No. 13.
MY DEAR CHILDREN, ―We have reached the last or fourth empire of the Gentiles―the Roman, under which we are now living―the iron power. Babylon was the golden city. Silver characterized the Persian. The tribute money from the provinces was paid in that coin. They were talents of silver which Alexander used to find in the Persian treasuries. The Greeks were clothed in armor of brass, and many of their statues and inscriptions were of that metal. The fourth empire is of iron, from the iron calque of the Roman soldier, to the iron bridges, iron houses, the iron railways, the iron cannon, and the iron ships of our own days. “The fourth empire (Daniel 2:4040And 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. (Daniel 2:40)) shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh in pieces, all these shall it break in pieces and bruise.” This has marked Roman power from the first. It had an iron will: it never yielded. Its maxim of power was, Spare the humble, and break in pieces the proud. We see this in all their dealings with foreign nations. In whatever land they took root, they impressed upon its lasting monuments of their character. They possessed our country for 400 years, more or less. Many of our high roads were originated by them, and their fortresses, constructed on the best points for observation and defense, are still to be traced in England, whilst in Scotland they built two solid walls from sea to sea, to keep off the incursions of the Picts. No doubt they had become degenerate and effeminate before the date of the Caesars. This imperial power, superseding the consuls, and overawing the senate, arose from the need of men of genius and courage to invigorate the nation; which had become decrepit and mercenary. The riches which had flowed in upon them from all parts of the known world, owing to their successful wars, had made them fond of luxury and ease, if her power was to continue, it must be by a new form of government; and her first emperors were, accordingly, great men. But their successors degenerated. It was in the reign of the very first-that of Augustus Cæsar―that our Lord Jesus was born He is the One whom God intends to invest with supreme dignity over our earth. He is gone to heaven “to receive for Himself a kingdom, and to return.” “I saw (Dan. 7:1313I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (Daniel 7:13)) in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him neat before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him emperor―Augustus―took the throne, there went out a decree from him that all the world (or habitable earth, where civilized men are dwelling) should be taxed (Luke 2:11And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (Luke 2:1)); and just at this moment Christ, the King of the Jews, was born, and was laid in a manger because there was no room for Him in the inn! as, indeed, there has been no room for Him in the world as yet.
It is this fourth empire which always occupies the attention of Daniel. “Then I would know (7:19) 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.” The prophet saw that the restoration of his people, the Jews, would ensue upon its destruction, and this would be through a fearful time of trial, which terminates the history of this age, as to the dominion of the Gentiles. In answer to the question in verse 19, the reply is given in verses 23-26 a crisis of evil is described which issues in the peaceful reign of Christ, and the establishment of the Jewish kingdom.
But I must trace, somewhat rapidly, the history of the emperors, until they passed away and were supplanted by the Goths. There were twelve emperors in all who had the title of Caesar. This dynasty ended A.D. (which letters mean the year of our Lord) 68. Among them was Vespasian, who was elected whilst conducting that siege of Jerusalem mentioned in Luke 21:2020And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. (Luke 21:20). “When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” The Jews had led a miserable existence ever since they had crucified Christ their King. “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and fun your children,” was beginning to come true. Alto Jerusalem had fallen into the hands of Pompey Judea became the scene of intestine wars, from the ambition of those in whose hands the Romans had left the semblance of government. The dynasty of the Herods succeeded that of the Maccabees; for when Cæsar came into power, he made Anti-pater, an Edomite, the first of the lines who had assisted him in his wars in the east, procurator, or principal Roman officer, of Judea; and this Antipater appointed his son Herod, afterward called the Great, governor of Galilee. Eventually Herod became, by the favor of Caesar, king of Judea, receiving his investiture from Rome. His reign of 36 years was one of exceeding cruelty, although be shewed great ability in maintaining his dignity. It was in the latter part of his reign that Christ was born, whom (Matthew 2:16-1816Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. (Matthew 2:16‑18)) he immediately sought to destroy. The historian Josephus, who relates his cruelties and his death from a complication of shocking diseases, makes no mention of the birth of Mist, nor of the slaughter of the Innocents; and thus we see how the most mighty events in the mind of God may be transpiring, of which the world, being occupied with its own affairs, takes no notice. Herod was succeeded by his son Archelaus in part of his dominions (Matthew 2:2222But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: (Matthew 2:22)), and by his son Herod Antipas, by the Emperor’s assignment, in another part, viz., Galilee. It was this last who slew John the Baptist. (Matthew 14) The Philip mentioned in the same chapter was a third brother, and each of them had the title of tetrarch.
