A look through the lens of prophecy

Front matter

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COFVRIGHT DEPOSIT.

A LOOK THROUGH THE LENS OF PROPHECY;

CHAPTER I. PAGE Daniel's Captivity 9 CHAPTER n

Nebuchadnezzar's Great Image 15

CHAPTER m.

The Golden Image; or, The God of Wealth 30

CHAPTER ly.

Nebuchadnezzar's Insanity— His Proclamation Also 37

CHAPTER V.

Belshazzar's Dream— The Fall of Babylon 46

CHAPTER YI.

Daniel's Deliverance 67

CHAPTER VH.

From Babylon to Christ; or, Daniel's Vision of the Ages 75

CHAPTER Vni.

When Shall the Sanctuary be Cleansed? — A Vision of the Time of Indignation; or, From Alexander to Christ's Supremacy 95

CHAPTER IX.

Time Determined for the Bringing in of Everlasting Righteousness; or, The First Coming of Christ Foretold in Years 102

CHAPTER X.

Historic Recitations; or. The Vision of History 112

CHAPTER XI.

Daniel xii 154

A Chapter on the Jew 168

Preface

The reader who looks for any word voicing the opinions of the "destructive critics," or one advancing some new brand of criticism on the market of unbelief, by way of introduction to our studies of Daniel, will be disappointed. The writer is but a babe in matters of faith. He takes the book as he finds it. It is given to the world by a servant of God. It is an historic and prophetic book. It comes from the one pen in the hand of Daniel. By our analysis we can find no place for a change of authorship in its historic narrative, or in its prophetic vision. It came to the man most interested in God and the Jewish race, when that race was exiled, and God's promises for its future and it-s safety seemed to be withdrawn.

Here the great soul of Daniel went out inquiringly to God, and it came back freighted with truth and life and hope. No other writer, contemporaneous with or subsequent to Daniel, could have been in a position to ask and to receive so much from God, either in his eventful experiences, or the words of the book he gave us.

We have endeavored to understand this little book. We have studiously analyzed it in its historic and prophetic character. The sum of our efforts is enclosed in this narrow compass. It is

8 Preface*

the author's hope it may lend dignity to the Word, in that it may lead minds of doubt and unbelief to view the fulfillments of prophetic utterances, and thus discern the origin and source of its message. This done, we have honored Christ. For "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." With the testimony in hand, any thoughtful soul should view the cross with reverence, and render obedient service to the Author of the world's salvation.

J. A. D.

A LOOK THROUGH THE LENS OF PROPHECY.

CHAPTER I.

Daniel^s Captivity.

(Dan. i.)

Eliakim was a wicked king, like most of his predecessors, which made Israel to err and to turn from God, bringing the awful punishment of captivity upon his race, with the overthrow of their government, the destruction of their capital city, the looting and destruction of their holy temple, the wasting of their national resources, and forever marring the history of the Jewish kingdom, once glorious and powerful, and brilliant in its administration of wisdom, equity and justice.

Pharo Necho, king of Egypt, enthroned Eliakim in the room of his brother, whom he deposed and carried into Egypt and changed his name from Eliakim to Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, and his reign extended from 609 to 598 B. C.

"In the third year of his reign" (v. 5), Nebuchadnezzar, son of Nebopolassar, king of Chaldea, and general of the Chaldean army, came against Jerusalem. Jehoiakim fell into the hands of the Chaldeans. A truce was formed and Jehoiakim continued to reign in Jerusalem. But Nebuchadnezzar "carried some of the royal family to Baby-

Ion as hostages, among whom were Daniel and his three companions" — Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah — "with part of the vessels of the house of God'' (v. 2).

Jehoiakim proved to be a truce-breaker. Nebuchadnezzar returned to Jerusalem. Jehoiakim was taken and dishonored ; he was killed and "buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem." — Jeremiah.

Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin successor to his father Jehoiakim. He reigned three months and ten days. Nebuchadnezzar, becoming alarmed lest he should seek to avenge his father's death, returned to Judah and "carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and all the smiths; none remained save the poorest sort of the people of the J and." "And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon." "And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord."

Whereupon he "made Mattaniah, the brother of Jehoiakim, king in his stead, and he changed his name to Zedekiah." He rebelled and did wickedly, and Babylon's king returned and took the city of Jerusalem in the eleventh year of Zedekiah. Zedekiah was taken bound to Babylon. "The pillars of brass, the bases and the brasen sea, the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, the firepans, the basons, all the gold and silver likewise, the captain of the guard took to Babylon." "He burnt the house of the Lord and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house he burnt with fire." "He brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about."

Daniel, as indicated above, was taken with the first hostages to Babylon, 606 B. C, from Jerusalem; and very probably was put at once in the king's school, under the master of eunuchs, as one in whom "was no blemish, but were favored, and skillful in wisdom and cunning knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king's palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans" (v. 4).

For them, that they may fare well and excel in learning, Nebuchadnezzar — now king of Babylon — prescribed the dietary of his own table (v. 5) during their tutelage of three years. The meat and drink of the Israelite was a vital question of conscience, it having been prescribed in their sacred law. The decree, so essentially in conflict with the precepts early taught in the training of the pious Jew, and seeking to force these four young men to become obedient to the king's will in the matter of food, was at once not only abhorred by their conscientious minds as unclean, but as well for the abolition of the divine law enjoined upon them. The operation of the Jewish law, as pertaining to the individual, was intended to be practical, wherever the life of the Jew should be cast ; but, being of divine origin, it was essential it should be obeyed though it jeopardized the life of its subject, when even exposed to the tyranny of a hateful or malicious potentate. Consequently its cancellation or abrogation could not be entertained by the enlightened and righteous Jew.

As between honoring God and man, Daniel, in his disinclination to obey the king's decree, out of the inventive genius of his soul cautiously proffered to his "master" a comparative test for excellence along the line of the desired betterment of physical strength and beauty and mental tone, pitting the Jewish prescription against the Chaldean dietary. Daniel asked for but ten days' trial in which he and his three companions may eat the vegetable and cereal foods of the field, and drink nature's pure crystal fluid, while others of the school should eat the king's dainties and drink the king's wines. The scheme was successful. The trial was given. The albuminous food from the fields, in solution with nature's drink, performed no miracle upon the young men. The miracle was in the law of health. The law was given of God. The Being who framed man knew the requirements of that frame. By the law of appropriation, the very needs of the body were satisfied under the Jewish system; injurious elements did not pass through the channels of life, hence they were not marred by their invasion. But let us fancy we see the "other children" of Judah in attendance in this school at the conclusion of these days, showing evidences of excess and debauchery; for, being not addicted to "high living," they would very naturally be precipitated to excess, if yielding at all to disobedience of the law of God (vs. 5-16).

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah had substituted for their names that of Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego by the prince of eunuchs.

By virtue of loyalty and obedience to the law of God, in the selection of food and drink, the natural development of mind, feeding upon the plain food of nature, is ten times (v. 20) better than the intemperate, unnatural elements which constituted the meats and drinks of the princes of Babylon, and which are indicative of the foods of worldliness and vice, as attested here in the world's own court. For the accumulation of wisdom and knowledge, let it be remembered, the human mind must feed upon the plain and wholesome diet, such as meets its requirements, and not upon those elements which breed unrest, awaken passion and stultify thought. Here is a notable proof of this opinion; but tens of thousands of sober, frugal youths from homes of industry and toil, subsisting upon common and farinaceous foods, have as often demonstrated the same.

Beside the natural growth of mind and physical development of body in these four loyal Jewish boys, in answer to their obedience to the laws of health and reverence and respect for the dignity of divine law, though exiled in a foreign court, "God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams" (v. 17), and became his prophet in Babylon, a prophet interesting not to his race alone, but to all the world. The element of his proficiency, and which led to his promotion, and later to the preservation of his life, is comprehended in the one word "loyalty."

