In the very midst of these awful times there will appear two famous persons as witnesses for Jesus: one who will specially appear to the Jews, the other to Israel, and both testify for God and Jesus. These two witnesses will turn the tide of battle, confront Anti-Christ and his host, and give to the world new views of God and Providence.

These two old men, or witnesses, will be endowed with miraculous power to bring fire down from heaven, or turn the water streams into blood, and smite the earth with all manner of plagues, as often as they will. Their presence and power will cast a gloom o'er the nations of the earth, and Anti-Christ and his allies. They will finally be slain in the streets of Jerusalem. At the time of their death a great feast will be held to commemorate the victories of Anti-Christ, and to inaugurate the setting up of an image of him in the temple. So in the city there will be peoples, kindreds, and tongues of many nations. And they will see the dead bodies of the two witnesses lying exposed and unburied in the streets for three days and a-half, for Anti-Christ will not suffer them to be buried. On the wings of the wind, by the telegraph and by signals, the news of their death will spread rapidly abroad to all the nations of the earth. Infidelity, and Communism, and the Jesuits will be emboldened. Feasting and rejoicing will be the order of the day. "And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the earth." That will be the merry wake for you—a wake that will suddenly end, and that too, before the corpses are buried. The victories will be cut short and the rejoicing checked.

The spirit of life from God shall enter into the two exposed and corrupting bodies, and they shall stand upon their feet to defy Anti-Christ and his host, and laugh at the pains of death. Great fear will fall upon them who saw the dead so raised. This time the telegraphs will be muffled, and the news is kept back from the nations as much as possible; but astonishment ends not here, for over the destroying and now idolatrous city of Jerusalem hangs a peculiar cloud, and voices peal as thunder through the air, to call the attention of the multitudes. And when every eye is skyward, the cloud moves and opens, as a chariot of fire and glory, and rising in majesty and composure up above roofs, temples, and pinnacles, will be seen the two witnesses of Christ; they enter in and are borne heavenward. "And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them." Then, while the multitude are wrapt in wonder and all amazement, the pinnacles sway to and fro, the houses rock, the earth trembles, the walls of the city fall, and Olivet cleaves in twain. Then Anti-Christ is slain with many of his followers, and the remnant fear unto repentance. "And the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand, and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever."

These are some of the wonders yet to come. Then how say some that Anti-Christ has already been? The witnesses have not yet appeared: they have not yet wrought their miracles. The Lost Ten Tribes and the scattered Jews have not yet been gathered from all countries whither the Lord God hath scattered them, and placed in their own land, to go out no more, to be plucked up no more. Jerusalem is yet being trodden under foot, the land is comparatively desolate, no temple yet adorns the city, nor priest, nor Levite, attend at the altar. Pshaw! upon the Biblical interpreters of this day, who wilfully or ignorantly careen through the line of prophecies, despising the order established by God. They are like the girl with her novel, who cannot wait to read through the book, and take events in their order, but she turns to the last leaf to find the destiny of her hero. So men, borne by passion and choice, skip by several of the prophecies, and harp everlastingly on the last—the coming of the blessed Jesus—"He whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts iii. 21). The world is not yet ready for Christ; it is yet too much upside down, too much confused. But God is in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. It does not now look like God; so God and Christ, Providence and the Church, must work on till the house is in order for His return. "Hon dei ouranon men dexasthai archri chronon apokataseos panton," whom, indeed, heaven must retain until the time of restoration of all things. If things are not now restored or reconciled, or in order, why, then, Christ cannot come. He will not come to put them in order; this He has left for and with the Church to do, and has promised to be with His Church to the end.

A few Sunday evenings ago, a brother kindly asked me where the Church would be while Anti-Christ was reigning. I simply said anywhere and everywhere, wherever it happened to be. He thought the Church would be taken away by Christ; he referred me to several passages. I said, Come next Sunday evening, as those passages will be partly considered in my next sermon. He replied that he might be taken up by that time. All right, I said, then we will excuse you. Now, in the name of common sense, why have men, and why do men, down through the centuries, and now, entertain such views? Because every Bible reader must see that there are many prophecies that must be fulfilled before Christ can come—one of which is the appearance of the two witnesses of the text. They will be specially sent and commissioned to testify for Christ, as against Anti-Christ.

Let us now ascertain who these two witnesses are, or are to be. I find on examining the subject all manner of views set forth. And, as is often the case in studying a subject of this kind, I find few that agree—so much so, that at last I found relief in turning from what men said and thought to what God in His Holy Word had written and said.

First. They are two men. Second. They are sent to Jerusalem which, because of the wickedness of the city at the time of their visit, will be called Sodom and Egypt; but, lest we should mistake the place from these names, John adds: "Where also our Lord was crucified." So Isaiah i. 10 says: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah." This fixes safely the place. Besides, the place is pointed out from the fact that they oppose Anti-Christ, who at that time we know will be at Jerusalem. Third. They are sent. You ask where they are sent from? The answer is, From heaven, from standing before the God of the whole earth. Fourth. Who sends them? We answer, Jesus—because the Book of the Revelation is "the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto John." Fifth. What were they sent for? In the first place they were to be special witnesses for Jesus, for He calls them His two witnesses. In the second place, they were to prophesy, to be prophets in the fullest sense, to forecast the future, to interpret past and present; to work miracles; to assume control in directing State affairs. Sixth. It is worth your careful notice to note that they are not constituted witnesses by being sent; they are sent because they are witnesses. They are not then to be endowed with miraculous power; "these have power" in the present tense. These facts, if nicely considered, will at once suggest the persons.

Whoever they are, they must have gone from earth to heaven with their bodies, two persons who have escaped death, for their death takes place in Jerusalem. They must have been prophets before they left earth for heaven the first time. And in the third place, they must at some time and place have been special witnesses for Christ. In fact, they are two anointed ones, or, in other words, they are two persons who have been set apart and prepared for the very visit spoken of in the text.

Daniel, when speaking of them, and the visit spoken of in the text, calls one "the Ancient of Days;" the other one was "like the Son of Man." He represents these two persons as sitting in judgment on Anti-Christ, and the seven horns, or kingdoms. "And the ten horns that 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 was more stout than his fellows (this is Anti-Christ). I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints and prevailed 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" (Dan. vii. 20).

Many interpret "the Ancient of Days" and the "one like the Son of Man" to be Christ. They stagger not at the fact that there are two persons, and that they are introduced one to another, and that the Ancient of Days seems to be the greatest. It is nothing to such interpreters that there are two persons; these they make one. The one looking like the Son of Man they make out to be the Son of God, although Daniel says he only looked like Him. The judgment spoken of by Daniel they make out to be the general judgment, when, in fact, Daniel tells on what and where they sat in judgment—namely, at Jerusalem. About Anti-Christ—and that Anti-Christ is soon destroyed after this—and "as concerning the rest of the beasts (that is, the seven horns), they had their dominion taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time." The vision and scene of the whole chapter belongs to this world, and the kingdom of the saints here spoken of is as much material and political as the other. The difference is, the rulers and people are Christians, they are called saints.

Every throne should be double-kinged; that is God's purpose, that is Heaven's plan. Christ wants no earthly throne excepting that way. As the Creator is Lord of lords and King of kings, so Christ after His resurrection assumed His Father's place, and stands to us as God to the Jews of old. All power was given to Him in heaven and in earth, therefore, He, Christ, has long since begun His reign, and He must continue to reign until He hath put all enemies under His feet. When David was king over Israel and Judah, so was God. We repeat, every throne should be double-kinged.

To this end will come these two witnesses. Who will they be? We answer, Moses and Elijah: these are the two brave old men now living and waiting to fulfil their mission. For hundreds of years they have been anointed. Moses is "the Ancient of Days;" the "one like the Son of Man" is Elijah the Tishbite. This interpretation chimes in with the Divine Word, without twisting and distorting to make both ends meet.

