DISSERTATION XVI.

DANIEL'S Prophecy of the THINGS noted in the SCRIPTURE of TRUTH.

It is the usual method of the Holy Scripture to make the latter prophecies explanatory of the former ones; and thus Revelation is "as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day." The Four great Empires of the world, shown to Nebuchadnezzar under the form of a great Image, were again more particularly represented to Daniel in the vision of four great wild Beasts. In like manner, the memorable events revealed to Daniel, in the vision of the Ram and He-goat, are more explicitly revealed in this his last vision by an Angel: so that this latter prophecy is a sort of comment or explanation of the preceding

one.

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This revelation was made "in the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia,” (Dan. x. 1,) and the seventythird of Daniel's captivity; when he must have been about ninety years old; and soon after which, it is probable that he died. It seems to have been made in answer to his prayer and fasting, when desiring to "understand" the visions he had seen (verse 12). The angel says, "I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days; for yet the vision is for many days." (verse 14.)

The Angel's prophecy refers to many signal events respecting God's people for many ages; some of them reaching, indeed, from that time even to the end of the world. And these events are not exhibited by types and figures, as in the preceding visions: but the angel relates the whole, in express words, from "that which is noted in the Scripture of truth;" as if the whole were recorded in a book before God.

The Angel first prophesies of the Persian empire, then subsisting: "There shall stand up yet three kings in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than they all; and by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia." (Dan. xi. 2.) It may be thus interpreted: "Yet"-i. e. after Cyrus, the founder, then reigning-" three kings"i. e. Cambyses, his son; Smerdis, the Magian, a pretended son; and, Darius, his son-in-law-"stood

up ;" and the fourth son, Xerxes, was, indeed, "richer than them all;" for his wealth was so amazing, that Justin says of him, whilst "rivers were dried up by his army, his wealth remained unexhausted." In his memorable expedition against Greece, " by his strength, through his riches, he stirred up all;" gathering together, from the various nations of Asia and Europe, an immense army,-computed (including soldiers and camp followers) at the almost incredible number of five millions!-besides exciting mercenaries from Africa, Spain, Gaul, and Italy, to attack the Grecian colonies both by sea and land. He was the last of the Persian kings that invaded Greece.

The Grecians in their turn invaded Asia, under Alexander, who is thus characterized; "and a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion and do according to his will." (Dan. xi. 3.) That he was such ;-ruling not only over Greece, and the whole Persian Empire, but adding India also to his conquests; and "doing according to his will," so that none, even of his friends, dared to contradict him ;are well known historical facts.

But his kingdom shall be broken and divided towards the four winds of heaven, and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled; for his dominion shall be plucked up even for others besides those." (Dan. xi. 4.) Alexander died at

Babylon, in the thirteenth year of his rule, and thirtysecond of his age; whilst in about fifteen years afterwards, his whole family became extinct, all by violent deaths; and then (as was stated in the previous Dissertation) four of his captains, who had been governors of provinces, made themselves kings thereof respectively; viz. Cassander in Greece, the west; Lysimachus in Thrace, and the north; Ptolemy in Egypt, and the south; and Seleucus in Syria, and the east.

Of these four kingdoms, only two are alluded to in this prophecy; viz. Egypt and Syria; because, being by far the most considerable ones, they also were more especially connected with the affairs of Judæa, which lay between them, and was sometimes possessed by the one power and sometimes by the other. Hence, the kings of Egypt and Syria are called kings of the North and South, relatively as to their situation on either side of Judæa.

"And the king of the South shall be strong, and one of his princes; [and he] shall be strong above him." (Dan. xi. 5.) There is a manifest redundance of the two words "and he," which is therefore corrected in the Septuagint; and the passage corrected would run thus, “and the king of the South shall be strong; and one of his princes shall be above him." Ptolemy, king of the South, was indeed very strong; having annexed Cyprus, Phoenicia, Caria, and various other

places to Egypt. But Seleucus Nicanor, king of the North, "one of his (Alexander's) princes," was "strong above him;" for having conquered Macedon and Thrace, and annexed them to Syria, he was master of three-fourths of Alexander's dominions; and is stated by Appian the historian to be the "greatest king of (or after) Alexander."

Seleucus having been very basely murdered, was succeeded by his son Antiochus Soter in the kingdom of Syria; and he, by his son Antiochus Theus. At this same time, Ptolemy Philadelphus reigned over Egypt after his father the first Ptolemy. Between these two kings, Antiochus the third of Syria, and Ptolemy the Second of Egypt, there were frequent wars. And this chapter (the xith, from verse 5 to 31) contains predictions of a vast number of events, that should occur between them and their successors, in their respective kingdoms of Syria and Egypt, up to the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes'. To detail the whole

1 This king obtained his kingdom according to the prediction (verse 21), "he shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries;" for by courting the favour of the Syrians, and that of the Romans, by ambassadors and magnificent presents, and promises of allegiance, he succeeded in being placed on the throne. The Syrians also gave him the title of "Epiphanes," or "The Illustrious;" whereas his subsequent vicious and extravagant conduct shews that the epithet in the prophecy" vile," was far more appropriate; and indeed Polybius the historian asserts, that" Epimanes," or "The Madman," would have suited him far better. He it was, who deposed good Onias, the High Priest; and