And Daniel continued in life, in favor and in counsel until Cyrus (v. 21).

PROPHETIC PSALM.

(Ps. cxxxvii.)

1 By the rivers of Babylon,

There we sat down, yea, we wept.

When we remembered Zion.

2 Upon the willows in the midst thereof We hanged up our harps.

For there they that led us captive required of us songs. And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying^ Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

4 How shall we sing the Lobd's song In a strange land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,

Let my right hand forget her cunning,

6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. If I remember thee not;

If I prefer not Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

7 Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom The day of Jerusalem;

Who said. Rase it, rase it.

Even to the foundation thereof.

8 O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed; Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee

As thou hast served us.

9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones Against the rock.

CHAPTER II. Nebuchadnezzar^s Great Image

(Dan. ii.)

Nebuchadnezzar is now king of Babylon in his second year (v. 1). By the arm of the military he had conquered Egypt, Phoenicia, Judah and the whole of Palestine. He began his reign as king about 604 B. 0. In subduing Palestine he had been a scourge in the hand of Deity for its correction. This rebellious, stubborn Israel was his peculiar treasure, but he humiliated it in defeat that he might again restore and exalt it, that he might make it holy and worthy its station amid the kingdoms of the world, and that his name may be honored in Zion.

Being made rich and powerful by these splendid and victorious conquests, Nebuchadnezzar now occupied the position as sole ruler of the known world. God sought to remind him of his responsibility by dreams and visions, which he caused to be unraveled and applied, by his most loyal subject — Daniel. This was done, no doubt, primarily to lead the king into righteousness, that he may rule in equity and judgment, guided by the principles of divine justice. Secondly, to stimulate interest and awaken expectation on the part of the Hebrews, and that by them the chart of time (as viewed by inspired prophecy) might be given to the world.

In this first dream of the king there appeared a wonderful figure; but it was lost to memory and the vision did not recur. The startling impression, however, made upon the mind of Nebuchadnezzar gave deep anxiety concerning the importance of the omen. The power of the reproduction of his dream, or a re-creation of the mental imagery, seemed to have left him, and in his perplexity he failed to develop the wonderful picture from the fragmentary thoughts that lay in the wreck of confused and faded ideas which remained to him. In his revery and delirium, he called to his aid the magicians, enchanters and Chaldeans. These several classes represented a similar calling or profession, taking their titles, no doubt, agreeably to the assignment given them in the various countries they represent, retaining the same in the court of the king of Babylon. "They pretended to be interpreters of secret things, the past and the futura" "They occupied positions of eminence and influence, having pretense to occult knowledge."

The name or term here employed was applied to the "learned and religious element of Babylon; they used the Cushite language, the language of the learned, as against the Semitic, the language employed for civil purposes."

These select bodies were the custodians of Babylonish wisdom and learning. As such they were nourished and fed as a favored class in the courts of the king. Ignorant himself, the king arbitrarily demanded the practice of their professed art, in the gratification of his superstition, for the elucidation of occult and hidden things. To them he appealed, not for interpretation alone, but for a reproduction of his vision. However unreasonable the demand, let us think it was none the less just, and expected as well, since these pretenders were profiting by their deceptive art and leeching the king of purse and favor, feeding on luxury, enjoying liberal compensation with indolent superlativeness. Their fawning hypocrisy must now be laid bare before the king. Parley and delay did not dissuade the erratic king, nor lessen the severity of his demands. His feverish desire could only be gratified in a complete and unreserved compliance with the impossible. If they were what they professed, these enchanters should awaken the secret from the slumbering memory of the king, or adduce in their own minds, by their art of divination, the vision which flew from the chamber of the king's nightmare. The sweeping command that all the men thus classed should be slain, comprehended in its reach the lives of the Hebrews whom Nebuchadnezzar had placed in the tutelage of this school of learning.