We said these two were to be human: so they are. They being sent from heaven, we said they must have passed by death with their bodies; so they did. They were to be prophets; so they are, two of the grandest prophets of all. They were to have power over fire and water; so they had when they lived on earth. The bloody stream of the Nile gives witness for Moses. The parched land and time of drought speaks of Elijah in Ahab's time. They both called fire down on them who sought to hurt them. They were to be special witnesses of Christ; so they were on the Mount of Transfiguration. These two olive trees stood one on each side of the golden candlestick, Jesus; Peter, James, and John, testify to having seen Moses and Elijah. These two old veterans know Christ well, hence they will be sent to testify for Him against Anti-Christ. Moses is a Jew. He will appeal unto the Jews, who will be found in the new temple, performing according to the old Mosaic law. He will change and lead his people from Anti-Christ to Christ. Elijah is an Israelite. He will specially bear testimony to the Israelite, his long-lost, but then restored, brethren.

More next Sunday evening on these two Christian heroes.



MOSES AND ELIJAH. DISCOURSE XII.

MORE ABOUT THE TWO WITNESSES—MORMONISM—GOD RULING AMONG THE NATIONS—CAREER OF THE TWO WITNESSES—ANTI-CHRIST—THE THRONE AND HOUSE OF DAVID.

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."—Rev. ii. 15.

Last Sabbath evening we called your attention to two special witnesses who are at a given time to appear at Jerusalem for a specific purpose. At the time of their appearance Anti-Christ will be reigning with great power and pomp. He will have succeeded in persuading the Jews and many others that he is the promised Jewish Messiah; this claim he will be able to sustain and confirm in the eyes of the multitude, from the very fact that he will, to all appearance, work miracles. Nor need we query that such a thing can take place. Look at some of the facts of our own day, and see how pliable human nature is. There are millions of people who sincerely believe that Leo XIII. is God's vicegerent, and that he is infallible. Take into account the Mormonism of this day, and see how terrible a thing in the name of Christianity can be established and maintained. Aye, in the nineteenth century, and in the United States of America. Or look in upon the Spiritualists and consider their claims and pretensions. Thousands upon thousands of them are persuaded that they are en rapport with heaven and in communication with spirits and spirit-land. Then you will not be surprised at the pretensions, claims, and success of Anti-Christ. In our calm and unprejudiced consideration of these organisations, we are bound to admit that they have done more, and owe more for their success, to deception and error, than to truth and openness. Each in its turn has been caught in the act of deceiving, and has been frequently exposed, but of what avail? Truly but little. We do not mean that in these systems there is no good, for surely there is, but that the errors and deceptions are of so glaring a kind, that we wonder that anybody of common sense can be so easily led astray.

With these facts before us, can we wonder any longer that Anti-Christ shall be so successful? The very occasion and peculiar times and incidents of the reign of Anti-Christ will call for some special manifestations on the part of the Divine One that shall soberly and clearly confront the hollow and hypocritical pretensions of that age. Hence the appearance of the two witnesses—Moses the Ancient of Days, and Elijah the Tishbite, who will look like the Son of God.

Allow us to submit further evidence in proof that the two witnesses of John in Rev. xi. are none other than Moses and Elijah: for many passages of Holy Writ are sealed to the understanding till we comprehend who the two witnesses are, their mission and work. We will notice the attributive features of these witnesses as they are related by John in this chapter—that is, Rev. xi.

In the first place, there are two persons or individualities; this appears plainly from the tenor of the whole record. They are spoken of as "they, them, their mouth, their feet, as dying and being resurrected." But, strange to say, after all this plainness of speech, men have become so accustomed to spiritualise and generalise that Anti-Christ stood for Rome, and naturally enough, having generalised Anti-Christ, they must do the same with the two witnesses; hence they found them in the Churches of the Waldenses and Albigenses. In such an interpretation nearly all the attributive features of these witnesses are ignored. Such as that they had power to work miracles, to lie unburied in the streets of Jerusalem for three days and a half. Some have laboured to prove that the Old and New Testaments were these witnesses, others that they were symbolised by the law and Gospel. Again, some that the two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's supper, were these two witnesses, and so on almost without end. These instances will suffice for our present purpose; for surely any of you reading God's own Word need not so blunder.

In the second place, Jesus calls them His two witnesses. Now, in what sense were they His? for such they are now. Not that they will be His when they appear, but they will appear to oppose Anti-Christ at Jerusalem because they are sent. The prophets are all witnesses; for, as Peter says, "To Him give all the prophets witness." The apostles were witnesses, and all believers are witnesses for Jesus; yet these two are so in a special and pre-eminent sense. Let any one read the account of the transfiguration of Jesus and the circumstances attendant thereon, and all will be plain. Moses and Elias (another spelling for Elijah) we find were present, as well as Peter, James, and John. When Christ was transfigured, "Behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elias" (Matt, xvii. 3). These two persons talked with Jesus, "and spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem." Thus, then, they were special witnesses for Christ, and so they will come again and witness for Him in the time appointed.

The number of days we must take in a literal sense; here the 1,260 days and 3.5 days are the days appointed for their work and death. It is well to remember that many of the prophetic numbers contain a double prophecy. Thus 1,260 here may be coincident with the treading down of Jerusalem by Mahommedanism. But whether it is or not, does not vitiate the literal quantity when applied to these two witnesses. In the third place, they are called two olive trees and two candlesticks standing before the God of the whole earth. The figurative meaning will be found by finding some passage where two trees are mentioned in the interpretation given—such a passage by Zechariah iv. Here the prophet saw two olive trees and asked of the angel the meaning; and the angel said, "Knowest thou not what these be?" And I said, "No, my Lord." Then said he, "These are two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." The simple meaning is, that the two olive trees mean two persons, who are in heaven at present, but are anointed—that is, set apart, selected for some distinct work for God.

Moses and Elijah evidently were anointed and specially selected, for it is probable they both escaped death. The wonder connected with the disappearance of Moses and the translation of Elijah now finds some measure of explanation. None doubt the translation of Elijah. John the Baptist was not Elias, except he was to go before Christ in the spirit and power of Elias; in this sense John stood for Elias. John the Baptist prepared the way of Christ the first time, so will Elias for Christ's second coming. The record of Moses's departure from this world is as mysterious as it is dramatic. But, certainly, neither the mysterious nor the dramatic have any meaning excepting we allow something Divinely special. To die as other people, would mean nothing on the line of specialities; but he did not so die. He went from the people alive; no one saw him die or dead. He went up into Mount Horeb and never returned. So, so far as the people were concerned, he was to them a dead man, for he went from them no more to return. The word death in Hebrew has not less than six meanings, one of which is simply to disappear. This is the meaning that we must attach to the death of Moses. Neither his grave nor body have ever been found.

There is a peculiar passage in the book of Jude where "Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." Now, Satan then had power over death in some way Divinely permitted. Paul says (Heb. ii. 14), speaking of Christ, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death—that is, the devil." When God was translating Moses, passing him by death, Satan fought with Michael, who was God's messenger, to inflict the sting of death on Moses, and although Michael carried Moses on by death into the presence of God, Satan durst not bring a railing accusation against him.

