The world's great empires: a course of eight lectures

Front matter

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THE WORLD'S GBEAT EMPIKES:

A COURSE OF

Preface

Another book, among many, is here presented to the public ; a book which has grown out of and into providential circumstances.

It is, as it purports to be, a course of lectures of The World's Great Empires, and is but the written counterpart of verbal lectures which the authoress bas been giving during the last three years, in different places, except that in the book the lectures are more full and complete than they have been as given on the platform, where want of time has often made brief what in the book is more elaborate and complete, when necessary, for the interests of the subjects presented.

To facilitate the study of the subjects presented, the system of marginal notes has been adopted for the book, by which all the important events, names and dates can be traced readily, so that what is in the text of the book can be the more readily found. As there are only eight lectures, there are eight divisions of the book, and therefore the marginal notes are of the greater value. One can readily see at once the importance of these notes, and the increased value which they give to the book.

The character of the book is peculiar to itself: no other similar one ever having been published.

It is Historical- Projihetical, and covers in its themes those Great Empires which in their order have arisen on the earth, and have borne rule over all minor kingdoms, and have spread themselves everywhere, wherever they could find a government of man's to control.

These Empires — the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian and Roman — are considered naturally in the order in which they have existed from ancient times to the present, in consolidated form, or in broken and divided factions, till the territory has been surrendered, with its inhabitants, to their conquering successors.

The great kings who have reigned, and then have left their crowns to successors with a promptness as marked as that with which they assumed those diadem-insignia of royalty, are noticed and named, and the facts and dates are given as accurately as it is possible to give them, and the statements of facts are reliable.

iv Preface.

They are given in a simple, direct manner, that they may be the better comprehended.

Many historians are too complex. They carry along too many lines of contemporaneous events together, and thus confuse the mind ; and it is found that this plain, direct manner is more attractive and instructive, because more comprehensive and comprehendable.

But the authoress did not intend to present her lectures in this form before the public, and even the oral lectures have been the outcome of Providence, rather than of design.

• The lectures were therefore never written until after they had been several times repeated, and then, at first, only by a stenographer.

Nothing was committed to memory to be repeated verbatim, but simply collecting the facts, they have been presented as utterance has been given.

But the demands increased that the lectures should be given in different places ; and, finally, that they should be put into this more permanent form.

An experienced stenographer was therefore employed, Elder C. E. Barnes, of Salem, Mass., and a part of the lectures were taken down and written out by him, which was the beginning of what is finally in this book, although much more full here than as at first written out, and better adapted to the wants of the reader.

The object in view in giving the lectures, both oral and written, has not been merely to search histoiy, but to show how history has been only the servant of God to wait on his prophetic word, and also to show that prophetic utterances, made long before the historic events have transpired, were all faithful premonitions of what was to come ; not guesses, even shrewdly made, to be dependent upon contingencies, and which cluster around present probabilities ; but statements of what would be, even to the farthest bounds of time, unlimited by any apparent probabilities, often contrary to what seemed likely to occur, and having more reference to the then more remote ages than to that present time.

The method of presenting these themes is however reversed from the order of God's original methods, and yet is in harmony with Hirn. He gave his prophecies first ; then the historic events came up to fill, like melted metal, the mould which prophecy had prepared for them ; but here the history is given first, ivithout reference to prophecy, because men do not deny the facts ; and then the prophecy is noticed, with reference to history, that it may be seen, following the statements of the facts, whether the prophecy has been cheated of its fulfillment, or whether it has been revoiced in responsive "Historic Echoes." Man has unwittingly done his work without design of fulfilling prophecy, and in ignorance of the declarations which have directed his steps, and it is of the deepest interest to see

Preface. v

what his course has been, and then to lift the veil, and see how wonderfully the man and his work have been pre-figured, or pointed at by the index finger of prophecy.

It is true that much of the language of prophetic utterance pertaining to these governments, is in symbols, which are not as plain and easy of comprehension as literal language would be, but there is evident design in this, that these symbols may be better understood in the light of the events which the}' pre-sj'mbolize.

But some of the symbols are not so difficult as others ; while none of them are to be considered as forever incomprehensible.

Notable among all the sj'mbols, is that of the human form, in metallic departments, as described in the Second chapter of Daniel.

