Page images
PDF
EPUB

CONTENTS.

VOL. I

31

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT.

A géneral statement of what may be collected from prophecy relative to the restoration of Israel and the overthrow of Antichrist. p. 3.-I. An attempt to ascertain the era of the restora tion of Judah. p. 4-1. This seems to be marked both by our Lord, St. Paul, and Daniel. ibid. (1.) Our Lord teaches us, that the Jews will be led away captive into all nations until the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled. Those times denote ei ther the times of the four great monarchies or the three times and a half, which amounts to the same thing in point of termination. The Jews therefore will begin to be restored, when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled or when the three times and a half shall have expired. ibid. (2.) St. Paul teaches us, that blindness has happened unto Israel until the fulness (of the times) of the Gentiles be come; but that, when that fulness is come, then all Israel shall be saved. p. 5.-(3.) Daniel teaches us, that the Jews will cease to be scattered, when all the wonders contained within the period of the three times and a half shall be finished; in other words, that they will begin to be restored, when

C 4

when the three times and a half shall have expired. The same conclusion may be drawn indirectly from his fixing the deliverance of the Jews to the period of Antichrist's expedition against Palestine at the time of the end. ibid.-2. Having thus found that the Jews will begin to be restored at the expiration of the 1260 years, we must next inquire at what particular epoch in the Revelation they will begin to be restored; that is to say, at what particular apocalyptic epoch the 1260 years terminate. p. 8.-(1.) Since the Jews are to be restored synchronically with the overthrow of some great confederacy of God's enemies in Palestine, and since that confederacy is represented as being overthrown under the seventh vial; the Jews must begin to be restored under the seventh vial, and consequently the 1260 years must expire when it is poured out, ibid.-(2.) This matter may be further proved by pursuing another train of argu ment. p. 10.-i. The seven vials are shewn to be all comprehended under the seventh trumpet. p. 11.-ii. From this arrangement it may be deduced, that the 1260 years most probably commence at the sounding of the first woe-trumpet, but that they must terminate at the effusion of the seventh vial ; because the mystery of God, which is to be finished in the course of the sounding of the seventh trumpet, is declared to be actually. finished at the effusion of the seventh vial. p 18.-(3.) A summing up of the argument. p. 23.-(4.) The conclusion, which has been drawn, perfectly accords with the opinion of the Hebrew doctors respecting the future restoration of their people. p, 24.-II. The order and manner of the conversion of Israel, his general restoration, and the expedition and overthrow of the Antichristian faction. p. 25.-1. At the expiration of the 1260 years, one great division of Judah will be converted and 1estored through the instrumentality of some great maritime nation of faithful worshippers. ibid.-2. At this period, the Ottoman empire will have been overthrown, and the great confederacy of Antichrist will be completed. p. 26.-3. Another great division of Judah will be restored by Antichrist in an unconverted state. p. 28.-4. The route of Antichrist to Palestine will most probably be through Turkey. After conquering Palestine

1

lestine and placing the unconverted Jews in Jerusalem, he will proceed to subdue Egypt. p. 29.-5. In the midst of his African conquests he will be troubled by tidings out of the East and out of the North. p, 31.-(1.) Those from the East probably relate to the landing of the troops of the maritime power in Palestine with the converted Jews, their recovery of Jerusalem out of the hands of Antichrist, and the conversion of the Jews who had been restored by Antichrist and placed in Jerusalem. ibid,-(2.) Those from the North seem to be the invasion of the Latin empire by the king of the North during the absence of Antichrist, foretold in the prophecy of the seventh vial under the imagery of a great hail-storm. p. 34.-6. Troubled by these tidings, Antichrist returns from Egypt and sacks Jerusalem, ibid.-7. He next prepares to attack the troops of the maritime power, and the converted Jews under its protection, in the neighbourhood of Megiddo, But here his progress is finally stopped, and he is miraculously overthrown by a manifestation of the personal Word of God. p. 35.-8. The Jews, nevertheless, will be in some measure secondarily instrumental in effecting his overthrow. p. 37.-9. A discussion of the nature of the personal manifestation of Christ. p. 39.-10. The Jews will suffer severely in the course of their restoration, which will probably occupy a period of not less than 30 years. p. 49.-11, A third part of the Antichristian army will be spared, and converted to the knowledge of the truth, p. 53.-12. Thus converted and scattered through the whole world, they will be instrumental in bringing about the restoration of the ten tribes. p. 54.-13. The ten tribes will certainly be restored, The prophecies relative to their restoration were not accomplished in the return of a few individuals from Babylon with Judah. They will be restored sabsequent to the restoration of Judah. The different manner, in which the two grand divisions of the house of Israel will be restored, is ordered agreeably to the strictest principles of national retribution. p, 55.-14, How the lost ten tribes can ever be discovered and restored. p. 60.-(1.) Account of the Afghans, who are probably a branch of them. p. 61.-(2.) Besides the Afghans, there are

