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ed a quadrangle of twelve miles circuit, surrounding the priests and the tabernacle of God: and thus "Jehovah dwelt in the midst of his people, and the tents of the saints were a wall round about his sanctuary." So in Rev. iv, the throne is in the midst, and round about are the twenty-four thrones of the prophets and apostles, and the four living creatures with eyes before and behind. There appears a propriety in the symbols pointing both to the Church of God, and to the four empires surbordinate thereto, inasmuch as the concerns of the Church alone render empires worthy the attention of God's prophecy.

Verses 1, 2. To return however; the hieroglyphics of the Israelite Church, connected with each empire, successively (as I before observed) call John to look at its symbolic representation. I suppose therefore, that the first four rolls disclose those characteristics of the four monarchies which respect their dominion over Israel. The scope of the vision of the great image (Dan. ii,) was the dominance of apostacy, however varied, throughout the period of seven times, during which the Gentiles had dominion over Israel, called elsewhere "the times of the Gentiles." Hence the rise of the several empires was not depicted, but their succession, with their characteristics when at the height of power, and their destruction. And though Daniel, in his own vision, beheld the rise of the four empires, he does not refer to the early period even of the two into which the ancient Assyrian empire was di

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vided; but immediately passes on to the time when each, by conquering the other, held successive dominion over Israel. Thus, though many Babylonian kings preceded Nebuchadnezzar, and his predecessors invaded the kingdom of Israel and carried the ten tribes captive, he it was who, by destroying Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and carrying the royal tribe captive to Babylon, pleted the conquest and took possession of their whole land. To him therefore Daniel said, in respect to his vision of Gentile empires, "Thou art that head of gold !" Answerably to which, at verse 2 of Rev. vi, a crown is given to him ;" and he is said "to go forth conquering and to conquer:" perhaps in reference to the dynasty of Babylonian kings, who for 200 years had invaded, desolated and carried captive the ten tribes ; and to his doing the same when at his height of power and glory (Jer. xxxiv, 1) to the united tribes of Judah and Benjamin. With this event, which is the chief subject of Jeremiah's prophecies and Lamentations, commenced the predicted 70 years' captivity of the only true Church of God then in the world; for the ten tribes had long before lapsed into idolatry. It is observable, that the chief circumstance regarding this empire in Daniel's own vision, (chap. vii,) was the "eagle wings of the lion being plucked "t i. e. another empire, (which existed long before,) taking its dominion, and with it the possession of God's captive people. Consequently, it was the period of

* See Prideaux's Connexions, vol. I.-For this service the Lord distinguishes Nebuchadnezzar by the title, "my servant.' Jer. xxv, 9; xxvii, 6; 1, 17.

XXV,

† Mr. Faber, though for a different object, observes, that "the winged lion, in the ' attitude ascribed by Daniel to the symbol, receiving, as he is sculptured on the walls of 'the Persepolitan palace, the sword of the Persian king in his entrails, exhibits the Babylonian empire mortally wounded by Cyrus."

its conclusion that was the chief object of the representation of it to Daniel and I think to John also; for the scene quickly changes before him to that of the second empire, and there is no indication of his seeing the rise of any empire in this vision. Each appears and instantly yields place to its successor.

The first living creature was a winged lion, (chap. iv, 7, 8,) the symbol of one-fourth of Israel; being that also in the banner of the royal tribe of Judah, which was once carried captive. Mr. Faber adds, it was the form of the Assyrian solar divinity, and of the Babylonian empire itself;" consequently it was the emblem of that idolatry out of which God's Church ("the men of Judah who are his pleasant plant") was called, together with some adherents from the apostatizing tribes; the body of which had sunk into idolatry, and probably to this day remain within the limits of what was then the Assyrian empire.* Observe, this empire was symbolized to Daniel (chap. vii) by a lion with wings,t which corroborates the above interpretation.

When John's attention was arrested to this new vision, he heard (but not on the opening of any succeeding seal,) as it were the noise of thunder; a token probably of the divine presence in the person of the Lamb, because it is God who

thundereth with the voice of his excellency. It seems also to indib cate the opening of a new vision.

Some suppose, that in this and in Zechariah's vision the four horses relate to the four states of the Christian Church. But the horse in the east is "prepared against the day of battle;"c and "the horse and his rider" is a Scripture phrase for a power engaged in warfare.‡ Thus in Miriam's song it denotes the Egyptian power in arms, which was overthrown in the sea during its hostile pursuit of Israel.d And when God summons the Medes against Babylon, he says,- With thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider, and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider." When he declares that he will replace in their land the house of Judah and of Joseph, he couches his promise in this remarkable phrase;" because Jehovah is with them, the riders on horses shall be confounded; (i.e. as I apprehend it, these Gentile empires will be destroyed;) and unto 'the daughter of Zion it shall come, even the first dominion, the king'dom shall come to the daughter of

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Jerusalem." Jehovah's message to Zerubbabel, respecting the last revolution, shall suffice in proof.