Jude, in his epistle, probably quoted from one of the now lost books of Revelation, which was entitled, "The Ascension or Assumption of Moses the servant of God." The Church father, Origen, makes mention of this work, but, like the book and prophecies of Enoch, from which Jude makes a quotation, it has been lost, they having served their purpose. The fairest and most generous interpretation, then, is, that Moses did not die the ordinary death, but disappeared, was, in fact, translated, anointed, and set apart for a special work in connection with his own people, the Jews, in the days of the coming Anti-Christ. Thus, without any trouble, he could appear with Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. And it is worthy of note that before he disappeared in Horeb—the sacred writer is mindful to tell us "Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died—his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated" (Deut. xxiv. 7). But, supposing Moses died naturally, there is nothing unreasonable or irregular in concluding that God resurrected him as a mortal for future use. True, he will die again as a witness; so there are in heaven now eight persons who have died twice in this world—namely:

The child raised by Elijah (1 Kings xvii. 21). The child of Elisha (2 Kings iv. 35). The Moabite soldier who came to life on touching the bones of Elisha (2 Kings xiii. 21). The daughter of Jairus (Luke viii. 55). The widow's son at Nain (Luke vii. 15). Lazarus of Bethany (John xi. 44). Dorcas or Tabitha by Peter (Acts ix. 40). Eutychus by Paul (Acts xx. 10).

Anti-Christ will be a great electrician; electricity by that time will be a fearful power in the hands of science. Edison with his genius and marvellous discoveries, and others of like gifts, will have perfected the use of this agent in a wonderful degree. Anti-Christ will make use of this power to cower his enemies and bring them in fear-subjection. He will bring fire down from heaven. The two witnesses, however, will be clothed with Divine power; they will be able to bring fire by a simple command—this they both understood and used when on earth.

Moses called fire down upon the 250 rebellious Korahthites, as we read in Numbers xvi. Ahab, the King of Israel, thought to punish and compel the obedience of Elijah; but God gave fire from heaven in answer to the prophet's prayer. So when Ahaziah sent a captain and fifty men to bring Elijah into the king's presence, they found him sitting on the top of a hill and commanded him to come down. "And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty" (2 Kings i. 10). Thus will these two anointed ones be able to contend with Anti-Christ and all the powers of scientific infidels. "If any man hurt these two witnesses, by the very means used so shall they be killed."

"These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, and have power over waters to turn them to blood." To whom would these gifts and attributes apply better than to Elijah, who in the days of the wicked King Ahab sealed the heavens against rain for three years and a half? and to Moses, who, when contending with Pharaoh, turned the sweet flowing Nile into a stream of blood? What two prophets had such a wide range of prophetic energy and liberty as Moses and Elijah? None. Well may the Revelator say, then, of them, that they can smite the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they will.

By awful and sublime manifestations the world shall see that God rules in the heaven and on the earth. They shall learn that Anti-Christ is a false Christ. Then shall fear and repentance fall upon the people. The Jews shall be convinced, and converted, and persuaded by the appearance of their beloved Moses. They shall know of a truth that the Messiah has been, and is waiting to come again. Referring to that time the prophet Zechariah calls it a time of trembling, the time of a terrible siege. But he tells us that "The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the House of David, and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, do not magnify themselves against Judah." Thus we learn that the Jews, who have been so long despised and bereft of a king, country, and government, shall see through the great mystery of Providence first. The House of David is found in the royal family of England. The Jews, seeing this, will invite, in concert with all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the English Government to take charge of their affairs.

"Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head" (Hosea i. 2). The Jews will then be Christians. "For they shall look upon Him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son."

At this time the whole world will be amazed and confounded at the destruction of Anti-Christ and his host. The Jews, the House of David, and the Lost Tribes, Israel, the Saxons, will hold a council in Jerusalem. David's house, which God selected, and throne, both of which the Almighty promised perpetuity to, shall be found and recognised in the English throne and royal family. The Saxon race shall distinctively appear as long-lost Israel. So that the Jews, and David's House, and Israel, will unite and acknowledge Christ as Lord and Master. They will make known to America, who stands for Manasseh, and all the colonies, the decision of the said council; all parties will see, and accept, and federate for the world's conquest and peace.

This federation of the ancient people, the literal seed of Abraham, will cause jealousies and alliances on the part or rest of the world, excepting some portions of France, Austria, and Prussia. The beast, dragon, and Anti-Christ's force, that will survive the shock of the two witnesses, will all unite for an onslaught upon England, but especially Palestine. Russia, though nominally Christian, will join the beast or Romish Church. The dragon means the Pagan portion of the world. Thus will be inaugurated the battle of Armageddon, the issues of which we are permitted to know through Revelation. Then will the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.

With many, and to many, these things are but as dreams; they are chimerical. But one thing is certain: the history of the Church and Providence in the future are appallingly grand. Providence was grand in leading forth His people of old from Egypt. But He will be no less grand when He shall set His hand a second time to recover His people as He has promised to do.

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is His name whereby He shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness." (That is, the ruler of God's choice—a king, then, in fact, by Divine right.) "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the House of Israel out of the North country, and from all countries whither I had driven them, and they shall dwell in their own land" (Jer. xxiii. 68).

God has now one of the seed of David on the throne, and He has a Jew doing her bidding, executing her decrees over and for Israel. For though Israel were to be numerous and powerful, yet to David's seed belongs the throne.

The recent Congress was but a forerunner of the one yet to come. The crownless king, Disraeli, who forced the Congress, is, perhaps, an unconscious instrument in the hands of Providence. But whether he be or not, he is hastening on the day with lightning speed. Forth from the recent Congress he goes, having once again linked the destinies of England to the Continent, which has been so strangely severed, till Russia, Italy, Austria, France, and Spain might each test the other, and each find their appointed place. Now, again, England pledges herself a Continental Power—nay, more—an Asiatic Power. She will come forth from the Congress the virtual ruler of Turkey, the owner of Palestine.



BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. DISCOURSE XIII.

THE COMBATANTS ON BOTH SIDES—WHO "THE KINGS OF THE EAST" ARE—THE GREAT NAPOLEONIC IDEA—DISRAELI, LINCOLN AND GRANT—ENGLAND'S POLICY IN TURKEY—FUTURE WARS AND INTRIGUES—THE GREAT BATTLE-FIELD—GATHERING OF THE NATIONS—EARTHQUAKES—JERUSALEM A SEAPORT.

"And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."—Rev. xvi. 16.

Christian students and prophetic writers are generally agreed on three things touching this great event. First, that there is to be such a decisive battle fought. Second, that it will take place in some part of Palestine. Third, that this great struggle will be final, the end of war, the beginning of the Millennium morn.

In the Scriptures the contestants are pointed out, as they rally under the standards of the dragon, the beast, and Anti-Christ on one side, and on the other, under the standard of David, will be the called, the chosen, and the faithful; or, in other words, the Ten Lost Tribes as found chiefly in the Saxon race, with all who sincerely believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

In another sermon we pointed out to you the plain fact of the existence of David's throne and David's seed as found and seen specially in the throne of England. We there see how faithfully God has kept His promise to David and His people. For God frequently told David that his throne should be established unto all generations, and of David's seed there should never be wanting a man to sit thereon. It is the permanence, the grandeur, and progressive character of this throne and people that make it a fitting type of Christ and His Church. Nay, more, it is on this throne that Christ now sits, so far as this world goes; and it is through this people that He reigns, and He will and must reign until He has conquered a universal peace. It is a delusion too long entertained by the Church to think that David's throne and seed have not now, nor for centuries had, an existence. It is a delusion that we should not entertain for a moment to think that the Ten Tribes of Israel are lost for ever, or that their work or mission is fulfilled. As surely as the Two Tribes, Judah and Levi, now exist, fulfilling and filling in the outlines of prophetic history, so surely are Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh in existence, answering the purpose of an all-seeing Providence.

Who are the kings of the East spoken of in the Scriptures? We answer, They are the royal ones of the House of David. The word king, both in Hebrew and Greek, means such. This seed God chose, and made them royal by that very selection. They have been away from their own land, Palestine, wandering and dwelling in the West. But God in Providence is preparing a way for their return. In connection with the pouring out of the sixth vial upon the great river of the Euphrates, or upon Turkey, as most writers agree, the waters are to dry up—that is, Turkey is to decay, to be absorbed. And why? "That the way of the kings of the East might be prepared" (Rev. xvi. 12).

