whence he draws his forces, which are without the limits of the papal Roman empire; and from various circumstances in his prophetic history, which do not accord with the prophetic history of the Roman Antichristian confederacy as elsewhere detailed: to all which may be added the improbability, that Ezekiel, after he has described the downfall of that confederacy under the mystic name of Edom exactly at the era where other predictions had taught us to look for it, the era of the restoration of Judah; should now afresh describe its downfall under a different mystical name not used by any one of the ancient prophets, and that too at an era where no other predictions had taught us to look for it, an era posterior to the restoration of the house of Israel and the commencement of the Millennium. Ezekiel only teaches us, that the expedition of Gog and Magog should be undertaken, when the united Jews and Israelites were dwelling in careless security under David their king in their own land, when they had spread themselves through all the unwalled villages, when they had become rich in cattle and goods, and when living under the immediate protection of heaven they little expected any assault from man; in other words, that it should be undertaken at some indefinite period after the commencement of the Millennium: but St. John is more explicit; he fixes this period to thousand years, either natural or prophetic, after

the season of great blessedness has commenced. The confederacy however of Gog and Magog will be even less successful than that of Antichrist: While these apostates surround the beloved city, fire from heaven will descend upon them; God will rain upon them an overflowing rain, a rain of hail-stones fire and brimstone; and, agitated with the madness of terror, those, who escape the devastating tempest, will turn every man his sword against his brother. Yet even of these incorrigible offenders will God mercifully spare the sixth part*, as he had already spared the third part of the Antichristian confederacy. Thus magnifying his great name, will the Lord shew to all nations, that, as he scattered the children of Israel for their sins, so, after he has restored them at once to their own land and to the privileges of his covenant, he will cause them to dwell in confident security, and will suffer none to make them afraid.

Thus, it appears, that Ezekiel arranges the events which are to take place during the latter

I have already stated the uncertain meaning of the word www; and have observed, that, however it be translated, the present argument will not be at all affected. Whether Gog and Magog be totally destroyed, or whether a sixth part be left, there will be no correspondence between their fate and that of the Antichristian confederacy; of which Isaiah teaches us that a considerable number shall be spared, while Zechariah more definitely limits that number to a third part of the whole. See Isaiah lxvi. 19. and Zechar. xiii. 8.

days,

days*, in the following order: 1. The restoration of Judah partly in a converted and partly in an unconverted state, and the contemporary war between the two parties supported by their several allies the maritime nation and Antichrist; 2. The destruction of Antichrist and his Roman colleagues under the general mystic name of Edom, and the Lord's vindication of himself for restoring so stubborn a race as that of the Jews; 3. The national resurrection of Judah and Israel to which the overgrown power of Antichrist was the only impediment, and their everlasting union under the mystic David their prince; 4. The commencement of the Millennian season of blessedness and tranquillity; 5. The destruction of Gog and Magog.

Precisely the same order is observed by St. Jobn, with this only difference, that, treating of the Church at large, he does not particularly notice the restoration of Israel, but contents himself with only obscurely intimating that the exhaustion of the symbolical Euphrates, or the overthrow of the Ottoman empire, should prepare a way for the kings from the east: 1. The gathering together of

* The latter days, or the end of the days, denotes in the Old Testament that portion of time, which begins at the termination of the great Apostacy of 1260 years, and which expires at the end of the Millennium and at the consummation of all things. See the meaning of this phrase discussed in my Dissert. on the 1260 years, Chap. iii.

the

the Antichristian confederacy to Megiddo in the. land of Palestine, the country which extends 1600 furlongs, the region between the two seas; 2. Its overthrow in that country by the miraculous intervention of the personal Word of God; 3. The first resurrection, either literal or symbolical*, of the saints, and their reign with Christ during the period of the Millennium; 4. The expedition and destruction of Gog and Magog.

It is impossible to avoid being struck with the exact correspondence between Ezekiel and St. John, in the order of their respective details. If then the arguments, which I have already adduced, be well-founded; and if this correspondence be allowed to exist: we must come to the conclusion, that the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel are the same as the Gog and Magog of St. John; and consequently that their expedition will take place, not before the commencement, but at the end of the Millennium.

* See my Dissert, on the 1260 years, (2d Edit.)

Vol. I. P.

56. Note

1

PROŃ

し

PROPHECY XXVI.

Descriptive character of the powers that will compose the Antichristian confederacy-The progress of Antichrist to Palestine-His overthrow there -The restoration of Judah during a time of great trouble at the close of the 1260 years.

:

Dan. ii. 40. The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and, as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41. And, whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter's clay and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with the miry clay. 42. And, as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken. 43. And, whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for