I will shake the heavens and the (prophetic) earth, and overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and de

* Esdras and Josephus mention them as "in the cities of the Medes," who conquered part of the Assyrian empire. They were lost in the darkness of succeeding centuries; but Dr. Buchanan and others think the chief body of them remains in the high table land of Affghanstan, as in a prison, till God "hiss for the bee that is in the land of Assyria." Isa. vii, 18.

† Isa. v, 29 and Jer. iv, 7, 21 predict, and Jer. 1, 17, 44 refer to it, under the figure of the lion.

‡ Mr. Cuninghame allows, that "a horse denotes a victorious power;" and Mr. Faber, that "a horseman on a horse is the symbol of a military empire." Does not the hieroglyphic of horses and chariots, for empires and their rulers, in Zech. vi, illustrate Elisha's lament for Elijah in 2 Kings ii, 11, 12, "The chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!" The theocracy or government of God had been administered by Elijah. b Ps. xxix, 3; lxxvii, 18. c Prov. xxi, 31. d Exod. xv, 20.

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'stroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen, and overthrow the chariots and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders (the high powers of those empires) shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother."e In Zechariah's vision the horses are attached to chariots; and according to the precision of prophetic language both symbols cannot denote the same object in the same point of view. But the horse saddled may denote the military empire in connexion with its rider, or chieftain; while the horses with the chariot may denote the same empire in connexion with its whole civil establishment, the machinery of its government.*

The rider had a bow, "a symbol of eastern warfare," often used in often used in Scripture to signify the whole equipage of war.f Prideaux observes, that when Nebuchadnezzar was in doubt which nation to attack first, his divines consulted their teraphim and arrows, writing the name of the cities upon them; and that the first arrow drawn from the

quiver bore (according to Jerome) the name of Jerusalem. Isa. vii, 24 especially refers to the bow and arrows of this empire.

Mr. Faber argues, with Dr. Blayney, that the colors merely show the several war horses to represent different empires, not the same I am empire in different aspects.† ignorant of their true signification; but I am persuaded that no word or description of Holy Writ can be without an appropriate meaning. May not the colors be those which distinguished the standard of each nation, and that of the tribe on which the corresponding symbol was depicted?—This would be analogous to the signification of colors in heraldry; whose customs, no doubt, ‡ originated in the ensigns of patriarchal tribeship.

vv. 3, 4. Ephraim's ensign was the bullock, which symbolized the second living creature, who directed John's attention to the conqueror on the red horse : not Darius the Median who took the kingdom; but Cyrus, king of Persia, the predicted rebuilderg of Jerusalem and the temple, after

e Jer. li, 21, also viii, 16; 1, 42; Zech. x, 5; xii, 4; Mic. iv, 8; Hag. ii, 22; f Jer. li, 56; Isa. v, 28. g Dan. v, 31; Isa. xiii, 17; xliv, 27, 28;

Hab. i, 8.

xlv, 1—13.

* Mr. Faber strikingly accounts for the chariot being drawn by several horses; each empire being, in that vision, described "as it was composed of several united and subjugated kingdoms, guided by one presiding charioteer; who represents the political form of government under which the whole empire was placed. This quaternion, with the consent of Jerome, Houbigant, Lowth, Blayney, and Newcome; represents the only four successive military empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and 'Rome." "Immediately after John's time, we should seek in vain for four such : 'therefore we are compelled to retrospective inquiry." As no word in Scripture was written without a design, it may not be frivolous to observe, that the living creatures had eyes behind as well as before; intimating probably their retrospective as well as prospective view.

+ Mr. Cuninghame accounts for them arbitrarily, according to his idea of the character of the Christian Church at the four supposed eras of these seals.

Schleusner informs us, that the Rabbins defined the color of the standards; but he neither explains them, nor gives any particular reference.

|| Jer. 1, 8, 9, repeats God's command to Judah, in reference to the dominion passing from Chaldea to the Medes; and Jer. li, 28, 29, summons the nations, with the rulers of the Medes and all the land of their dominion, to destroy Chaldea, because, it was the destroyer of his heritage. See Jer. 1, 11, 18, 28, and li, 10, 14, 24; also Isaiah.

destroying Babylon "for the vengeance of God's temple."* Hence Cyrus is the appropriate rider of the second horse. As Isaiah and Jeremiah especially mentioned the Medes, as God's avengers on Chaldea, they are referred to in both Daniel's visions: for chap. vii, 5, he saw the second beast like a bear, which raised itself up on one side; and chap. viii, 3 he saw a ram, whose second horn, which came up last, was the highest: both which denoted Cyrus succeeding to the Median sceptre on the death of his uncle, as he had done to that of Persia on the death of his father; thus obtaining dominion over the whole (prophetic) earth, including Syria and Palestine, which were tributary to him, though he restored the Jews.

In John's vision he is characterized by having power "given him to take peace from the earth," and by the prediction that "they shall kill one another." There is no ante

cedent to this pronoun. But as Daniel mentions 120 provinces,h which were mostly conquered, the Persian dominions could know no peace; and the successors of Cyrus not only waged war against other nations, but also killed one another: and having still connexion with

Judah and the temple, they are thus characteristically referred to; for it was under the last Darius that the Jewish state was thoroughly restored, and tribute paid to furnish the sacrifices, &c.†

There was given him a great sword. Thus God by Jeremiah calls for "the sword upon Babylon, on her princes and people, on their horses and chariots; as the Lord's vengeance for the evil done to Zion." The second The second Darius wielded it against revolting Babylon, as the first did for its conquest.