These kings have been away from the East, and their return is assured, and the preparation for such return is to be seen at this time and in connection with the decay of Turkey. If Turkey, as symbolised by the river Euphrates, is drying up, then these kings must be advancing Eastward; and so they are.

The crownless king, Disraeli, who, like many other men God has raised up, is for these times an index finger pointing out the way of Providence. He is a receptive agent of Divine force, to the intent that he may interpret a Divine purpose. He may know, or he may not know, that he is so directed of heaven. The prophets of old were seldom permitted to interpret or understand their own prophecies. If they asked, like Daniel, the meaning, they were told to "go their way," for oftentimes the words were "closed up and sealed until the time of the end." No wonder this man, against all England nearly, and to the amazement of all the world, proclaims the Queen of England the Empress of India, for the way of the kings of the East must be prepared.

Napoleon Bonoparte's grand idea was to prepare the way of the kings of the East and make himself and his descendants these kings. "Conquer England and the world is ours," he said. But when his secret and well-prepared assault on England was revealed and frustrated by a chain of providential events, he hit upon another plan to get possession of Palestine. Seventy years ago he invited all the leading Jews of the world to a secret council in Paris; he wished them to aid him in getting possession of Palestine. He pretended to want their return. He gave them certain privileges and laboured to procure more from the other nations; he did much for the Jews in enlarging their liberties and taking away from them the curse of society. The one idea that is distinctly Napoleonic, is to possess Palestine. The late Napoleon had his idea, and in his day this idea had become a part of France; so much so, that France thought herself to be then and now the real protector of Palestine. It was for this idea that she allied with England and Turkey in the Crimean war. It was to keep Russia back from possessing the holy places. Not till France was weakened could England advance on her way East rapidly; so Germany was used to destroy her prestige and cause her to stand aside till England proceeds on her way homeward.

It was a comely sight, some five years ago, to see two Jews closeted together making a secret bargain—one had power, the other had money. The man of power asked the man of money to lend him twenty million dollars; it was done. At once the man of power purchases with this twenty millions part of his fatherland back again—the Suez Canal. This very canal is on the boundary of the land of Palestine as given to Abraham centuries ago. By this very route the old patriarch entered the Promised Land. It was fitting, indeed, that this should be the first piece purchased back. No one knew save those directly interested. England murmured and France protested, but the thing was done. Poor France, bleeding and divided, could do but little; for Disraeli and Rothschild had done the work. The way of the kings of the East must be prepared. So on they go. A man who executes a Divine purpose is always strong. Abraham Lincoln, in the history of our country, was so chosen and led of God. The politicians, and statesmen, and generals, and many of the people were against him at first; but the Lord was with him, so he marched on to victory, the country following in the wake. And though dead, not forgotten, the country and the civilised world are marching on after him, and now they have nearly overtaken him. Lincoln's ideas and the country's are nearly equal. A man led of God is generally a good distance behind, and the people led by such a man are equally as far behind him as he is behind God. But this nation and Abraham Lincoln are now one, and in those things in which they once were divided they are a unit, with more than the honoured Lincoln; for they are a unit with God and providence. Thus follows the English nation in the wake of Disraeli, and the world is coming on behind, and the day will come when all will be a unit. It does not shock our idea of human honesty much when we learn that this crownless king played a double game with Russia and Turkey. It is intensely Jewish, but if it were only Jewish, then it would be very detestable; it is more, it is Divine in part. "Had the princes of this world known, they would not have crucified the Prince of Glory." Had the princes of the late Berlin Congress known the double game being played by one of the quietest of their number, they would not have done as they did. Turkey in Asia was given over to England's protection, aye, yes, that included Palestine. The island of Cyprus is given over entirely—surely the way of the kings of the East is being grandly prepared.

Why did not the Congress hand over to England's protection Turkey in Europe? For reasons good and sufficient. Turkey in Europe will be the cause of much strife, of several wars, and of strange alliances; hence it would not have done for Israel-England to be mixed up with it. Constantinople alone, of European Turkey, England will keep. Israel is to be much preserved from war, until the great battle of Armageddon comes on. Against that time she will have to husband her strength and resources. It is marvellous now to think that what the Congress settled as belonging to England, none dispute—all is peace. But Russia's share and Austria's are in arms. Servia, Greece, Roumania, and all the Turkish provinces rebel and are in a state of disquietude, that portends war and strife again in a few years. But England will have nothing to do with it, excepting that Russia and Austria, with the consent of Germany, Italy, and France, are to set a precedent for England, which in a few years she will need. It is plain that if Russia and Austria can force by arms the conditions of the Berlin Congress, England will be at liberty to do the same without any interference even from France. The Congress handed over to England's keeping Turkey. England, then, can make Turkey do her bidding by force of arms sustained by the very precedent already set. Thus will Israel-England open up Palestine for Christian settlement. The Mahommedans will murmur and resist to have the holy places taken from them, but no matter; England, when the time comes, will enforce it. It is just here that Turkey and England will dispute, and in each dispute England will find a reason for drawing the lines a little tighter around poor Turkey.

The contestants on one side at the great battle of Armageddon, you remember, are the dragon, the beast, and Anti-Christ. Now what people is represented by the term dragon? We answer, the Pagan nations and authorities, just as the Chinese have on their standards to-day a dragon, as we have the eagle. The Mahommedans, Hindoos, Brahmins, Buddhists, and all Pagan idolaters, are summed up in the word dragon. At present, England is tolerant with the subjects and adherents of these different worshippers and religions; but the time will come when she will no longer tolerate the same; thus will they arraign themselves against her in the battle of Armageddon. This will come to pass as the gradual destruction of Mormonism in our country. This system has been fortified by law; now laws are being arraigned against it. It is now only tolerated, and in a short time it will be wiped out of existence.

The final battle referred to in the text is to occur at a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon, the literal meaning of which is at the mount of Megido. In olden times there was a city called Megiddon; it stood in what is now called the great plain of Esdraelon—a plain that lies midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean. It was also called Jezreel. The prophet Hosea speaks of this place, battle, and time, all by this one word. Referring to the time when the children of Judah and of Israel are gathered together under one head in their own land, he says, "For great shall be the day of Jezreel" (Hos. i. 11). It is spoken of in the Scriptures and history as the valley of Jehoshaphat, because here Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, gained a great victory; for here the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel, as He will in the coming battle. Joel iii. 12 says, referring to this coming struggle, "Let the heathen be waked up and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about."

There is one name given to this time and battle that is very significant and striking. Have you ever noticed it? If not, let me call your attention to it. It is called "That great day of God Almighty," by John in the chapter of the text. The day of the Lord of hosts by Isaiah. Ezek. xxx. 3: "Howl ye! Woe worth the day! For the day of the Lord is near: it shall be the time of the heathen." And Joel says, "Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." By the prophets Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Malachi, and apostles Paul and Peter, it is called the day of the Lord.

You ask if this battle may not have taken place. We answer, No. Of such a battle we have no record. Again, it will be the end of the war—the final overthrow of Paganism, the beast, and Anti-Christ. Malachi says, "Behold I will send you the prophet Elijah before the coming of that great and dreadful day of the Lord." Elijah has not yet been a witness. At the time of this great battle nature is to take a wonderful part. As when Christ was on the cross, the sun darkened, the rocks rent, the mountains shook, so in connection with this battle there shall be some strange wonders—earthquakes, thundering, lightning, hail and fire. The Mount of Olives will divide; the valley of the Dead Sea will fill with water and join to the Mediterranean; Jerusalem will become a seaport; an appointed centre from which, being central to all the world, will go forth the ships of the Lord. The city of Jerusalem, between this time and that, will be considerably enlarged, then it will divide into three parts. At the time of this dividing John says, "That the cities of the nations are to fall"—London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, St. Petersburg, and many others—that all may turn to Jerusalem, the capital appointed of Heaven.

