| 611 so doing they have apparently tortured their thinking powers, betrayed their imbecility, and exposed their consummate ignorance of the inevitable force of prophecy upon this subject. Nothing can be more definite and explicit, than that the feet and toes of the great image represents the divisions of the Roman empire-now the modern kingdoms of Europe. Again, nothing is more plain than that this stone, "cut out without hands," was to strike the toes of the image. When Christ came, the toes of the image, or the ten kingdoms were not in existence. "In the days of these kings," or kingdoms. What kingdoms? We answer, the modern kingdoms of Europe, "shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed." But says one, perhaps this stone commenced rolling at the appearing of Christ, but has not yet subdued these kingdoms. We answer, that this kingdom is not to be left to other people, or in other words it shall not be overcome; but when we examine the organization of the kingdom of God in the days of the apostles, and put it in juxtaposition with those of the Catholic, and Protestant denominations, we discover that the latter is quite different from the former; and as there can be no regular succession of authority traced from the apostles to the present time, we are led to conclude that the rolling of this stone is a latter-day work. Daniel while speaking of these kingdoms says, he saw a little horn, which no doubt alludes to popery, that made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; "and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws, &c." John says, that power was given to the beast to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Isaiah says, that "they have transgressed the law, changed the ordinance, and broken the everlasting covenant." These with many other passages prove to a demonstration that there was to be a great falling away, and disorganization of the church after the days of the apostles. But this kingdom that Daniel describes was "never" to be destroyed; or overcome. However, we do not wish to be understood that this kingdom represented by the stone, is to be entirely different from the one of the days of the apostles, in its form, government, and laws; but in one sense of the word a renewal of that one. But says the objector, there is but one kingdom of God: therefore, it certainly must have commenced at the beginning of the Christian era. Very good, there is but one kingdom of God; but we might say with equal propriety that it commenced in the days of Abraham, or Moses: for according to the scriptures the gospel was preached to Abraham, and also the children of Israel in the wilderness. Daniel most unquestionably in speaking of this kingdom, did not allude to the sameness of uniformity of its laws in all ages of the world; but to the time when God should organize it anew, and prepare the way for his second coming. Daniel did not say that this kingdom should be entirely new; but only: "In the days of the kings the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom." If it is termed new, it is for this reason, that on every occasion when God has reorganized his kingdom, he has brought forth something new as an appendage, not to change or unlawfully add to the law, or gospel of Christ. For instance, in the last days God has given revelation, and commandments concerning the gathering of Israel and the building of Zion, &c. These commandments were not given to the apostles.
Again, it is said, that this kingdom, or stone, should beat fine the iron, clay, brass, silver, and the gold; and some have supposed that it cannot be a latter day work because the four great empires were to be beat fine, and completely exterminated, or to use the scripture phrase "blown to the four winds like the chaff of the summer threshing floor" but they have been destroyed many hundred years. Three of these great empires were destroyed prior to the appearance of Christ: then admitting for the present that the stone commenced rolling the days of the apostles, how could it even then break in pieces those empires.
Let us go back and take another view of the great empires. The Babylonian empire was as we have before mentioned, conquered, and overthrown by the Medes and Persians; but this is not saying that every fragment of it was entirely annihilated. For instance, if the city of Philadelphia should be taken by an enemy, and in a great measure destroyed, and then should be rebuilt by another people, and some of the old materials
(page 611) |
