"until the end be:" his flesh resting in hope of a glorious resurrection "at the end of the days."

We can hardly glance at the varied and constantly increasing instrumentalities now in operation for the spread of light and truth in the earth, but must leave the subject with the passing remark, that whoever is unable to discern the signs of the times in this respect, whoever fails to perceive the present to be an age of development and progress, sufficiently so to fulfil the prediction, "knowledge shall be increased," he is like that class alluded to by our Saviour, who having eyes see not, and having ears they hear not. It is as if a man should stand out in the full blaze of a meridian sun without distinguishing the beams of day from the shades of night, or as if the voice of seven thunders had broke upon his ear unperceived. "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief, ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day." "Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear." "Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober, putting on the breast-plate of love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

vs. 5, 6. "Then I Daniel looked, and behold there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?"

We have in these verses a striking exhibition of that deep interest which the heavenly hosts feel in relation to those things that pertain to the salvation of men;

and particularly to understand the "times and seasons." After the Angel, clothed in linen, had instructed Daniel respecting the great political events that were to transpire in the history of the world; and led him through to the bursting glories of everlasting day, and the glorification of the Church in the kingdom of God, he directs him to "shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end." Instantly and spontaneously the question breaks from the lips of a listening Angel, "HOW LONG to the end of these wonders?" There are three different words used in Greek which are translated "end," telos, signifying an end, or cornpletion, sunteleia, a consummation, being generally used in connection with aionos, signifying the consummation of the age, or, as it is rendered in our version, the end of the world, and peras, signifying a limit, margin, or frontier. This is the word used in Matthew xii: 42, and translated "uttermost parts," that is, the borders of the earth. The word used in the Septuagint version, which is here rendered "end," is peras, and may, therefore, not mean a full and perfect end, as is expressed by telos or sunteleia, but a border or margin; in other words, the closing scenes of the wonders. Daniel had been instructed to seal the book until "the time of the end," that is, through the persecutions under the little horn, which were to cease at "the time of the end." During that long period of tribulation to the Church, the witnesses, according to Revelations, were to "prophesy in sackcloth;" or, according to Daniel, the vision was to be sealed; and the Angel, in his eagerness to grasp the subject, inquired earnestly, How long shall the vision be sealed? or, How long to

the closing scenes of those events? which closing scenes were to commence with "the time of the end," and terminate in the glories of the kingdom. But why inquire the length of that period? Because at the end of it the light was to break, the vision to be unsealed, the truth developed, and the wise to understand. Now if that were the idea in the mind of the Angel, the answer would correspond to the sense of the ques

tion.

v. 7. “And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."

It is evident, the Angel of the waters did not measure the time to the end of the world, because his measuring rod of "time, times and an half,” (or part, magin) does not reach beyond the "time, times and dividing of time," (Chap. vii: 25,) during which the saints were to be in the hands of the little horn: and as, under that oppressive government, they were to fall "to try them, and to purge and to make them white, even to the time of the end," the declaration of the Angel, in reply to the question on time, covers the period of persecution, and reaches to "the time of the end." The Septuagint version reads thus:

"And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was over the water of the river, and he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him that lives forever, that it should be for a time of times

and half a time; when the dispersion is ended, they SHALL KNOW all these things."*

If this be the correct rendering of the passage, the sense is perfectly plain, and the reply of the Angel teaches that for a period which he terms "time, times and a half,” (or part,) the saints would be dispersed, or, according to John, driven into the wilderness; but at the terminus of that tribulation, light would be evolved from the Oracles, truth developed, the fulfilment of prophecy recognized, and these great events noted in the scripture of truth, in connection with their chronological data, understood by the people of God.

บ. 8 "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” "And I heard." What did Daniel hear? The declaration of the Angel "it shall be for a time, times and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."

"But I understood not." What did Daniel not understand? The period of time during which the people of God were to be dispersed. The Angel had declared it should be "for a time, and times, and an half," or part; † but he had given him no commencing terminus of the days. Had he known the duration of the period denoted by the phrase, "time, times, and an half," or part, he could not have understood the point at which it commenced, consequently could not have ascertained the point where it would end. Hence we may infer that the burden of Daniel's

*Brenton's Translation.

† Margin.

inquiry was in relation to definite time.

allusion to this subject, says:

Peter, in

"Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached. the gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ," (1 Pet. i: 10-13).

From this quotation, it appears that the prophets not only searched to know the time of the sufferings of Christ, but also of the glory that should follow. The expression of the 13th verse, "hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ," makes the coming of Christ identical with the development of His glory.

v. 9. “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end."

"The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." See exposition of v. 4.

v. 10. "Many shall be purified and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."