If you wish to know more of the particulars of this day, read the prophets, study what John the Revelator says under the sixth vial and sixth seal. With awful grandeur and with terrible majesty have the sacred writers set forth this day and time.

That this day will come, who will deny? Look at the world ripening for this day. Here, in our own land, as well as others, the forces are maturing, the agents are at work. Many of the events of the past year we were permitted to forecast by looking into the future through the prophets, and onward yet we look. And the events coming are neither less in number, merit, or force, than those passed. Keep the events of prophecy in their proper order lest they confuse you. The Jews and Ten Lost Tribes are to be found and possess Palestine before this battle. Anti-Christ is to appear. The two witnesses, Moses and Elijah, are to appear. And Jesus, our beloved Master, will not come till the world is settled long in perpetual peace—till the house is prepared for the bride, then shall He come. But with lightning speed events are crowding on along the ages. The accumulative forces of centuries are pressing hard upon time present. The time of the end is near—not the end of time, but the time appointed of God in which certain great things are to be accomplished. Eighteen hundred years ago John cried out, "Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year" (Rev. ix. 14).

The Turkish Power originated on the banks of the Euphrates. It first was divided into four Sultanies—namely, Bagdad, Aleppo, Damascus and Cesarea. These are typified under four angels. Their time was to be 396 years and a fraction—an hour, day, month, and year. Thus, taking a day for a year, 365 for the year, thirty for the month, one for the day, and we have 396. So from the taking of Bagdad by the Turks in 1057, which was the overthrow of the Saracens, until the capture of Constantinople in 1453, which overthrew the Greek Empire, we have just 396 years. And the time for the drying up of Turkey is at hand; and so it comes to pass.

Dear friends, how wonderful are the dealings of our God! Can we shut our eyes to His Divine revelation? Let us be wise in the day of grace, taking heed to the sure Word of prophecy, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. The world indeed is dark, and all confusion. But His Word shows unto us order in all this confusion, blessed be His name. More next Sunday evening.



ARMAGEDDON AND THE PYRAMID. DISCOURSE XIV.

THE FORCES IN THE BATTLE—TIME OF ITS OCCURRENCE—MISTAKES OF ADVENTISTS—A CHURCH "STRIKE" WANTED—THE HARD TIMES AFTER 1882—HISTORY OF THE WORLD TILL 1935—HINE'S THEORY.

"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful."—Rev. xviii. 14.

Last Sunday evening we considered the subject of the great battle of Armageddon. This evening we will take up the same subject for further consideration. This battle, we learn, is to be very terrible, such a one as the world has not had. Fearful as some of the wars of the past have been, this will overshadow them all in skill, fierceness, number, slaughter, devastation, and wide-spread ruin. It will, in some respects, be like one of the wars of olden times. For in this struggle God is again to take a direct part, as He did for His people Israel and Judah in times of old. Again shall the forces of nature do battle for God and His people; again they shall be full of instinctive revenge. Hear us, and believe us, Denis Kearney, Providence will then "pool the issues" of the called, the chosen, and the faithful. The called are the Jews, the chosen are Israelites, and the faithful embrace all of every nation who believe in Christ. Then many will wade in pools of blood and perish. The birds of prey are to hold high carnival on the dead bodies of the slain. The spirit of Satan, that now worketh in the children of disobedience, will pool the issues of hell and death in the hosts of the dragon, beast, and false prophet. For though these three powers are diverse in their aims, professions, and intents, yet we learn from many passages of the Divine Book that they will join hands and agree upon a common policy, federating together that they may contend with the called, the chosen, and the faithful. "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. xvi. 13, 14). Here indeed will be a pooling of the issues, a pooling that will divide the whole world into two forces or parties.

Now the canvass has begun, preparations are going on, party lines are being drawn, powers are concentrating, and men are rallying under their respective standards, getting the world ripe and ready for the coming generations, into whose hands the destinies of that day will be cast. Few of us now living can personally take part in that final battle, excepting as we do so by impressing the unborn millions with our ideas. Like as David prepared the material for the building of the temple, and his son Solomon carried forward the same, so the work of this generation is simply preparatory, and that of the coming will be executive.

Several wars will take place before that of Armageddon, which in their nature will be fierce and terrible. Still these will all be preparatory—leading on to the day of decision and the battle final. On this point many err, and their error has a pernicious influence on the Church and the world. They interpret the preparatory signs as if they were final; hence the end with such is too near. A sincere anxiety takes possession of their soul, which utterly unfits them to judge aright the signs of the times and tokens of Providence. Thus were a portion of the Advent Church thrown into confusion the 8th of last July because they had fixed upon the seventh as the time for the ending of the world. And human folly and haste will repeat itself again on the 10th of April next, because another portion of the Advent brethren have fixed upon the 9th of April as the time of the end. It is a wonder the first did not take the 4th of July instead of the seventh, for then a stranger might think the end was nigh in some of our cities; or why didn't the other party select the 1st of April, for no doubt it would have proved a more propitious day? But thus it is, and will be again before the appointed time of Heaven comes. Man is a creature of haste and sudden impulse, especially so in his religious experience. Kings and nations, Churches and sects, have laboured hard in times past to force the issues of Providence and give speed and certainty to times and events.

The prophecies affecting our days are clear; so much so, that he who runs may read, if need be. But an impatient activity urges men on, bedazzling their eyes, which at once unnerves and unfits them for reading or judging. "In your patience possess ye your souls," said the blessed Master to His disciples of old, and not less through them unto us.

"Order is Heaven's first law," it has been said; and surely order pervades the prophecies. But the pulpits in general over-ride this order, and are not slow to malign such men as Edward Hine, of London, England, when the fact is, that his theory of the prophecies and mode of interpretation are vastly more natural, responsive, and reasonable than the ill-adjusted, unnatural, and non-responsive system of current theology. A person is under obligation to use that key for the unlocking of prophecy which fits the best, and that responds to providential events the most natural, without regard to the antiquated systems and mode of Church, sect, or college theology. Hine's theory, as it is called sometimes, is as much superior to the old system of interpretation, as the railway Pullman car is to the ricketty old stage coach.

The Anglo-Saxon Israel theory neither destroys or introduces any new principle, but discovers and applies that which had been long hidden. The introduction of steam and electricity did not destroy or produce any new principle, but simply discovered and applied, in an improved form, that which had been in the world from Adam down till now.

As men in science, mechanics, and practical life, throw overboard men and things of the past, so should we in theology, Church life, and experience, when we can do better. Reverence for persons, and respect for ideas, should not enslave us. Let us move on, doing better and better. We do not care to believe all the theology of a Martin Luther. When we can make an advance on men, or theories, we should do so. Bacon and Newton are now in part rejected, without intending, or in fact doing them any dishonour or disrespect. So are Calvin and Wesley, on the same principle, by every good theologian. If a theory be advanced that opens up the Scriptures, and especially the prophecies, better than those before existing, let the pulpit accept it, throwing aside its mawkishness and age-intrenched stupidity. I have no hesitation to say, after over twenty-five years of experience with preachers and pulpit, that the majority of preachers are lazy and indifferent in study. For this reason many of them are deterred from examining any new theory. Many have said to me, and written to me, that if they accepted the Lost Tribe theory it would destroy nearly all their old sermons, and necessitate the making of new ones—a work they were not willing to undertake. It will, therefore, be a long time before the pulpit is reformed. In these days there are many strikes. While in Canada, on my vacation, I agreed to lecture for a Church choir on the prophet Jeremiah's visit to Ireland. But some preachers banded together and stopped it; and, in consequence of it, the choir struck and refused to sing the following Sunday. Passing by this strike, I really wish the laymen would strike and call the pulpit to an account and rouse it from its lethargy, and demand that it should untrammel itself and be free and equal to the age and demand. I have met with miserly persons who didn't believe in beautiful churches, or the missionary cause, or any cause indeed that wanted money. They would argue for plainness, and so on. The secret of their peculiar ideas on these matters was to be found in their stinginess and their love of money. They advocated such theories because it saved them from contributing. Like a man I met with on my vacation tour who said that he saved forty dollars a year by pretending to be angry with the minister or some of the deacons when they came round collecting money. Some ministers, no doubt the majority of them, talk about holding on to the old landmarks and being orthodox for the very reason that to make a move implies labour, which they are not willing to give, hence they prate about orthodoxy and landmarks as a pretext to cover over their indifference. He is the most orthodox who searches after the truth and keeps up with the age. "Prove all things, hold fast that which is good," says Paul. These pretended followers of Paul say: "Prove nothing, hold fast what you have got."