It was before Herod Antipas also that our Lord appeared to be judged (Luke 23:77And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. (Luke 23:7)), he happening to be in Jerusalem at the time. The Herod of Acts 12, who “killed James the brother of John,” was grandson of the first, or Herod the great, and had all the three tetrarchies. The state of these kings, and the condition of the Holy Land in general at this time, may be learned by the occasion and circumstances of this king’s death. The (Herod) Agrippa before whom Paul appeared (Acts 25, 26) was the son of the last. In his reign the last war of the Jews against the Romans took place, and Agrippa sided with them, and endeavored to persuade the Jews against it. The war undoubtedly was brought on through the avaricious and bloodthirsty conduct of the Roman procurators or governors, who used their high offices as a means of gain for themselves, and thus enraged the Jews. Insurrections first broke out in Caesarea, which city Cestius, the governor, having subdued, he marched to Jerusalem, and surrounded it. It happened to be the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, when at least two millions of people were within the walls. It is remarkable, as spewing the accuracy of prophecy, that after he had invested the city, and no particular misfortune had happened to his troops, yet he drew off his army, and made a disastrous retreat to Antipatris; whereas he might have taken the city some days before, if he had known the state of anarchy within, and even if he had continued the siege a few days longer it would certainly have fallen; but, in fact, this drawing off his army enabled the Christians who were then within the walls to flee to the mountains of Perea. (Luke 21:2121Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. (Luke 21:21).) Soon after this Vespasian, then only a general, was sent by the emperor Nero to subdue Judea. It was now that occurred that terrible siege begun by Vespasian, and finished by his son Titus, to which the Lord, when the disciples came “to shew Him the building of the temple,” alludes, “Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:22And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (Matthew 24:2).)
The name of Vespasian brought on this digression about the Jews, and as I am upon the subject, it may not be amiss to tell you what the last king (Agrippa) said of these Romans, when, at a public audience at Jerusalem, he endeavored to dissuade the leaders of the Jews from going to war with them. Having enumerated the countries which had been subdued by them in these words: “All Euphrates is not a sufficient boundary for them on the east side, nor the Danube on the north; and for their southern limits, Lybia hath been searched over by them, as far as countries uninhabited, as is Cadiz their limits to the west; nay, indeed, they have sought for another habitable earth beyond the ocean, and have carried their arms as far as such British islands as were never known before.” Then he says, further on, “Do you also, who depend on the walls of Jerusalem, consider what a wall the Britons had; for the Romans sailed away to them, and subdued them, while they were encompassed by the ocean, and inhabited an island that is not less than the [continent of this] habitable earth; and four legions are a sufficient guard to such an island.” He concludes thus: “What remains, therefore, is this, that you have recourse to Divine assistance; but this is already on the side of the Romans; for it is impossible that so vast an empire should be settled without God’s providence.” This is a speech put by Josephus, the Jewish historian, into the mouth of that Agrippa of whom St. Paul thought not meanly of, saying of him that he was “expert in all questions and customs which are among the Jews,” and acquainted generally with everything going on in the world. (Acts 26:3-263Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: 7Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. 8Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 9I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 12Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 21For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. 24And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. 25But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 26For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. (Acts 26:3‑26).) The speech has all the marks of being genuine, and it serves to shew, in regard to these empires, that reflecting men could discern the signs of the times; could, in fact, distinguish the hand of God in the affairs of men. Xenophon, the historian, affirms of Cyrus, that he was raised up of God. So does Arrian, of Alexander; and so does Josephus, of the Romans.
When empire was first given to the Gentiles, we find Jeremiah saying to the captives of Judah, “Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it; for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace.” Ever since that time this is to be our conduct. The Lord Himself said, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s.” Paul not only exhorted the Church to pray for kings, and to render them their dues, but he even appealed to Caesar to be judged by him at Rome. Do we need any further declaration that that fourth kingdom had set in which was to “devour the whole earth,” and of the conduct of a saint towards it? —Your affectionate Father.