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THE

THREE VISIONS

OF

DANIEL.

THE FIRST VISION

OF

DANIEL.

THE FOUR WILD BEASTS.

VII. 4.-The Babylonic-Assyrian Empire commencing with Esarhaddon, B.C. 680, which comprises Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Cilicia, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Persia, Arabia, and Egypt unto the borders of Ethiopia or Abyssinia, is deprived of its Assyrian capital Nineveh, which is destroyed by Cyaxares the Mede, B.C. 606, and afterwards of Babylon by Darius the Mede, B.C. 536; but is invigorated with a new soul at the expiration of the seven times or 2520 years, A.D. 1840, by its conversion to Christianity.-5. The Medo-Persian Empire commencing with the joint government of Darius the Mede, and Cyrus the Persian, B.C. 560, continued in the descendants of the latter, subdues all Asia Minor from B.C. 548, to B.C. 545, Syria, Arabia, Palestine, B.C. 544; Babylon, B.C. 538; and Egypt, B.C. 526; but after being itself subdued by Alexander the Great, and afterwards partly by the Romans, attains a degree of splendour in the reign of Chosroes or Noushirvan, A.D. 532, and makes its last display of greatness in its three Turkish dynasties of Seljukians, A.D. 1029, Kharismians, A.D. 1090, and Atabeks, A.D. 1127: the first of which founds the Kingdoms of Roum, in Asia Minor; of Kerman, in Persia; and of Syria: the second becomes master of India and Syria; and the third of Syria and Egypt, but the greatness or dominion of the Empire is at length eclipsed by that of the Ottoman Turks.-6. The Greek Empire, founded by Alexander the Great, B.C. 331, subdues Syria, Egypt, Persia and

India; and is divided into four Kingdoms of-1, Greece and Macedon; 2, Thrace and Bithynia; 3, Egypt; and 4, Syria.-7. The Roman Empire, founded by Romulus, B.C. 753, subdues Macedon, B.C. 168; Greece, B.C. 145; Syria and Asia Minor, B.C. 66; Jerusalem, B.C. 63; Judea, B.C. 37; Egypt, B.C. 30; Arabia Felix, A.D.96; Arabia Petræa A.D. 108; part of Persia, A.D. 111; Assyria, A.D. 114; is divided into ten kingdoms by-1, the Huns, in Hungary, about A.D. 356; 2, the Ostrogoths, in Moesia, 377; 3, the Visigoths, in Pannonia, 378; 4, the Franks, in France, 407; 5, the Vandals, in Africa, 407 ; 6, the Saxons and Alans, in Gascoigne and Spain, 407; 7, the Burgundians, in Burgundy, 407; 8, the Heruli and Turingi, in Italy, 476; 9, the Saxons and Angles, in Britain, 476; and 10, the Langobards, in the North of Germany, 483; in Hungary, 526.-8. The Heruli and Turingi, A.D. 493, the Ostrogoths, 553, and the Langobards, 774, fall before the power of the Bishop or Pope of Rome, whose autocracy over the saints continues for the space of 1260 years from A.D. 553, to A.D. 1813.-9. The Reformation by Luther, A.D. 1518, causes the decline of the Papacy by the defection of nearly the half of Germany, England, Scotland, Switzerland and Holland from their allegiance to the see of Rome and about the close of the 1260 years, A.D. 1813, the Pope's authority is not suffered in any country, over which he formerly domineered, to be without controul.-13. The second Advent of our blessed Lord.

DAN. vii. 1.—In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the 2 dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon 3 great sea. And four great beasts came up from

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The first was like a lion, and had eagles'

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wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three tusks in the mouth of it between the teeth of it and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

6 After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl: the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

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After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and break in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it 8 had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth 9 speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was the fiery 10 flame, and his wheels burning fire. A fiery stream

issued and came forth from before him: thousand

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