It is as plain as A, B, C, that the Bible teaches the return of the Jews and Ten Lost Tribes of Israel to the land of Palestine. Also, that after they are settled in this land Anti-Christ appears. The dragon and beast are already in existence, but Anti-Christ is not; the spirit of Anti-Christ is. When Israel and Judah are settled and prosperous in the old fatherland, then is to come on the battle of Armageddon. Thank Heaven! that though the struggle will be awful, it will be final, and victory will turn on the Lord's side. Then will be set up a kingdom that shall endure in abiding peace and prosperity for at least a thousand years. The world will nestle in regaling plenty and great assurance. This kingdom is to be set up in the latter days of the four kingdoms spoken of by Daniel. By this we understand that these kingdoms will have their day, and by succession, after a time, run out. These kingdoms—namely, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome—are now disappearing. Rome, politically, is gone, Persia will soon be absorbed, also Greece. Babylon, being continued in the Empire of Russia, has yet a glorious future before it for the next fifty years or so, then she will disappear to rise no more. The cry will go forth, "Babylon is fallen." In Nebuchadnezzar's image you will remember that the stone cut out of the mountain began to destroy the metallic image upward, hence these kingdoms will disappear in reverse order to their origin. First Rome, which has gone; next Greece, which is nearly gone; then Persia, and then Russia. The new kingdom will fill the world. Already it foreshadows the outlines of possession by its immense territory of to-day. Then a scion of the House of David shall be enthroned in Jerusalem. All the other great capitals will have been destroyed. It is surprisingly grand to read of that day, king and kingdom. Let me read to you a few verses from Jeremiah, chapter xxiii.: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is His name whereby He shall be called: the Lord our Righteousness. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the House of Israel out of the North country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land." The words, "that day," are often used, and if we desire to know when that day is, we have data in the great fact that it is the other side of Armageddon, and Armageddon is the other side of the settlement of Israel and Judah in Palestine.

I wish, just here, to correct many of you, as well as some of the public journals. Of late I have frequently seen it stated in the papers that I predicted the end of the world in 1882. And many persons have actually asked if I did really think so. The truth of the matter is, in my sermons on the Great Pyramid I pointed out to you the remarkable fact that the Grand Gallery was 1,882 inches long. Beginning with the birth of the Saviour, these inches stand for years. This gallery suddenly ends, excepting that it is continued in a narrow passage, the narrowest in the whole building, for fifty-three inches. Then comes the King's Chamber, which before you enter, you pass under a portcullis in the form of an olive leaf. In this chamber all is equal, quiet, and central. Now, what I believe this pillar of witness in Egypt teaches (see Isa. xix. 19) is, that in 1882 the whole world will enter upon a time of great trouble, war, pestilence, and famine, and for fifty-three years these troubles will continue more or less. Then about 1935 will occur the battle of Armageddon, which will be the finishing touch, the end of wars. I arrive at this, when I follow the teachings of the Pyramid, by adding 1882 and 53, which gives me 1935. Even then the world will not end, but only begin the millennium morn, which will last for a thousand years or more.

Now corresponding to these facts are the events of Providence. As when Spring is nigh we know by certain signs, so we know from the Scriptures, Providence, and Pyramidal teaching, where we stand and the season we are in. "O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" said Jesus to the proud and critical Pharisees and learned and doubting Sadducees. These parties affected to be specially wise and discriminating in their knowledge of the times and seasons, and interpreting the prophets and writings of Moses. Yet their conduct betrayed their ignorance, for they saw not the end of that grand old prophetic age, nor the fading symbolism of the temple, nor the departing glory and decay of their nation. They knew not the fulness of the time in which they lived, though it bulged out like a mountain. They did not know that one time hath ended, another time begun, for they still dated their documents 4032 of the world, when it was the year of our Lord and their Lord 32.

The antediluvians stand condemned because they were willingly ignorant of the Providential tokens and signs of the times. They set at naught the teachings and warnings of Noah, and in exulting pride they rejected the idea of a special Providence. Their faith, like many in this day, was planted and nourished by the laws of nature, and the analogous continuance of the same, not accepting the doctrine of a Divine Providence. They cried aloud, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."

Do you, like the Jews of old, demand more signs, when those given you are not understood, or, if understood, they are undervalued? The prophets have been lavish in portraying the calamities of the last days, or the times into which we are entering. For the words last days are the few years preceding the battle of Armageddon. The calamities of these days are of four kinds: First, social disorders; second, religious feuds and wars; third, wonderful political disturbances; fourth, temporal or physical disasters. Of the social condition of these last days, Paul instructs us: "This know, also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." Then he groups together nineteen immoral attributes of the social state of these last days: "Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient (to parents especially), unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce despisers, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than God, formal in religion" (2 Timothy iii.). What, we ask, will be the state of society when the social condition becomes such?

The religious feuds and persecutions of the last days we can but faintly conceive. It was terrible when the beast, two hundred years ago, held sway. The Inquisition, the rack, the stake, and all the horrors of a wise age will be brought to bear. For in these days to come, the beast will be joined by Anti-Christ, who will burn with rage, and vent his displeasure on Christ's followers. Also the barbarism and savage disposition of the Pagans will be let loose. Then will the dragon tear and destroy. This will, indeed, be a day or time of visitation. The political disturbances will be terrible. Nation against nation plotting and deceiving; internal strife and outward dangers. These are of a kind to appal one in reading them. Then come the temporal or physical evils. These are to be a horrible train of ills in the form of pestilence, famine, and earthquakes. The plague of yellow fever is as nought to some of the scourges that will then go forth. Gibbon, the historian, tells of a plague that swept away two-thirds of Europe and Asia. At that time the dead lay unburied by thousands. In Constantinople, for three months, five and even ten thousand persons died daily. The famines in India and China give us some idea of those yet to come. Of the earthquakes, such as have been will be repeated in increasing terror, violence, and destruction. To all these shall be added fire from heaven, hail, whirlwinds, and floods. These are times that will try men's souls. Read the prophets for yourselves, and range yourselves on the Lord's side.



WONDERS OF THE FUTURE. DISCOURSE XIV.

PURPOSE OF THE FLOOD—THE ABRAHAMIC CURRENT—RENDING MOUNT OLIVET—FORMER EARTHQUAKES—BOUNDARIES OF PALESTINE—DAN AND GAD TO GUARD THE "GATES"—GAD THE SCOTCHMAN—THE FUTURE JERUSALEM—THE DEAD SEA AND MEDITERRANEAN TO BE JOINED—MISTAKE OF SPIRITUALISING EVERYTHING.

"And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the East: and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the West, and there shall be a very great valley; and half the mountain shall remove toward the North, and half of it toward the South."—Zech. xiv. 4.

