The Fundamentals - 1910: Vol.11

Fulfilled Prophecy a Potent Argument for the Bible 73 too well known to need any further demonstration. These empires have come and gone and the territory of the old Roman Empire presents today the very condition as pre­ dicted in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Monarchies and republics are in existence upon that territory. The final division into ten kingdoms has not yet been accomplished. The unfulfilled portion of this dream we do not follow here.' The reader may find this explained in the author’s exposition of Daniel. dan iel ’ s great v is ion of t h e world powers In the seventh chapter Daniel relates his first great vision. The four beasts he saw rising out of the sea, the type of nations, are symbolical of the same world powers. The lion with eagle’s wings is Babylonia. Jeremiah also pictured Nebuchadnezzar as a lion. “The lion has come up from his thicket and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way” (Jer. 4 :7 ) . Ezekiel speaks of him as a great eagle. (Ezek. 17: 3.) The Medo-Persian Empire is seen as a bear raised up on one side and having three ribs in its mouth. The one side appeared stronger because this second world empire had Persia for its stronger element. The three ribs the bear holds as prey predict the conquests of that empire. Medo-Persia conquered exactly three great provinces, Susiana, Lydia and Asia Minor. The leopard with four wings and four heads is the picture of the Graeco-Macedonian Empire. The four wings denote its swiftness and rapid advance so abundantly fulfilled in the conquests of Alexander the Great. The four heads of the leopard predict the partition of this empire into the king­ doms of Syria, Egypt, Macedonia and Asia Minor. The fourth beast, the great nondescript, with its ten horns, and the little horn, still to come, is the Roman Empire. These are wonderful things. Be it remembered that the prophet re­ ceived the vision when the Babylonian Empire still existed. Here also the character of these empires typified by ferocious beasts is revealed. The great nations of Christendom which

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