One remark here must be allowed respecting the trumpets, which some commentators consider as synchronic with the seals. It is obvious that, according to the present view, the two first trumpets can have no connexion with the first two seals: neither has the third trumpet with the third seal. They announce judgements on a professing christian, not on a heathen, empire.

vv. 5, 6. Daniel's first vision exhibited the Grecian leopard; his second vision Alexander, as the he goat of Greece, seizing the empire of the prophetic earth. The summons to John to view it was given by the third cherubic emblem, which was the figure of a man, as represented upon Reuben's banner, under

* Zechariah, who prophesied under Darius, saw a rider on a red horse: see chap. i, 8. Whatever was the reason for changing the color in chap. vi, color could not be specified in chap. i, merely to distinguish the empires from each other, (since he there speaks of one empire only) but it must be significant of something else.-H. "The father of 'Zoroaster was a bull-man; and the tauriform image of Mithras still appears in the mystic grottos of Persia. It was the object of Persian veneration. The pagan worship of the lion, bull and eagle, variously compounded with each other and with the figure of a man, must be traced to the recollection of the cherubim." Faber.

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+ See Prideaux's Connexions, part i, book 3.

Mr. Faber remarks from Xenophon, that " until Cyrus the bow and javelin were 'the arms of both Babylonians and Persians; (see also Jer.) but when Cyrus with 'fewer troops had to cope with the Assyrians and their allies, he armed his Persians 'with scimitars for close fighting, to render the enemy's murderous missile weapons 'ineffective. Thus the sword of Persia prevailed over the bow of Babylon.-Apparently in reference to this, the sculptured prince on the walls of the palace at Persepolis, is represented as slaying the winged lion rampant, not with an arrow, but ' with a weighty sword.” i Jer. 1, 35.

h Dan. vi, 1.

which abode one-fourth of Israel: and also upon that of the old Grecian empire, (says Mr. Faber,) which was noted for hero worship. The ruler of the black horse held figurative “ balances," to denote the scanty measurement of food during the scarcity which that incessant war produced, which characterized the Grecian dominion through all its duration, from Alexander's conquest of Persia to the Roman conquest of his own divided empire, as Daniel's coinciding prophecies show. The sixth verse states, that necessary food cost what formed the whole day's pay of a laborer. This scarcity was announced by a "voice in the midst of the four living creatures." Its authoritative command, 'hurt not the oil and the wine," indicates the voice of the Lamb who was in their midst. It does not appear to whom the command was given, unless it were to the rider himself. It seems strikingly consonant to the former part of the interpretation, that Alexander, amidst all his desolating warfare, and flushed as he was with victory, did stop short in Jerusalem, and spared that only city for the sake of its temple worship; whose ritual was thus sufficiently designated. The priests and all things in the temple were anointed, and the perpetual lights supplied, with oil; and the wine was mingled with it for the drink offerings.k Thus, "the oil and wine" "the oil and wine" is a frequent scripture phrase to denote the sacrifices in general.1

History relates,m that when Alexander required the Jews' submission, they pleaded their oath to Darius,

(the second ;) which so enraged him that he marched against Jerusalem. The high priest Jaddua and all Jerusalem sought the Lord by sacrifice and supplication. In a vision the Lord commanded him and the priests, in their officiating garments, to go forth followed by all the people in white to meet Alexander on a high hill, which commanded a view of the country, city and temple. The spectacle overawed the conqueror, who saluted the high priest with religious veneration, saying, he paid it not to him, but to his God; because when at Dio in Macedonia, deliberating how to carry on the war against Persia, a person thus habited appeared to him in a dream, and directed him in the name of his God. Having succeeded hitherto, he anticipated the empire promised; and therefore seeing the real person who appeared in the dream, he offered adoration. Whatever was his motive, Alexander did enter Jerusalem with Jaddua as a friend, and offered sacrifices in the temple. This doubtless means that he provided them, as Cyrus and Darius had done, by commanding payment of tribute for the purpose and perhaps that he slew his own offering at the time for the high priest to present. Jaddua is said to have shown him Daniel's prophecy of the destruction of the Persian empire by a Grecian king, not doubting but he was the person meant. Prideaux says the above circumstance rendered him so kindly affectioned towards the Jews, that having assembled them before he left Jerusalem, he bade them ask what they desired; whereon they begged

*Mr. Faber prefers the translation usual in the New Testament of "a yoke."— The Greek signifies such a yoke, as that when two bullocks are yoked together they may go equally; hence the word was used for a balance.

k Exod. xxix, 40; Numb. xviii, 12; Deut. xviii, 4; Ezra vi, 9; Neh. x, 37; Heb. ix, 14. The curse in Hag. i, 11, called for precisely the reverse of this command of the Lamb. 1 Isa. lv, 1; Ps. xxiii, 5; Luke x, 34. m See Prideaux.

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