Some four thousand years ago the earth was washed with the regenerating waters of a terrible flood. Millions were suddenly cut off, with their handiwork and antediluvian civilisation. The swelling floods subsided, and the God-avenging waters retired to their appointed place. The earth again stood forth in virgin strength, lonely, bare, and citiless, but with a potency and promise inviting and grand. Across these swelling floods one craft had been safely borne; in it was stored the seed-stock of a new world of man and beast. The destruction had been complete and terrible. If we credit Dr. Gurney and others who have written on this subject, the population far exceeded the inhabitants of to-day. But whether they did or did not, we know that many must have perished, and civilisation must have been hurled back to a primitive beginning. No doubt the present seas and oceans cover over the ruins of that age. Eliphaz, the Temanite, when addressing Job, said: "Hast thou marked the old way, which wicked men have trodden, which were cut down out of time? whose foundation was overflown with a flood?" Now is it not reasonable to suppose that in this and every other great change in nature God has a purpose—a design agreeable with His own exalted character? He is too wise to err, and too good to be unkind. The flood came for the same reason that He only gave Adam one wife. And what was that reason? It was that He might fill the world with a godly seed. "And did not He make one? Yet had He the residue of the Spirit. And wherefore one? That He might seek a godly seed" (Mal. ii. 15). The same Spirit which made one Eve could have made twenty, for the residue of the Spirit was with Him. It was in the interest of morality and godliness that the flood came.

When this design began to fail of being accomplished by the increased wickedness of the post-diluvians, then God called Abram, and through Abraham and his seed designed that this purpose should flow on and be fulfilled. Through this Abrahamic channel flow all the purposes of a Divine Providence in this world. Through his seed all the nations of the earth are to be blessed. The children of Abraham are the appointed and Divinely authorised agents of God. Through them, as primary, he has, and is, and will evangelise the world. Abraham stands to the generations of earth as the Gulf-stream to Europe and the isles of the sea. This Gulf-stream is our largest river; being the longest, broadest, and deepest. Its bottom and banks are cold water. Compressed by the straits of Florida, it rushes forth to warm and replenish the earth and isles of the sea. So the forces of a Divine Providence compressed in Abraham go forth to bless mankind. The Gulf-stream is water in water, and Abraham's seed are men among men. Providence is at once clear and intelligible, and history is at once plain, reasonable, and harmonious, when interpreted in harmony with the Abrahamic covenant. The scattering and returning of Israel and Judah to Palestine, and the intervening history, from the time of dispersion to the Return, is clear as noon-day. Their location, oppression, prosperity, and victories, have long been foretold by prophets inspired of God.

Through all the changes in nature God has a design. He prepared the world for Adam and his seed, and He did so by some wonderful upheaving and overturning; this scientists will admit. This world, in its present shape and condition, indicates fierce and protracted struggles. The outlines of strange and sublime revolutions are imprinted on her rock-ribbed bosom. Look at her cloud-capped mountains, her snow-crowned peaks, her wild and rocky wastes, her barren plains and sandy deserts, her fruitful hills and luxuriant valleys, her mighty oceans and swelling seas, her inland lakes and rolling rivers; these tell us of a time long ago—of the time when the Mighty One went forth to work a work, to build a house and make a home for His creature, man. And as it was necessary in the preparatory stage to tune nature to the coming man, so all along through the history of the centuries we find nature holding a subordinate relation to man. The world is not run on one principle and man on another, but both are permeated by a Divine force and led on to a Divine end. All things are ours, and we are Christ's, and Christ is God's; this is the established order of subordination. Most certainly it cannot be unscientific in the Author of nature to make the same His messenger for good or evil. It is not unscientific to throw a line from the shore to a ship in distress, even though thrown from the mouth of a cannon, nor is it counted unscientific to use that same cannon in war to destroy men.

The earthquake spoken of in the text is, indeed, a small affair in comparison to some that have occurred in this world; and if the same God be living now as then, surely He can rend in twain the little mountain of Olivet. And if we grant to the infidel scientist of to-day the fact that there is no God, still the thing prophesied of is neither unreasonable or impossible, because what has been may be again; and as the demand in this case is small in comparison to what has been, surely this thing may come to pass. In times past Providence and the wants of the Church have been timely aided by convulsions in nature, and if they were only so accidentally, why then accidentally they may all agree again. To the scientist, especially the geologist, there can be no great difficulty in crediting the miracles of the text when we think of the successive revolutions that have taken place. Fires, and floods, and earthquakes, have done sublime service in the past, whether we credit the same to Nature or to God. That an earthquake, or any peculiar expression of nature, should be timed to meet a special condition of the Church or the special purposes of a Providence, is not strange. In such an event there really is no more wonder than that a man should set an alarm on his clock to go off at three minutes past four in the morning. Some men can swallow big things if you will only allow them to make out the author to be Nature. But whether we attribute the things past to Nature or to God, we know that wonderful things have happened.

Seismology, the science of earthquakes, is by no means void of interest. The earthquake catalogue of the British Association takes notice of, and records the occurrence of, over 6,000 that happened between 1606 B.C. and 1842 A.D. Some of these have been terrible in force, destruction, and extent, oftentimes changing the whole face of a country, its climate, and river courses. The great earthquake of 1783 in Calabria, probably caused the death of 100,000 people; it was felt over a great part of Europe. The city of Lisbon was visited on the morning of November 1st, 1755, with an earthquake so severe that in a few minutes 60,000 persons perished, and most of the city was destroyed and buried beneath the water of the bay some 600 feet.

The country given to Abraham embraces all of what we call Syria. It is central, and specially adapted for the future purposes of God through Abraham's seed. Beginning with the North-west corner, the boundaries will be Mount Taurus, river Euphrates, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, River Nile, and Mediterranean, enclosing Syria, Arabia Deserts, Arabia Felix and Arabia Petroea. Thus it will be seen that the Abrahamic inheritance is surrounded by water, except at two points—namely, the North-west land boundary, which is between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean Sea. The entrance is through the mountain range of Taurus, and forms a natural gate or mountain pass from Europe and Asia into Palestine. Here, when the Tribes are resettled in the land of Palestine, this gate will be in the allotment of Dan. Our Irish brethren will again be in the North-west, where they will have to fight and defend the land and the truth, as in days of old, for their brethren. The fact is, "Dan shall judge his people as one of the Tribes of Israel," said old Jacob. The judge in olden times sat in the gate. So will Dan sit. Moses said that Dan was a lion's whelp. Among Israel it is customary to put lions as guards at gateways. The Southwest corner, between the Mediterranean and the Sea of Suez, forms the other land boundary. Through this gate will come the teeming millions of Africa. At this gate will be the Tribe of Gad—that is, a portion of the Scotch, the lowlanders. The Tribes will be hemmed in one by another so that they cannot enlarge their territory; but Gad can, for a vast country opens up beyond the gate. It is barren; still the desert is to blossom as a rose. Of Gad it was said by Moses, "Blessed be He that enlargeth Gad; he dwelleth as a lion and teareth the arm with the crown of the head. And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated." You remember that Sinai is in this portion. What sight and foresight Jacob and Moses had! The land as thus bounded would be 600 miles broad from the Red Sea to the River Euphrates, and 1,390 between the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, and from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea, 1,600. These boundaries you will glean by taking note of the several promises to Abraham and his seed, as recorded in Gen. xv. 10, and Exod. xxiii. 31, and Deut. xi. 24. The land so promised and given specially to Abraham and his seed, the descendants of Abraham never yet occupied, no, not half of it, even in the palmy days of King Solomon. Will it ever be? We answer, Yes, as sure as the seasons and night and day. He is faithful that has promised, and will do it.

This remarkable peninsula will be the theatre of the future glory of Israel and Judah. As finely described by the Rev. A. B. Grimaldi, it will be found to be most exactly and suitably placed to enable them to fulfil their high destiny to all nations, and become the centre of all lands, the praise and beauty of the whole earth. This land has, in fact, a central position for communication, commerce, and all other advantages of civilisation not enjoyed by any other portion of land in the whole world; while the peculiar geographical formation is such that it has an immense seaboard, and is therefore fitted for vaster commercial and naval operations than have ever yet been seen, commanding, as it does, the three most important seas and the two largest rivers of the whole world.

