The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 253

'l'Ri! against them. When ho ea.me up from spre.ng up. There wore seven or eight Egypt, and entered into the Banctua.ry a.nd Le.gide, as many Soloucide, three or fom plundered it, he could not be said to make Attalide, fl.vo or six Antigonidet not to we.r against Israel. Jndroa wa,s one of bis epee.k of euoh men as Lyeimn.obus and own provinces. When a tynmnion.1 govern- Perdicon.s, who were kings, but who did not ment takes posseBBion of the won.Ith n.nd found dyne.sties. If the fourth kingdom is property of individuals or corporations, it tacitly reduced to the Syrinn kingdom, then may be cnlled cruel and oppressive, bnt its how is it explained that tho author of conduct is not called war. Even the mn.sea.cre ' Daniel' wn.e ignornnt, in the seventh of the inhabitnnts of Jernealem by the collec- chapter, that the Lagids were nlso suc- tor of taxes wa,s not we.r. There we.e no cessors of Alexander as well as the Se- war k,;ed by Epiphanes age.inst the saints leucid&? How could a mnn living in tho till 111attatbie.e and his sons rebelled, and e.ge of the llla.cce.bees imngine the Seleucids thereaft<3r Epiphanes did not prevail age.inst rulers of the world, when Epiphanes ho.d the Jcwe. The Romane did make war been a hostnge in Rome? A great power ngn inst Israel, and did prevail. If the does not give, but receives, hoste.gce. Wo saints nrc a nation, then Epiphe.nes did not know from First Ma.ccabees that the Jews prevail in war age.inst them. If persecution were well owe.re of this, and n.lijo of tho is to be regarded e.e warfore, then it is not check the Romans were on Epipho.nee. warfare age.inei a nntion, but against a Even if Daniel wrote at the time chosen by community like e. Church. If we look upon the critics, how ea.me he to be so ignorant the Christian Church as succeeding to the as t.o imagine the Seleucid Empire to be so position of Israel, then Rome persecuted the tremendously great ? He shall suhdue Church, e.nd persecution ceased only when three kings. Who a.re the three kings of the Rome became Christian. But a wider view ten who preceded him whom Epiphe.ncs opens itself to us. All modem states nre in eubdued? Scleucus Philopntor, Heliodorus, a sense a continuance of Rome, and so far and Demetrius Soter a.re given by Professor us they do not eubmit themselves to the Ilevnn. But Demetrius Soter did not direction of Christ, they are still at war ascend the throne till o.rter the death of ·with the sa.ints. It is only when the Son of Epiphanes. It is extremely doubtful man comes in his power the.t the kingdom whether Heliodorus ever assumed the will belong to the saints. It is to be crown. Our whole knowledge of him is observed, the figure of e.n nssize is still from Appian. Josephus knows nothing of kept up, o.nd "judgment is given to" or Heliodorue. The Second Dook of Macco.bees, "for the eaints," e.nd in virtue of this though telling e. legendary story of Helio- decision they possess the kingdom. dorus, gives no account of his murder of his Vere. 23, 2¼.-Thus he said, The fourth mnstcr and attempt to take the crown. beast llha.11 be the fourth kingdom upon Our sole authority for this whole story is earth, which sh&ll be diverse from e.11 king- Appian, who wrote three centuries after tho dom.&, and &he.ll devour the whole earth, and event, o.nd manifests considerable confusion wll tread it down, and break it in pieces. at times, e.g. represents Attnlae nnd Eu- And the ten horns out of this kingdom a.re ten menes ae being two sovereigns independent kings that &haJ.1 arise: and another she.11 rise of each other, whereas the one succeeded after them ; &nil he &haJ.1 be diverse from the the 'Other. If Seleucus Philopo.tor is to: be first, and he she.11 subdue three kings. The reckoned as "subdued" or "humbled" version of the LXX. di1fers in some minute before Epiphanee, 11s well might all the points from the Me.ssoretic text. The text rest of his predecessors. The Jewish inter- as given by JUBtin Martyr is slightly pretation, that the little hom is the Flnvian shorter by omitting some words. Theodo- dynasty, has fe.r more vorisimilitude. Cer- ti.on e.nd the Peshitta also agree. What tainly Galbo. Vitelliue e.nd Otho had been remarks can be m.e.de on this have been ma.de humbled before the Flo.vians. If we con- already. It is to be observed that it is the sider the hom "magistracies," certainly the whole ea.rth that is devoured by the fourth absorption into the imperial dignity of all beast e.s presented to us now. In the earlier the higher magistracies might well be presentation, although very terrible, his de- reckoned humbling them. vastation is limited. There is nothing ea.id to Vere. 25-27.-And he shall speo.k great indicate that the kings a.re successive, but words age.in&t the Most High, and shall the inference rather ie that they are con- wear out the saints of the Most High, and temporaries. The attempts a.re IWl.IIY that think to change times and laws: and they havt been me.de to ma.ke ont ten kings shall be given into his hand until a time l,efore Epiphaues, but they have all failed. and times and the dividing of time. But Lf the fourth kingdom ie the Greek Empire, the judgment shall sit, and they shall take t!ien 1.!,n is e. number fe.r too eme.11 for the away his dominion, to consume and to various kings of the different dynasties that destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom clr. vu. 1-28.) TlIE DOOit Oli' DANlEL. 210