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النشر الإلكتروني

THE FIRST VISION

OF

DANIEL.

THE FOUR WILD BEASTS.

VII. 4.-The Babylonic-Assyrian Empire commencing with Esarhaddon, B.C. 680, which comprises Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Cilicia, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Persia, Arabia, and Egypt unto the borders of Ethiopia or Abyssinia, is deprived of its Assyrian capital Nineveh, which is destroyed by Cyaxares the Mede, B.C. 606, and afterwards of Babylon by Darius the Mede, B.C. 536; but is invigorated with a new soul at the expiration of the seven times or 2520 years, A.D. 1840, by its conversion to Christianity.-5. The Medo-Persian Empire commencing with the joint government of Darius the Mede, and Cyrus the Persian, B.C. 560, continued in the descendants of the latter, subdues all Asia Minor from B.C. 548, to B.C. 545, Syria, Arabia, Palestine, B.C. 544; Babylon, B.C. 538; and Egypt, B.C. 526; but after being itself subdued by Álexander the Great, and afterwards partly by the Romans, attains a degree of splendour in the reign of Chosroes or Noushirvan, A.D. 532, and makes its last display of greatness in its three Turkish dynasties of Seljukians, A.D. 1029, Kharismians, A.D. 1090, and Atabeks, A.D. 1127: the first of which founds the Kingdoms of Roum, in Asia Minor; of Kerman, in Persia; and of Syria: the second becomes master of India and Syria; and the third of Syria and Egypt, but the greatness or dominion of the Empire is at length eclipsed by that of the Ottoman Turks.-6. The Greek Empire, founded by Alexander the Great, B.C. 331, subdues Syria, Egypt, Persia and

India; and is divided into four Kingdoms of-1, Greece and Macedon; 2, Thrace and Bithynia; 3, Egypt; and 4, Syria.-7. The Roman Empire, founded by Romulus, B.C. 753, subdues Macedon, B.C. 168; Greece, B.C. 145; Syria and Asia Minor, B.C. 66; Jerusalem, B.C. 63; Judea, B.C. 37; Egypt, B.C. 30; Arabia Felix, A.D. 96; Arabia Petræa A.D. 108; part of Persia, A.D. 111; Assyria, A.D. 114; is divided into ten kingdoms by-1, the Huns, in Hungary, about A.D. 356; 2, the Ostrogoths, in Moesia, 377; 3, the Visigoths, in Pannonia, 378; 4, the Franks, in France, 407; 5, the Vandals, in Africa, 407; 6, the Saxons and Alans, in Gascoigne and Spain, 407; 7, the Burgundians, in Burgundy, 407; 8, the Heruli and Turingi, in Italy, 476; 9, the Saxons and Angles, in Britain, 476; and 10, the Langobards, in the North of Germany, 483; in Hungary, 526.-8. The Heruli and Turingi, A.D. 493, the Ostrogoths, 553, and the Langobards, 774, fall before the power of the Bishop or Pope of Rome, whose autocracy over the saints continues for the space of 1260 years from A.D. 553, to A.D. 1813.—9. The Reformation by Luther, A.D. 1518, causes the decline of the Papacy by the defection of nearly the half of Germany, England, Scotland, Switzerland and Holland from their allegiance to the see of Rome and about the close of the 1260 years, A.D. 1813, the Pope's authority is not suffered in any country, over which he formerly domineered, to be without controul.-13. The second Advent of our blessed Lord.

DAN. vii. 1.-In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the 2 dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon the 3 great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

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The first was like a lion, and had eagles'

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wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three tusks in the mouth of it between the teeth of it and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

6 After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl: the bcast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

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After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth : it devoured and break in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it 8 had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth 9 speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was the fiery 10 flame, and his wheels burning fire. A fiery stream

issued and came forth from before him: thousand

thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand

times ten thousand stood before him: the judg11 ment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake ; I beheld, even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to 12 the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought 14 him near before him. And there was given him

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dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled 16 me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

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These great beasts, which are four, are four 18 kings which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for 19 ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the

others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, break in pieces, and stamped the residue with his 20 feet; and of the ten horns which were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell, even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look 21 was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and

the same horn made war with the saints, and pre22 vailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

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Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it 24 down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue 25 three kings. And he shall speak great words

against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws and they shall be given into his hand, until a time and times and the dividing of 26 time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to 27 destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and

dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under

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