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We have now shown, that every characteristic the fifth empire of Daniel's vision was to possess, finds a full coincidence in the United States of America, excepting one, and that one belongs to the future, and is by no means necessary to the identification. We therefore claim, that as perfect coincidence between prophecy and history is infallibly a fulfillment of prophecy, that the United States was predicted by the ancient of days, or fifth empire of Daniel's vision of the world.

SECTION VI.

THE SIXTH EMPIRE, OR MESSIAH'S KINGDOM. Vision.-"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 him near before him. And there was given him 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 shall not be destroyed."

Interrogatory." The time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."

Interpretation.-"The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."

This vision of a single person, in the likeness of Messiah, is symbolic of the revelation of the veritable Son of God with his holy angels, at "his appearing

and his kingdom." All the exposition given of its meaning is, that the people of the Christians shall possess the world, regenerated forever. The term, "people of the saints," is clearly an expression for a Christian nation. If this were not so, it is impossible to account for the expression; for the term, saints, alone, would have expressed Christians generally, without any special nationality. It is coincident with the stone kingdom, which was to possess the kingdom of the world. No spiritual judgment day, or removal of the heavens and earth, are here alluded to at all. The reason seems to be, that the vision prominently embraced only political kingdoms, and departments of kingdoms; and the spiritual department of government was only mentioned incidentally, when mentioned at all.

This sixth empire embraced all the globe, and it was never to pass away, or be removed from it-nevernever-never. As soon as the Roman empire was out of the way, the fifth empire, or the Christian Israel, filled its place, and dominion over the world was given to it. At the coming of the Son of Man, we learn that he shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity. This implies that many, spiritually wicked, would exist among the people of the saints.

The Millennial period, mentioned by St. John, is not noticed here as being a separate degree in the sixth kingdom, but is blended with it. The Millennium of John is, however, plainly the beginning of the worldwide dominion of the Christian democracy. The fifth empire was the Elias of Messiah's kingdom. The text affirms that the likeness of the Son of Man came to the ancient of days, or fifth empire, after its conquest of

Europe; that is, the dominion represented by it, came to the United States, or the Son of Man came to it in person. "They gave him dominion and a kingdom." The term "they," again refers to the ancient of days, or Christian nation. They gave the kingdom to the Messiah; that is, they chose him as their chief; for the reins of government had been given to them as a democracy. The United States chose Jehovah for its king, at its very inception; and when He shall be revealed, the original choice will be ratified by the Christians. The residence of Christ, will, from these things, be on this globe eternally, for so the text affirms.

CONCLUSION-THE FUTURE.

We have now interpreted each vision separately, and have separately seen their coincidence with the four kingdoms, and the United States. It also can not fail of being seen that they each coincide throughout in the minutest particulars, and yet they each interpret each other. What interests us more than all, is the fifth political power in each vision, and the martial work that lies before it. We see, from both visions, that the kingdoms of Europe are to confederate again under one head, and that the United States is to dash them all to pieces, and utterly annihilate them. The Millennial epoch will begin in 1878, and this conquest of Europe must come within the space of twenty-six years, perhaps in ten or fifteen. There are some persons who will give our theory no credit, and who do not believe in Christianity at all; to such, we have a proposition to make. It is this: if our calculations, drawn from scripture, are realized, will you embrace Christianity?

CHAPTER VIII.

SECOND VISION OF DANIEL.-FIVE KINGDOMS.

THIS vision is recorded in the eighth chapter of Daniel, and was given in the reign of Belshazzar. It contains a view of the whole world, from that time, leaving out the Babylonian kingdom, which was about to fall.

It contains a history of Persia, the Macedonian, and Roman empires, and the destruction of Rome, and the re-establishment of the nationality of God's Israel. It, therefore, goes over the same ground already viewed by the two preceding visions, and adds some things of importance, not contained in them; it has also an interpretation, as the preceding ones have. We give the vision and the interpretation of each power separately.

SECTION I.

THE PERSIAN EMPIRE-RAM.

Vision.-"Behold there stood before the river a ram which had two horns; and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beast might stand before him, neither was any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.”

Interpretation." The ram thou sawest are the kings of Media and Persia."

No interpretation of ours is requisite here. It may be noticed, that the two horns of different lengths coincide with the two arms of silver and the two sides of the bear, one of which was raised higher than the other The term king represents a kingdom.

SECTION II.

FOUR HORNED GOAT-THE MACEDONIAN EMPIRE. Vision.-"Behold, an he-goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And: he came to the ram that had two horns, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram. Therefore the he-goat waxed very great, and when he was strong the great horn was broken, and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven."

Interpretation. "The rough goat is the king (kingdom) of Grecia, and the great horn is the first king. Now, that being broken, whereas four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power."

2

Here is a declaration that the goat is the kingdom of Macedonia. The four horns represent the same kingdoms as the four heads in the preceding vision; that is, the kingdoms of Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus; and, as they ultimated in the kingdoms of Syria, and Egypt, this kingdom coincides with the brass kingdom of the great image.

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