plead with all "flesh," Jer. xxv. 31. fo Ifa. lxvi. 16. and Joel iii. "2. He will give them that are wicked to the "fword." Ver. 31. can only apply to Armageddon, where all the enemies of religion are cut. off: "Evil fhall go forth from nation to na"tion." Ver. 32. fitly reprefents the emiffaries mentioned Rev. xvi. 13. "The flain of the "Lord fhall be at that day from one end of the "earth (land) even unto the other end of the

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"earth (land)," Jer. xxv. 33. exactly accords with the extent of the wine-prefs, Rev. xiv. 20." for the land of Judea, according to Jerom, is juft a thousand and fix hundred furlongs,

The nations therefore that drink the cup

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of God's fury, in confequence of affifting the.. beaft, are the following:

"Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his fervants, and "his princes, and all his people;" Jer. xxv. 19. "And all the mingled people;" ver 20. The word in the original is the fame that is tranflated Arabia, ver. 24. though differently pointed, which makes no material difference, moft likely they are fuch as inhabit the coafts of the Red Sea. "And all the kings of the land of “Uz,” ver. 20. There are three perfons fo named in fcripture, the fon of Aram, whom Bochart fuppofes to have fettled in Syria, the fon of Nahor, who fettled in Arabia Deserta, and probably is intended here, and a fon of Efau." And all the kings of the land of the "Philistines, and Afhkelon and Azzah, and E"kron and Afhdod, Edom and Moab, and the "children of Ammon, and all the kings of "Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the "kings of the ifles which are beyond the fea, (the "coafts of the Mediterranean), Dedan, and Te"ma, and Buz, (districts of Arabia), and all that "are in the utmoft corners, (probably nations in« habiting

“habiting betwixt the Euxine and Caspian feas), "and all the kings of Arabia, and all the

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kings of the mingled people that dwell in the "defert, (Arabia Deferta), and all the kings of "Zimri, (a people of Arabia defcended from Zimram, Abraham's fon by Keturah), and "all the kings of Elam, (Perfia), and all the kings of the Medes, and all the kings of the north, (Syria and Affyria), far and near, (fuch as immediately border on the land, and "fuch as are at a confiderable distance), and all "the kingdoms of the world, which are upon "the face of the earth, (all the kingdoms of a "worldlyor earthly spirit in whatever place): "and the kings of Shefhach fhall drink after "them;" Jer. xxv. 20.-26. By Shefhach is intended the king of Babylon, chap. li. 41. meaning there as well as here the head of the system of spiritual Babylon, in other words, the beaft whom they endeavoured to fupport'. By this lift forces are fent up from the following diftricts of country, bordering upon each other, though widely extended, Egypt, Arabia, the country fituate betwixt Arabia and Palestine, formerly poffeffed by the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites, all Palestine, Syria, and the district of

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(1) Shefhach may fignify one punished fixfold, or one drawn with a hook or fork of fix prongs, i. c. one fignally punifhed, which is obviously applicable to the head of fpiritual Babylon.

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country lying eastward, as far as Affyria, the great kingdom of Perfia, probably the country betwixt the Euxine and Cafpian feas. Several different names are given to the inhabitants of the fame country, as to the Arabians, eight names, Arabia the mingled people, twice, Uz, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Zimri; to the inhabitants of Palestine, eight, the Philistines, Afhkelon, Azzah, Ekron, Afhdod, Tyrus, Zidon, the iles or coafts of the Mediterranean, to intimate, I prefume, that they are conducted by fo many diftinct many different leaders, and conftitute fo corps, independent of each other, which accounts in fome measure for the diversity of fentiment fo fatal to their expedition, as we fhall afterwards fee.

Another lift of the kings of the earth and their armies who support the beaft at Armageddon, is given, Ezek. xxxii. 17.—32. But whereas the former may be confidered as a mufter-roll of the forces before the battle, the latter may be reckoned an account of the flain after the battle. In Jeremiah they are mentioned by corps, in Ezekiel by nations. Some mentioned in the first, as the Arabians, are wholly omitted in the laft. Perhaps they withdrew their forces when divisions broke out among the combined powers, and fo escaped the general flaughter. Making allowance for the difference occafioned by these circumstances,

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