Our Day: In the Light of ProphecySpicer, William Ambrose
Religion
Our Day: In the Light of Prophecy
Spicer, William Ambrose
Bible -- Prophecies
"The legions of Rome occupied the circumference of the world.
The military roads which sprang from Rome traversed all the
earth; the whole world was, as it were, held in peace and in
tranquillity by the universal presence of this mighty heathen
empire. It was 'exceedingly terrible,' according to the
prophecies of Daniel; it was as it were of iron, beating down
and subduing the nations."--_"The Temporal Power of the Pope"
(London, 1862), p. 122._
Thus far every symbol of the prophet's vision finds its exact and clear
counterpart in history. A writer living in the third century, in the
days of imperial Rome, rejoiced to see how exactly the prophecy was
being fulfilled. Hippolytus (counted a saint by the Catholic Church)
wrote:
"Rejoice, blessed Daniel! thou hast not been in error! All
these things have come to pass. After this again thou hast told
us of the beast, dreadful and terrible. It has iron teeth and
claws of brass; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped
the residue with the feet of it. Already the iron rules;
already it subdues and breaks all in pieces; already it brings
all the unwilling into subjection; already we see these things
ourselves. Now we glorify God, being instructed by
thee."--_"Treatise on Christ and Antichrist," sec. 33._
Now the prophetic outline comes to the time of the division of the Roman
Empire, introducing events of deepest personal interest to us today.
Part II
The Fourth Kingdom and the "Little Horn"
It was the fourth great monarchy, Imperial Rome, and the events to
follow it, that engaged the anxious inquiry of the prophet. He says:
"Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from
all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his
nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue
with his feet; and of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the
other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that
had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more
stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the
saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and
judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came
that the saints possessed the kingdom."
The prophet wanted to know the truth about it; and the angel told him
the truth. First, the angel said:
"The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be
diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall
tread it down, and break it in pieces."
The fourth kingdom, as we have seen, was Rome. As Cardinal Manning said
of the empire, "It was 'exceeding terrible,' according to the prophecies
of Daniel; it was as it were of iron, breaking down and subduing the
nations."
Of the ten horns that arose out of this fourth great empire, the angel
said:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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