in both cases, the scene is equally laid in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem between the eastern or dead sea, and the western or mediterranean sea. It will lastly follow, that the great battle of the nations, in the valley of Jehoshaphat, is the same as the great battle of the beast, the fulse prophet, and the kings, at Armageddon; and as the conclusion of the time of unexampled trouble, during which Daniel, like Joel, predicts that the restoration of the Jews will take place.

It appears then from these concurring prophecies, that the final war of the beast and the false prophet against the Gospel, though probably first raging with great violence in Europe, during the earthquake by which the Latin city is divided into three parts, and by which the islands and mountains or smaller states of the empire are swallowed up in some grand scheme of iniquitous partition or, in the language of Joel, during the time that wonders are shewn in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke the final war will manifestly be decided in Palestine between the two seas.*

The corresponding and joint declaration of Daniel, Zechariah, and Joel, relative to the country which is ultimately to be the seat of this last war, is confirmed in a very remarkable manner by St. John. In his brief account of the vintage, under which Popery and Infidelity are for ever destroyed, he informs us, that the wine-press, meaning the wine-press of Armageddon, should be trodden without the city, and that blood should come out of it, even to the horses' bridles, by the space of 1600 furlongs.. Both these descriptive marks perfectly correspond with the land of Palestine; the land, in which by the unanimous testimony of the prophets the last great controversy of the Lord will be carried on. In one sense, that country is within the great city; and, in another sense, without it. It is within it, if the whole Roman empire be considered, as including both its proper seat in the West, and its Eastern conquests from the third or Macedonian beast.

"I have an unfashionable partiality," says Bp. Horsley, " for the opinions of an tiquity. I think there is ground in the prophecies for the notion of the early fathers, that Palestine is the stage, on which Antichrist, in the height of his impiety, will perish." Letter on the 18th chap. of Isaiah.

But it is without it, if the revived or Latin empire be considered, because that empire was confined exclusively to the West. Hence we find it said, in perfect harmony with this supposition, that our Lord was crucified in the great city; because he suffered during the existence of the ancient Roman empire, which comprehended the sovereignty both of the East and of the West. And hence we moreover find it said, that the wine-press of Armageddon should be trodden without the city; because at the time when this event is to happen, the East should not form a part of the sovereignty of the revived or Latin empire and history accordingly testifies, that it never did form any part of it.† This land, without the city, where the figurative wine-press is to be trodden, is described by St. John as extending 1600 furlongs: and all the other prophets declare, that the land in question is Palestine: hence we are naturally led to expect, that Palestine should extend 1600 furlongs. Now it is highly worthy of observation, that the length of that region between the two seas which is destined to witness the fall of Antichrist and his congregated host, if a line be drawn along the sea-shore from its southern to its northern frontier, amounts exactly to 1600 Jewish Risin or Stadia.

Not merely the land however is pointed out, where this great battle is to be fought, but even the very place in that land. Zechariah, as we have seen, fixes in general terms the scene of action in Palestine and in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem: Joel likewise fixes the scene of

* Rev. xi. 8.

The temporary prevalence of the Latins in the East, during the time of the cruades, forms a solitary exception to this general rule.

See D'Anville's Map of Palestine with scales of measures. This coincidence between the length of Palestine and the 1600 stadia was noticed by Jerome; and it probably was one reason why the fathers rightly believed, that Antichrist should perish in that country. Mr. Mede mentions the circumstance: but, from an idea that the city means the literal city of Rome instead of the Roman empire, he supposes, contrary to the express declarations of all the prophecies which treat of the subject, that the last great war will be decided without the walls of Rome and in the territories of the Pope and thence observes, that the measure of Peter's patrimony, from the walls of Rome to the last mouth of the Po, is 1600 furlongs. (Comment. Apoc. in Vindemiam.) Upon this it will be sufficient to observe, that the whole length of the papal dominions is considerably more than 1600 furlongs: and, even if the coincidence had been exact, nothing would have been proved thereby, because the prophets unanimously direct our attention to quite another country, namely Palestine, which is found to be precisely 1600 furlongs in length. See Pol. Synop. in loc.

action in Palestine, declaring that the northern army shall be destroyed between the two seas: Daniel no less explicitly affirms, that the infidel king, after having planted the curtains of his pavilions between the seas in the glorious holy mountain, shall come to his end, none being able to help him and St. John asserts, that the winepress shall be trodden in a land which extends 1600 furlongs-In addition to this generul statement of the country, where these events are to happen, Joel further informs us, that the battle of the nations shall not only be fought between the two seas but in the valley of Jehoshaphat; and St. John predicts very definitely, that this same battle shall not only be fought in a land which extends 1600 furlongs, but in a certain place of that land called Armageddon-The valley of Jehoshaphat therefore and Armageddon are one and the same region-Now the word Jehoshaphat signifies the judgment of the Lord: and the valley of the battle is indifferently styled by Joel the valley of Jehoshaphat or the judgment of the Lord, and the valley of concision or destruction. It is plain therefore, that this is not the proper, but only a descriptive, name of the place; that is, of some place or other between the two seas-Here then St. John steps forward, and furnishes us with the literal proper name of the region, which is thus to be made the scene of the just judgment of the Lord. Armageddon signifies the destruction of Megiddo and Megiddo is a town situate between the two seas, in the half-tribe of Manasseth, at a small distance from the shores of the Mediterranean.† In the valley of this place, Josiah lost his life in his fatal encounter with Pharaoh king of

* That Jehoshaphat is only a descriptive name of the place, is evident from the context:" the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I (Jebovab) sit to judge the nations round about."