This land, as laid out by Ezekiel, will be divided into thirteen longitudinal strips, sixty miles long, and twenty broad. In the very centre will be a portion, some fifty miles square, which will be divided and apportioned to what is called the holy oblation—namely, in the very middle will be the temple, a mile square, or larger than ever the whole city of Jerusalem has yet been. Then the city will be ten miles square. On one side will be a portion for the priests; on another, a portion for the Levites; and on the other two sides, the prince's or king's portion. This portion, which will be on the East and West sides, will be sixty miles long by ten broad, or some 600 miles square. But it is clear he will need it, for he will not be supported by taxes. He will have to judge the land. He cannot take any more land. He will have to support his own family. No public grant to his children. He will have to be liberal with the temple. He will have sixty miles of sea coast to defend and sixty miles of land frontier to protect, and thus cover some of the weaker tribes. The city will have 720 square miles as a suburb, in which to raise supplies specially for itself. It will in reality be in two parts—one called by the prophets the profane; here will the commercial business be done. The other part will be sacred. Into it strangers will not enter; it will be holy—a quiet habitation. "There the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no gaily with oars, neither shall gallant ships pass thereby." The city proper will be some thirty miles North of the present city of Jerusalem.



NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN. DISCOURSE XVI.

"SIGNS OF THE TIMES"—THE RETURN TO JERUSALEM—FORCES OF RUSSIA AND ENGLAND—PRESENT LOCALITY OF ANCIENT NATIONS—ORIGIN OF AMERICAN REPUBLICANISM—FEDERATION OF THE NATIONS COMING—EVOLUTION AND DEVOLUTION.

"Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days."—Daniel xii. 12.

So according to the prophet Daniel there is a time to come in which it will be blessed to live. The prophecies of Daniel are generally of a material character—that is, they have special reference to this world politically, and to this end he had direct and special reference to certain kingdoms in existence at the time of writing, as well as others that were to come into being. Of all the prophets he concerns himself the most with positive data of the rise and fall of nations. The figures of the data used, we freely confess, are difficult to understand and interpret. The Church and times are greatly in need of some man competent on this point. All prophetic students know the diversity and confusion in this department of theology. Of all the difficult departments of theology none exceed the numerical. The numerical symbolism of the Bible is as yet but little understood. True, indeed, we are improving. Aided by Providence, we are enabled to interpret some dates by data—that is, certain events occurring locate us and point out the prophetic period we are in. Like the captain who is unable by his certain and usual modes of calculating to find his whereabouts, does so by currents, the Gulf-stream, islands, colour of waters, &c., did we know the exact quantity of Daniel's two thousand and three hundred days, his times, time, and half a time, his seventy weeks, his thousand two hundred and ninety days, and the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days, then we could deal with the prophecies with a definitiveness to which as yet we are strangers.

The times, however, are peculiarly interesting from the very fact that the Church is waking up to the importance of prophetic study. "Coming events cast their shadows before," is a trite but true saying, and here as true as anywhere. Men feel in their fears and hopes the pressure of prophecy. The Church is remarkably anxious and unrest. Governments are suspicious and confused. The populace are restless and threatening. Indeed, everything conspires in Church, State, and people, to forecast the future. A thunderstorm is felt before it is seen or heard. It shadows the mind, thrills the nerves, and pains the rheumatic limbs. Many in 1858 felt war coming in our own country. Many were at a loss to interpret their fears. Some, however, interpreted the signs of the time and sounded an alarm.

The few years to come are pregnant with angry forces. Men are busy in Russia, Germany, France, England, and America, sowing the winds, and the harvest will surely be whirlwinds. But, beyond all, the sky is clear. War ceases, commerce revives, the nations accept a settled peace, science and religion join hand in hand to prepare the wastes and woes of war. The beast is overcome, Anti-Christ is slain, and the dragon is banished from the earth. Jerusalem again rises in splendour from the grave of desolation. Again Canaan will become the glory of all lands, and Jerusalem the glory of Canaan. Here, again, after centuries of wandering, shall the throne of David find rest, and on it one of David's seed, chosen and anointed of God, accepted of men, and served by the nations. Crowned and imperial Salem shall become the home of her long-captive sons and daughters. Israel and Judah shall meet together, and shall be one stick, one people, having one head, one throne, one city, one Lord, even Jesus. "Therefore, they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd; and their soul shall be as a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow any more at all" (Jeremiah xxxi. 12).

No one can read the prophecies that find their fulfilment after the battle of Armageddon—or, as the prophets have it, "after those days"—without being ravished with delight. Israel in her palmy days, and Judah in her glory! A nation called of God, and ruled by God through David or Solomon; how inviting! When Heaven was their Defence and Provider; when the fidelity of men to God was enough of defence, and the morality of a people was a rich manure giving an abundant harvest in field, stall, and orchard; then we see the true position of a nation, its grandeur and prosperity. I am convinced that morality has a more intimate relation with the forces and wealth of nature than we are in the habit of believing. God can give increased measure to the harvest, fruitfulness to the vine, plenty in the orchard, increase in the stall, and addition to the household. Time upon time are these blessings promised by the prophets to Israel and Judah in the latter day.

Take notice of a few statements of the prophets responding to those times—the times that will ensue after the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel and the Jews are again possessed of, and settled in, Palestine. Jeremiah, in the 30th chapter and 31st, refers to those times: "For lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of My people, Israel and Judah, saith the Lord; and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it"—referring to this time and the battle of Armageddon, in which Israel will be tested as we have before shown. "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." Now, we ask, why will it be specially a time of trouble? We answer, Because of the strength of the combined forces that will be arrayed against Israel—that is, England. The forces, as set forth in the Scriptures, are thirteen on one side, led by Russia, and four on the other, which will be led by England. The thirteen are: 1st, Gog; 2nd, Magog; 3rd, Rosh; 4th, Meshech; 5th, Tubal; 6th, Persia; 7th, Ethiopia; 8th, Libya; 9th, Gomer; 10th, Togarmah; 11th, the Beast; 12th, the Dragon; and 13th, Anti-Christ. The four are: 1st, Sheba; 2nd, Dedan; 3rd, Merchants of Tarshish with all their young lions; 4th, the Jews and Israelites settled in Palestine, that will not be led astray by Anti-Christ.

To understand the prophets when forecasting the future, we must keep in mind that in speaking of a nation's destiny in the future, they would speak of it by the name it had at that time, if such a nation had an existence at that time. But in course of time, such nations would change their name, and sometimes locality; in such a case they must be found. For instance, if one desires to know the destiny of Turkey, he will find it set forth by the prophets under the name of Edom and Esau. Moab and Ammon are found in the Poles and Hungarians; they were the sons of Lot. In all parts of the world the children of Abraham have an attachment for each other. Thus India was peopled at first by the descendants of Abraham; hence they will mix with, and accept English rule sooner than any other people. "But unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, Eastward, unto the East country" (Gen. xxv. 6). If we trace back the origin of a people to their head or founder, we will better understand their peculiarities and national idiosyncrasies. Study Ishmael to understand the Arabs, Esau to understand the Turks, Ammon and Moab to understand the Poles and Hungarians. Study the character and condition of Manasseh in Egypt, as being brought up in a palace, and being the lawful heir, but deprived of his birthright by a Providence which he could not understand, and you have at once a key to the Pilgrim character, and the characteristics of a real American—why he hates titles, kings, and aristocracies. But he forgets not the place of his youth when he had the great seal made; for on the reverse of the great seal of the United States you will have the figure of a Pyramid crowned with the All-seeing eye. No Tribe but the Tribe of Manasseh could say, or did say, "We are a great people." Yet so this Tribe said to Joshua (see Josh. xvii.). So we often say, "We are a great people."