God's plan in the life of Daniel begins now to unfold. They sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

"Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. And Daniel went in and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation" (vs. 13-16).

Daniel went into the house and counseled with his three companions. They agreed to importune the God of henven for this hidden knowledge, for the safety of their own lives (v. 18). Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in the night by vision (v. 19). Thereupon Daniel made this beautiful prayer of praise and thanksgiving:

"Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: he revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desired of thee: for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter" (vs. 20-23).

It is a short but fervent prayer. Daniel then signifies his readiness, to Arioch, to make the interpretation, and asks that the wise men be not destroyed. He would save others from brutal butchery, and stay the executioner's hand (v. 24). "Arioch brought Daniel before the king in haste." He announced his discovery of a man of the "captivity of Judah" who would make known the vanished dream (v. 25). The king said: "Belteshazzar, art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen and the interpretation thereof?" Daniel indicated, in reply, that by human wisdom or cunning it could not be produced. "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets" (v. 28). "But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living"

(v. 30). Here Daniel disclaims the credit of having occult wisdom ; that "there is a God in heaven," a stranger to Nebuchadnezzar. To him he addresses his attention. "Who revealeth secrets,'^ and therefore worthy his confidence and trust. Daniel points him to the skies.

PURPOSE OF THE VISION.

"God . . . hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days" (v. 28).

"O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that revealeth seciets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass" (V. 29).

Daniel faithfully ascribes to Deity the honor and wisdom which belongs to him. Discrediting himself of the supernatural, he demonstrates his faith in God at a heathen court.

THE DREAM.

"Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible. As for this image, his head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron, and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream" (vs. 31-36).

THE INTERPRETATION.

"We will tell the interpretation thereof before the king" (V. 36).

"Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory; and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong" as iron : forasmuch as Iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter's clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay. And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure" (vs. 37-45).

Whereupon Nebuchadnezzar reverenced Daniel. He fell down before him. He acknowledged his Deity to be the "God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets" (v. 47).

"Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him manygreat gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon" (v. 48).

Daniel took care of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, having them appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon. Himself sat in the king's gate (v. 49).

Since the purpose of the dream was to reveal the succeeding kingdoms of the future, and its history having now been written for our research, let us interest ourselves in the tabulation of the interpretation as we apply it to fulfilled events. (For diagram, see page 22.)

^'Thou art the head of gold J' The Babylonian Empire, now in universal supremacy, of which Nebuchadnezzar was king. The power, strength and wealth of the Babylonian Empire centered in him. He was the dictator, the sole monarch, and "the head of gold'' to the mighty image which stood for the present and all coming governments of time, as pertaining to Gentile supremacy.

But Babylon, with all her regal splendor, was to fall, to be crushed before the oncoming tread of armies marshaled to do the judgments of Jehovah, as the dust from the shock of grain flailed upon the summer threshing-floor. God makes himself known to the great authorities of the world, and they are held to strict account for their stewardship, the administration of equity and truth.

The inferior kingdom, to succeed Babylon, of course was the Medo-Persian Empire. It was the next in the world's supremacy, and stood for the silver portion of the image — ^the breast and arms. The two upper extremities, standing for the dual governments, the Medes and Persians, united in vital interests and merging into one in heart and purpose, represented by the breast or thorax, covering the vital parts which immediately sustain and support life. United under Cyrus, they took Babylon in 538 B. C.

Persia held sway until Alexander invaded the south and east in 335 B. C, and established the Macedonian Empire, thus placing Greece in the supremacy of nations. Alexander advanced from the north to Jerusalem in 332 B. C, and was received, upon the predictions of DaniePs prophecies, as a man of destiny, and appointed in the providence of God to subdue Persia, and to wrest from them the world's scepter. He was allowed to enter the temple and do priestly service, thus profaning the holy sanctuary of the Lord.

Grecian supremacy extended till 63 B. C, when the fourth kingdom, represented by iron — and stood for the Roman — invaded the East and became the world's master.