† Armageddon is the abbreviated compound of ¬ Arma-Mageddon, the devoting to utter destruction at Megiddo. "Hic itaque crasis est, ut in nomine max pre 177&c." (See Pol. Synop. in loc.) I prefer this derivation of the word to that proposed by Calmet. He conceives it to be compounded of Ar and Megiddon, and thence to signify the mountain of Megiddo. Such a supposition however by no means tallies either with the ordinary language of Scripture employed in speaking of Megiddo, or with the parallel prophecy in the book of Joel. The valley of Megiddo is twice spoken of: (2 Chron. xxxv. 22. Zechar. xii. 11.) the mountain of Megiddo never and, agreeably to this phraseology, the future stage of the great battle of Armageddon is termed by Joel the valley, not the mountain, of Jehoshaphat. Hence I think it scarcely probable, that Armageddon should signify the mountain of Megiddo.

Egypt and it appears, that this valley of the destruction of Megiddo, or, as it is termed by Joel, this valley of the judgment of the Lord, is hereafter to be the scene of a yet more dreadful conflict.

I have observed, that the gathering together of the kings of the earth to the battle of Armageddon may possibly mean the gathering together of some great confederacy of the infidel popish powers, against the converted Jews supported by the arms of Protestantism, to the place appointed for their destruction. This conjecture is strengthened by a certain peculiarity of expression, which the Holy Spirit taught both Joel and Daniel to adopt in their respective predictions concerning the great troubles about to come to pass at the end of the 1260 years. Joel describes the proclamation, by which the nations are to be gathered together, as inviting them to sanctify war: and Daniel represents the infidel tyrant as going forth in great wrath to devote, under the pretext of religion, many to utter destruction.* From these expressions I am much inclined to think, that the gathering together of the beast, the false prophet, and the kings of the Latin earth, will be for the purpose of undertaking what a Papist would denominate a holy war: that is to say, a war somewhat similar to the ancient holy crusade against the Waldenses of Provence, a war entered into under the cognizance of the cross for the pious purpose of exterminating all those whom the Church of Rome thinks proper to denominate heretics. This infamous prostitution of the sa

Such is the proper meaning of the word n Harem, here used. Though Bp. Newton, I am persuaded, interprets the whole of this prophecy very erroneously, "The original yet he is perfectly right in what he says respecting the verb Harem. word, which we translate utterly to make away, signifies to anathematize, to consecrate, to devote to utter perdition; so that it strongly implies, that this war should be made upon a religious account." (Dissert. XVII.). Anathematizavit, anathemate vel anathemati, internecioni, perditioni, devovit: consecravit, devotum effecit. (Buxtorf. Lexic.) 7. Occidit, disperdidit, devastavit, morti addixit, anathematizavit, anathemati subjecit. Calas. Concord.

Mr. Whitaker's idea, that Jerusalem is ultimately to be the seat of the Pope, is perhaps not altogether improbable; but I cannot find, that there is any express warrant for such a supposition in Scripture. Mr. Whitaker refers to Rev. xi. 7, 8. in confirmation of his opinion: but this passage affords no proof. Jerusalem is never styled the great city. That title is exclusively applied to the Roman empire, which is here likewise intended. (Com. p. 441.) Mr. Whitaker, since this was written, has laboured in a pamphlet, which he has published against me, to prove that the great city mean Jerusalem: but he appears to me to have completely failed in establishing his posi

cred name of religion will however be amply repayed up. on their own head. The Arma, or destroying anathema, which the false prophet shall fulminate against his enemies, and which his zealous coadjutor the atheistico-papal tyrant will go forth in great fury to put in execution against those whom he hath religiously devoted to destruction, shall prove an Arma only to themselves. Accordingly we find, what is somewhat remarkable, that the same word Arma, the radical verb of which Daniel uses to express the manner in which the infidel king should go forth in his wrath, is united by St. John in composition with the proper name Megiddo: as if he wished to intimate, that they, who had pronounced an Arma against all their opponents, should themselves feel the baleful effects of the Lord's Arma at Arma-Megiddon.* The very league of the false prophet indeed with the beast and the kings of the earth might alone lead us to conclude, that this war should be a religious war : for, if it were a war undertaken only upon common principles, it is not easy to assign a reason why the false prophet should be evidently so much interested in its success.

The following, as far as I am able to collect from prophecy, seems to be the order, in which the great events that begin to take place at the close of the 1260 years will succeed each other.†

At the pouring out of the seventh vial, the great Latin city will be divided into three parts; and the expedition of the wilful king against Palestine, predicted by Daniel, will commence. The 1260 years having now expired, the restoration of the Jews will likewise commence: for it is declared, that their restoration shall at once be contemporary with the time of unexampled trouble which marks the time of the end, and shall begin to take place

tion, in which indeed he runs counter to the opinion of Mede, Newton, and all our best commentators.

* Mr. Fleming has much the same remark. After observing that Arma signifies both an anathema and a slaughter, he adds, "that both the anathemas darted against the saints by the Romanists, and their armies made use of against them, may be here alluded to." Apoc. Key, p. 63.

+ I purposely give only a very brief statement of these matters, and omit all references to particular prophecies, as I propose to discuss them at large in a separate work on the Restoration of Israel and the overthrow of the Antichristian confederacy.

Dan. xi. 40-45.