It is the human form, representing human governments, and it will stand, invulnerable and indisputable, to the end of time ; the plainest, best representation possible of governments which have been originated by men, whose form that image is.

There are also the plainest statements of language which are made prophetically, and theyave considered, and cannot be mistaken in their application to the historic events, because they so directly state what the coming events shall be ; so as to startle one who has first heard the histoiy, and then hears the prophecy read which applies thereto.

There are also plain statements to be found in the Bible, which are closely associated with the symbols, and which so definitely explain the applications of those symbols to history, that when the events which they thus prefigure transpire, the proper application of the symbols which apply to those events may be clearly apparent.

All these facts are recognized in this book, and we are taken along the march of time and of armies, and through the history of nations, over the road which God's seers had travelled in vision, and are made to feel that God makes good what he has spoken, and that, as in his prophecies he has foretold the beginning of nations, he has also foretold their end, and has limited the time of the reign of these human rulers, and designated what the order of succession should be, and what should follow after all those human governments have passed away.

The Fifth Empire is therefore considered, as well as the four others; which the prophecy as plainly designated, when, at first, in the earliest symbol given, those four human dominions were placed in their succession. Not in that succession, but, yet to stwceed them. So The World's Great Empires, herein considered, are five, and the last, which has as yet no more existence in history than the others had before their supremacy, is as really to follow them as they were to take their place in the regular succession ; and it is to stand as long as the vi Preface.

prophecy concerning it designates ; and prophecy as plainly designates the duration of this empire and who is to sit upon the throne of it to reign, as it has designated so remai'kably, even to the fulfillment of its pre-voiced representations, the duration and rulers of those other empires which have filled the place prophecy assigned them, and have gone down the stream of the ages to the past, marked with both pre and post characterizations, with prophecy, which stood sometime long centuries, waitiDg the coming of its historic counterpart, and the history which brought the events predicted into being, both claiming them, and both interlocked around them ; the prior designation and claim of prophecy holding the historical claim in serviliance to its higher one of pre-annunciation.

This fifth Empire has certainly kept prophecy waiting long, but it shall not wait in vain, nor much longer be kept unmated by its historic counterpart.

There can then be no question but that the themes herein presented are of the gravest importance. The records of history are sure evidence of the lapse of time, and the utterances of prophecy are proof that the events recorded were known beforehand, and that each of them has been placed, like hour-marks on the dial of the great clock of history, to designate how the time passes, until at last the final hour will be struck, and the clock stop, not to repeat those hours again ; while unmeasured duration goes on forever.

Then may this book go forth to be

Instruction to the seeking soul :

That all may by its tracings see,

How onward, time's vast ages roll ;

How near the final tale is told ;

How much of meaning our times hold ;

How comes the Fifth Great Monarchy ;

What that Great Empire is to be ;

When comes the King, to take His throne,

And all his waiting ones to own.

God grant his blessing on the book ; On all who on its pages look : On all who read or scan its lines ; That, as the sun, resplendent, shines, Truth, the bright light of God may be The beacon, which the world may see ; And show how history's harnessed car, Driven through all the centuries far,

Preface. vii

Carries, unwitting, God's pre-told Out-sounded utterances of old ; And shows how men unmindful, do Work, well to prove the great seers true : And so may grace all readers bring, Into the presence of the King.

L. C. McKINSTRY.

Boston, June 1st, 1883.

SUBJECT INDEX.

LECTURE I.

The Babylonian Empire, . . . . . • . 9

LECTURE II.

The Medo-Persian Empire, 51

LECTURE III.

The Grecian Empire, ....... 107

LECTURE IV.

The Koman Empire, . 189

LECTURE V.

The Koman Empire — Divided, 253

LECTURE VI.

The Koman Empire — Prophetical, . . . . .373

The Opening of the /Seven /Seals.

LECTURE VII.

The Scarlet Beast and his Rider.

LECTURE VIII.

The Fifth Empire, 475

The Stone and the Mountain.

NOTE.

V?e have made extensive and careful research, in order to place the historical statements of these lectures upon a thoroughly reliable basis, and have, therefore, consulted the most substantial historians whose writings are extant, comparing their statements with great care, that we might know the facts, and present them with confidence.

Chief among these historical authors are, Herodotus, Xenophon,

lard, Smith, John Von Muller and J. S. C. Abbott.