Greece is represented in the belly and thighs of the image. She was represented in her dual parts by Macedon and Greece, forming a vital union in her world conquests, as implied by the abdominal viscera.

Being of the belly, she was ravenous, greedy, avaricious and conscienceless. Portrayed by brass, the strength of her worth was burnished brilliancy — as obtain in her works of art, literature and architecture.

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The Roman kingdom, extending from 63 B. C. to 476 A. D., is represented by the legs of iron in this Gentile image of word supremacy. It was strong, as represented by the iron, the material that composed these parts. Stronger than the rest in its hold upon the world, the severity of its administration, the strength of its military, it was yet weaker than they in richness of character and fineness of arts and all the products of mental achievement. It was dual, in the union of church and state, taking the form of a civil and religious government, and this dual form is represented by the legs as we advance down the image. It has ever retained its one characteristic throughout — its severity and crushing power. It is a government without mercy, cruel, passionate and brutish. Though united in church, its temper is untamed, runs to excess, and, under the guise of religion, works the most heinous of crimes. Lust and avarice are the corroding elements of its power, and history is burdened with the ruin it has engendered upon the race. Its location upon the image comprehends the baser man.

The intermixture of civil and religious government — so incompatible are these elements, that the power is weakened as we descend toward the extremity of the image (v. 41).

As the image passes from view in the fall of Rome and the dimunition of the temporal power of the pope, we see but the feet and toes remaining. Reformatory movements and European wars gave birth to freedom. The ten divisions of Europe, or of Rome, are the extremity of the long and vast supremacy of that power. In the final demolition of the temporal power of the pope in 1866-71 A. D., we have eliminated one foot from the image, and have but one foot, the toes of both remaining of Latin extraction. Ecclesiastic Rome is but partly destroyed. The iron and clay of Rome now mingle themselves with the seed of men. Much of the likeness of Romanism is found in divided Protestantism. Much of Roman jurisprudence and military conquest are found in the modern divisions, or governments, of the world. Roman ecclesiasticism is now considered brittle stuff, and at the close of Jewish subordination it will make its last stand, and it shall be broken and destroyed without help, though it may regain some temporal hold before its final overthrow.

**In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (v. 44).

Do we know what kingdoms are to be broken to pieces by the momentum of the oncoming kingdom, represented by the little stone cut out of the mountain without hands? The teaching of the foregoing Scriptures plainly shows. The gold and silver governments, or kingdoms, were not to come in immediate touch with the aggressive kingdom of Christ — its wreckage of other kingdoms — for such its work should be. "It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms" (v. 44). What kingdoms?

"Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the irorif the dross, the clay, the silvery and the gold'* (v. 45).

Why does it not begin to break in pieces the gold and the silver first, according to their succession as portrayed in the figure? Why begin to break in pieces after the order of the reading (v. 45) ? The reason is very significant and practical, and settles much of error and speculation about when the kingdom of Christ was set up, some holding it yet as a future event. The mountain (singular number) out of which the stone was cut, was the great Roman Empire. (Mountain, signifying a political power.) It being in supremacy when Christ was born, accomplished his work and established his spiritual government on the day of Pentecost following his resurrection. The rock cut out from among the people of the mountain of Roman dominion, was the immaculate Son of God. From the small, compact gathering of that upper chamber, which encompassed within its narrow boundary the kingdom of our Christ, it started down the declivity of time, and it has been rolling on through the centuries, gathering strength and force and dimensions, until it is now about to fill the farthest corners of the earth.

Starting at Jerusalem, in its westward trend, keeping pace with the advancing columns of the migratory streams of humanity as it starts around the globe, it must first meet the territory occupied by Grecian supremacy, write its records in the language of that empire, and evangelize and save so many as would hear the gospel. It made a lasting impression on Thessalonica, Philippi, Athens, Corinth, Achaia — the very centers of Grecian population. Thus the kingdom of brass first comes under the power and healing of the kingdom of our Lord.