Roman king and his congregated vassals between the two seas of Palestine. This principle requires us to admit, that the parallel prophecies of Daniel and St. John, which treat of the final overthrow of the Roman king or the Roman wild-beast under his revived seventh head, correspond with the several prophecies of Isaiah and Joel and Micah and Zechariah which foretell the destruction of a vast confederacy in the land of Israel. For, since Daniel locally and synchronically connects the restoration of Judah with the overthrow of the Roman kingdom alike predicted by himself and St. John, and since all those other prophets similarly connect the restoration of Judah with an overthrow of some great and impious confederacy; the mutual correspondence and relation of the several predictions in question must undeniably follow 1. Hence, although in handling unaccomplished prophecies we must not presume to advance a step beyond the express declarations of the prophecies themselves, yet are we at liberty to apply to the Roman kingdom whatever Isaiah and Joel and Micah and Zechariah predict respecting the overthrow of an impious confederacy in Palestine syn 1 The parallel prophecies, to which I refer as all treating of the same persons and the same times and the same countries and the same events, are the following: Dan. xi. 40-45. xii. 1, 2. Rev. xvi. 17-21. xviii. xix. xx. 1—5. Isaiah lx. lxvi. Joel ii. iii. Micah iv. v. Zechar. xii. xiii, xiv. chronically with the restoration of Daniel's ancient people the children of Judah. V. Those, who delight in speculating upon unfulfilled prophecy, may read the divine oracles in question. A commentator, however, must not presume to assert any thing, beyond what they themselves assert. That Antichrist will fall in Palestine under his revived seventh head, synchronically with the restoration of Judah, and after having combated with the two then existing sovereigns of Egypt and Syria, he may safely maintain : because, in making such a declaration, he in effect does nothing more than repeat the anticipatory statements of prophecy. But, with respect to any thing more minute and specific, it is his best wisdom to observe a prudent silence and a reverential reserve. CHAPTER I. RESPECTING THE GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES. THE prophecies, contained in the Revelation of St. John, are spread, in point of chronology, over the entire great calendar of seven times; extending also, beyond the allotted period of that calendar, to the final consummation of all things: and, in point of geography, they respect the whole platform of the Roman Empire both Eastern and Western; that Empire, by successive agglomeration, having at length territorially become the completed compound metallic image'. I. These prophecies are so arranged, that they naturally divide themselves into three grand parts. 1. The first part comprehends the first portion of the sealed or larger book: and, if its introductory part be included, it is contained in the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth, chapters, according to the vulgar division of the Apocalypse. 2. The second part comprehends the whole of the open or little book: and, if we include its pröem, 1 See above book iii. chap. i. |