Beside these, we have consulted Cyclopedias, and many other historians of note and reliability.

It is perhaps necessary to make special mention of our authority for giving the history of the Babylonian Empire — as we have given it in these lectures.

Berosus, a Babylonian historian, is the oldest and most reliable authority on the subject of Babylonian history. He was a priest of Belus, and flourished about the time of Alexander the Great, before the city of Babylon was destroyed, and was therefore circumstanced to write a correct history of the Babylonian rulers, because he had access to the records of the temple of Belus, and to the monumental inscriptions, and also to the "learning and traditions," of the people.

He is mentioned as having written three books, in which he related the history of Babylon. Only fragments of his works are now in existence, but those fragments have been preserved by Josephus and Ecsebius, and the history of Babylon as now given by reliable authors is based principally upon what there is to consult of Berosus, as preserved by them.

A book has been written however, which purports to be Berosus' original writings, but it is spurious. It was written by one Annius of Viterbo, and published in the name of Berosus. Notwithstanding the fraud of Annius, which has been proved, some are still misled by the statements contained in this fraudulent book, especially with reference to Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon.

The spurious Berosus mentions kings of Babylon who never existed, and applies the several names which have been given to Belshazzar, to several of these imaginary kings.

Nabonadius, Labynit or Labynetus, are thus represented as being different kings, when there is the best authority for believing that these names were all applied to Belshazzar.

Note.

This last king of Babylon reigned seventeen years, according to Josephus and Eusebius, who had access to the veritable writings of Berosus. But those who follow the false Berosus are obliged to divide the seventeen of Belshazzar's reign among the several imaginary kings, leaving him only about three years in which to have reigned in Babylon ; and even during that short period he has been represented as only an associate ruler, making him reign conjointly with those who existed only in imagination, while the names by which they were supposed to have been called, and which we have already mentioned, properly apply to him.

As evidence that Belshazzar was only a second-rate ruler, and that another stood above him in the kingdom, his statement to Daniel is quoted, in which he promised to make that prophet the third ruler in the kingdom, if he should read the mysterious writing on the wall ; but there was one who lived in that kingdom who stood next to that king, Belshazzar, in authority, and over whom he had no right to place Daniel. That one was his mother, Nitocris, who was entitled as the widow of Evil-Merodac, his father, to hold the position of second ruler in that kingdom ; so no man, Daniel nor any other, could be anything above the third ruler while Belshazzar and Nitocris lived.

Some quotations from reliable sources concerning Berosus, are here cited, as authority for the statements we have made.

Anson's Classical Dictionary has the following : —

" Berosus, a Babylonian historian, rendered much more famous by the mention of others, than from anything which is known of his own performances. He was a priest of the temple of Belus, in the time of Alexander, and having learned the Greek language from the Macedonians, he removed to Greece, and opened a school of astronomy and astrology in the Island of Cos, where his productions acquired him great fame with the Athenians. The ancients mention three books of his, relative to the history of the Chaldeans (or Babylonians,) of which, Josephus and Eusebius have preserved fragments.

"As a priest of Belus, he possessed every advantage which the records of the temple and the learning and traditions of the Chaldeans could afford, and seems to have composed his works with a serious regard for truth.

"Annius of Viterbo, published a work under the name of Berosus, which was soon discovered to be a forgery." — Carey's Ancient Fragments, p. VIII, Prcef.

Lempriere, in his Classical Dictionary, says : —

"Berosus, was a native of Babylon, and priest of Belus. He composed a history of Chalclea (or Babylon,) and signalized himself by his astronomical predictions, and was rewarded for his learning with a statue in the gymnasium at Athens. The age in which he lived is not precisely known, though some flx it in the reign of Alexander, or 268 B.C. Some fragments of his Chaldean history are preserved by Josephus, Contra Appian, and in Antiq. Jud. 105. The book that is now extant under his name, and speaks of kings that never existed, is a superstitious fabrication."

The People's Cyclopedia, recently published, and others, may be consulted in corroboration of these statements.

OF THE

FOUR GREAT EMPH

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Cy W , BUREAU

Trcpt'c of Cancer

I

Heliotypt Printing Co Boston.

THE

Object of these Lectures.

History "a dry subject,"

but important.

What will awaken an interest in the study of history.

Meaning of the word history.

God's story:

WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES.

LECTURE I.

THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE.