1. We find that those nations signified by the rest of the Beasts, are to be destroyed at the time of the fall of Antichrist; and are not prolonged for a season and a time, after that event. In Dan. ii, 35, concerning those very nations, which had been symbolized by the golden head, the silver breast and arms, and the belly and thighs of brass, as well as concerning the feet and toes of the Roman empire, it is said, (upon the smiting of the stone upon them,) Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floor, and the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them. Certainly we here learn that those Beasts had not their lives prolonged for a season and a time, after the battle of the great day of God Almighty. This therefore, could not be the period referred to in that

text.

2. It cannot accord with the predictions of the battle of the great day, that the nations which formerly constituted the Babylonian, the Persian, and the Grecian empires, should be all exempt from the terrors of that day; and should be prolonged for a season and a time, after Antichrist falls, and the whole earth is devoured with the fire of God's jealousy.

3. The seclusion of those vast sections of the earth from the blessings of the Gospel, during the Millennium, does not accord with the predictions concerning the kingdom of Christ, at that period. In that case, how is the earth filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the seas? How shall all flesh come and see God's glory; and the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, be given to the saints; and the stone become a great mountain, and fill the whole world; if the peo ple of those vast territories of the ancient Babylonian, Persian, and Grecian empires continue of the nature of the Beast through the Millennium? Very numerous are the predictions of the extent of Christ's kingdom, at that period; which appear utterly inconsistent with Mr. Faber's scheme, of those vast nations remaining in heathenism through the Millennium.

4. The prolongation of the lives of those Beasts then, must have related to the very time, when their dominion was taken away; and not to the time of the destruction of Antichrist. Their dominion was taken away, when each in his turn fell under the victorious arms of his successor: But their lives were then prolonged for a time. It was not with them, as it will be with the Antichristian Beast. They did not, as he will, lose their dominion, and their existence on earth together. When their power was taken froin them; (each in his turn) their multitudes still lived, that they might unite in the last coalition under Antichrist, and with him go into perdition. Thus, though Persia be expressed in the coalition of Gog; we cannot infer from this, in connexion with Dan. vii, 12, relative to the lives of the rest of the Beasts being prolonged, that Gog is a different power from Antichrist. For Persia, as well as Antichrist, will feel the terrors of the day of God. I now submit it to the reader, if it has not been made clearly to appear, that Gog and Antichrist are one and the

same.

I shall close this section with several remarks.

1. From the comments made on Rev. xx, relative to the resurrections there mentioned, we may perhaps learn the true sense of several passages in the Old Testament. In Isa. xxvi, 19, we read; Thy dead men shall live; together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs; and the earth shall cast out the dead. The connexion of this text decides, that it relates to the return of the Jews, and the Millennium. The whole chapter is a prediction of these events. The chapter closes with this address, which follows the above text: Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place, to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth shall also disclose her blood, and shail no more cover her slain. Some have supposed this passage, in verse 19, to predict a literal resurrection. This is in a sense

true: For a mystical resurrection implies a literal one. A thing never to exist, would not, in this case, be adopted as a metaphor. The doctrine of the resurrec tion was hence learned from the above text. But that it did not predict a literal resurrection, to take place at the time, to which it relates, is evident from various considerations. 1. We find no use made of this text, to prove the resurrection of the body. Our Savior when he would prove to the Sadducees the doctrine of the resurrection, did not note this text; but referred to what God said to Moses at the bush.* 2. Mystical resurrections are common in the prophetic writings. John the Baptist was Elijah risen. And it is on the same principle, that the enemies of the Church, in the latter days, have ascribed to them the names of her ancient enemies. The restoration of Israel, at the time referred to in the text, is predicted by this very metaphor of a resurrection, in Ezekiel xxxvii. In explaining the vision of the valley of dry bones there, the Most High says, (verse 12) Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Here we have the true sense of the text under consideration, by another, which relates to the same time, and event, under the same metaphor. 3. Able expositors view this text as containing a mystical resurrection. See Pool on the passage. Its sense is this; Israel shall again live: They shall be gathered, and live to God in Palestine. Together with my dead body shall they rise. Isaiah was inspired to predict his own mystical resurrection; together with that of his people, at the time of the restoration. 4. The tenor of the Scriptures teach us to look for the literal resurrection at the end of the world; and never till then. It is then, that All who are in their graves shall hear his voice and come forth. It is then, that Death and hell shall deliver up the dead that are in them. (Rev. xx, 13.)