many

many Jews in Hindostan, who are supposed to have migrated there soon after the Babylonian captivity, and who ought probably to be considered rather as: Israelites tham Jews. p. 85.-(3.) But there is reason to believe, that the greatest part of the ten tribes still subsists in the places where Salmanasar carried them. Search accordingly has been made for them in those countries, and apparently not without success. p.. 86.-15. Reasons for thinking, that the restoration of Judah will occupy a period of 30 years, and the subsequent restora; tion of Israel, an additional period of 45 years. p. 91.-16. At the end of this last period, the houses of Judah and Israel will, coalesce into one kingdom; the children of Jacob according to the flesh will be made instrumental in converting the pagan nations to Christianity; and the blessedness of the Millennium will commence. p. 94.-17. It may be ascertained from prophecy, that the great maritime nation, which is to act so conspicuous

part in the restoration of Judah, will be that state of protestant Europe which shall possess a decided naval superiority, at the time when the 1260 years shall expire. p. 97.-(1.) This is all the positive knowledge, which we can attain to: nevertheless it is worthy of observation, that, as we draw near to the time of the end, we behold a nation which exactly answers to the character of the infidel king, another which no less exactly answers to that of the mighty king of the North, and a third which has arrived by rapid strides at the most complete naval superiority that was ever possessed by any people. As yet we. behold, no kingdom, which, consistently with the general tenor of prophecy, may be considered as the king of the South. p. 101. -(2.) England may possibly be the great maritime power in question, but we have no authority for positively saying that it will. p. 108.-III. Remarks on the mode of exposition proposed to be adopted. p. 109.-1. Unchronological prophecies are framed in such a manner, as to have a double meaning, primary and ultimate. ibid.-2. The phraseology of prophecy is greatly affected by this circumstance. p. 114.

PRO

44

PROPHECY I.

The dispersion of the Israelites-their idolatry in their disper sion-their future restoration. Deut. iv. 27-31. p. 117.

PROPHECY II.

The calamities at the siege of Jerusalem-the various circumstances attending the dispersion of the Jews-their final conDeut. xxviii. 15-66. xxix, 22-29.

version and restoration.

xxx. 1-10. p. 119.

PROPHECY III.

The millennian glory of Jerusalem-the rebuking of Antichrist. Isaiah ii. 1-5. p. 131.

PROPHECY IV.

The judicial blindness of the Jews-their preservation from entire destruction. Isaiah vi. 8-13. p. 133.

PROPHECY V.

The birth of Christ-his second advent-the blessings of his millennian kingdom-the restoration and conversion of Israel -the exhaustion of the mystic Euphrates and Nile the overthrow of the Antichristian sovereign of the mystic Babylon in the land of Palestine. Isaiah xi. xii. xiii. xiv. 1-27. p. 137.

PROPHECY VI.

The dispersion of the Jews-the irruption of Antichrist at the time of their restoration-the character of some maritime nation destined to restore the converted Jews-the occupation of mount Zion by Antichrist-his invasion of Egyptthe state of Egypt at this period-the religious connection of Assyria, Israel, and Egypt. Isaiah xvii, xviii, xix. p. 180.

PRO.

« PreviousContinue »