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 seems to mean the gathering together of some great confederacy of the infidel popish powers against the concerted Jews supported by the arms of a mighty protestant maritime nation 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 n Harem, here * Such is the proper meaning of the word used. Though Bp. Newton, I am persuaded, interprets the whole of this prophecy very erroneously, yet he is perfectly tight in what he says respecting the verb Harem. “The origi "nal 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 re ligious account" (Dissert. xvii.).. Anathematizavit, anathemate vel anathemati, internecioni, perditioni, devovit: consecravit, devotum effecit (Buxtorf. Lexic.). b. Occidit, disperdidit, devastavit, morti addixit, anathematizavit, anathemati subjecit. Calas. Concord. 2 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 sacred name of religion will however be amply repayed upon 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 * 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 means Jerusalem: but he appears to me to have completely failed in establishing his position, in which indeed he runs counter to the opinion of Mede, Newton, and all our best commentators. uses 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 * Mr. Fleming has much the same remark. After obserying 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 discuss them at large in my separate work-on the Restoration of Israel and the overthrow of the Antichristian confederacy. Dan. xi. 40-45 · years 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 so soon as the three times and a half terminate. One great body of the Jews will be converted and restored by the instrumentality of some mighty maritime nation of faithful worshippers, and therefore by some maritime nation hostile to the views and principles of Antichrist*. Those consequently, who *Bp. Horsley's translation of the 18th chapter of Isaiah, and some of his remarks upon the prophecy contained in it, are so remarkably apposite to the plan of the present work, that I shall take the liberty of transcribing them. ISAIAH XVIII. 1. Ho! land spreading wide the shadow of (thy) wings, which art beyond the rivers of Cush! 2. Accustomed to send messengers by sea, even in bulrush vessels upon the surface of the waters! Go, swift messengers unto a nation dragged away and plucked, unto a people wonderful from their beginning hitherto, a nation expecting, expecting, and trampled under foot, whose land rivers have spoiled. 3. All the inhabitants of the world, and dwellers upon earth, shall see the lifting up, as it were, of a banner upon the mountains; and shall hear the sounding, as it were, of a trumpet. who are thus converted and brought back by sea, must clearly be such Jews, as were either scattered 4. For thus saith Jehovah unto me: I will sit still (but I will keep my eye upon my prepared habitation), as the parching heat just before lightning, as the dewy cloud in the heat of harvest. 5. For, afore the harvest, when the bud is coming to perfection, and the blossom is become a juicy berry, he will cut off the useless shoots with pruning hooks; and the bill shall take away the luxuriant branches. 6. They shall be left together to the bird of prey of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth. And upon it shall the bird of prey summer, and all the beasts of the earth upon it shall winter. 7. At that season a present shall be led to Jehovah of hosts, a people dragged away and plucked; even of a people wonderful from their beginning hitherto; a nation expecting, expecting, and trampled under foot, whose land rivers have spoiled, unto the place of the name of Jehovah of hosts, Mount Zion. COMMENTARY. The shadow of thy wings.] The shadow of wings is a very usual image in prophetic language for protection afforded by the stronger to the weak. God's protection of his servants is described by their being safe under the shadow of his wings. And, in this passage, the broad shadowing wings may be intended to characterize some great people, who should be famous for the protection they should give to those, whom they received into their alliance; and I cannot but think this the most simple and natural 'exposition of the expression. |