Awake, and sing, ye who dwell in dust. Entertain hopes, ye, who are dispersed, like bodies dissolved in

* Matt. xxii, 31, 32.

the grave. For thy dew is as the dew of herbs. God will shed down his influence, and cause your restoration, as rain upon the mown grass, and as showers that water the earth:-As a kind shower to revive plants, which appear dry. "For so the Lord said unto me, I "will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling "place, like a clear heat upon herbs; and like a cloud "of dew in the heat of harvest."* "I will be as the dew "to Israel; he shall grow as the lily; and cast forth his "roots as Lebanon:"-"As the tender grass springing "out of the earth by the clear shining after rain."‡

And the earth shall cast out her dead. Upon this passage Pool remarks,-"The verb here used doth not signify to cast out, but to cast down." These words (he says) may be, and are, both by ancient and later interpreters rendered-And thou wilt cast down the land of the giants, or of the violent ones, of the proud and potent tyrants of the world. For the word here rendered dead, is elsewhere rendered giants; as 2 Sam. xxi, 16, 18, (and many other texts.) But the words (he tells us) seem to be better rendered, And thou wilt cast the giant doren to the ground. A striking prediction of the destruction of the great enemies of the Church, soon after the restoration of the Jews, or in the battle of the great day, which immediately follows the passage. The wicked cause will then fall and be lost.

Another passage, which predicts a resurrection at the same period, is in Dan. xii, 2. And many of them, that sleep in the dust of the earth, shall awake, some to everlasting life; and some to shame and everlasting contempt. This prediction is found connected with the same events with the other above noted; as is evident from consulting the connexion of the passage.§ The same difficulties attend the viewing of this as a literal resurrection, which attend viewing the passage just considered as a literal resurrection. The passage in Rev. xx. 4, (noted in this section,) may unfold the true sense of these predictions. For John is the best expositor of Daniel. There we find, at the same peri† Hosea xiv, 5.

* Isa. xviii, 4.

2 Sam. xxiii, 4. See the close of Sec. ii, chap. i, of this dissertation.

od, a resurrection. And, says the passage, This is the first resurrection; as though it were an event predicted and thus known. It does not say, this is a first resurrection; or an event, which may be so called: But, This is the first resurrection; seeming to indicate, that we may find this very event predicted under this metaphor. And we do find it thus, in the above noted passages in the prophets.

But Daniel speaks of some raised to shame and everlasting contempt. To whom, and to what period, does this relate? Let John, who was Daniel's interpreter, decide it. He tells us, when treating of the same period and events, of a first resurrection; which must be mystical, consisting of the saints. This implies a second mystical resurrection. And he informs of one, of Gog and Magog. The subjects of the first resurrection live and reign with Christ, a thousand years. But the rest of the dead, (he tells us,) lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This thousand-yearresurrection is the first resurrection. That of Gog and Magog, therefore, a name of Antichrist, is the second. This may be Daniel's mystical resurrection, to shame and everlasting contempt. Upon the latter event the literal resurrection soon follows, when "All who are in "their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come "forth; they that have done good to the resurrection of "life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection "of damnation."

Says the Revelator, "Blessed and holy is he, that "hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second "death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God "and of Christ; and shall reign with him a thousand "years."* Here we learn, that all the Church, all the elect are included in the first mystical resurrection; all, on whom the second death shall have no power. And indeed this idea is clearly taught in the preceding verses. Though the martyrs are there set in the front of those, who are said to be raised, yet they do not comprise the whole, as has been by some supposed. But we find added to them those, "who had not wor"shipped the beast, neither his image, neither had re* Rev. xx, 6.