, but only to be
"tormented." The Moslem had "the Christian dog" completely under his
foot.

We now turn our attention to the period of time during which these
Saracen locusts were to continue their ravages. It is given as "five
months," or one hundred and fifty days. As this description is entirely
symbolic, we must consider the time symbolic also, for time certainly
can be symbolized as well as anything else. It is very appropriate for
days to symbolize years, for they are analagous periods of time; the
diurnal revolution of the earth being taken to represent the earth's
annual movement. Such a system of reckoning time was known centuries
ago. When Jacob complained to Laban because he had been given Leah
instead of Rachel, "Laban said, It must not be so done in our country,
to give the younger before the first-born. Fulfil her _week_, and we
will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve me yet
_seven other years_. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week ... seven
other years." Gen. 29:26-30. In this case it will be seen that a day was
used to represent a year, since seven days, or one week, represented
seven years. When the law was given, Moses recognized the week of seven
natural days, the last day of which was constituted a Sabbath of rest
for Israel; but he also instituted a week of seven years, the last year
of which was a sabbatical year of rest unto the land. This last fact
will explain such expressions as "forty days, _each day for a year_"
(Num. 14:34), and "I have appointed thee each day for a year." Ezek.
4:6.

This period, then, of "five months," or one hundred and fifty days,
would represent symbolically one hundred and fifty years. As before
stated, it was in the year A.D. 612 that Mohammed began to expound his
doctrines publicly and to gather adherents around his standard, from
which point the locusts commenced, although the smoke had been let out
of the pit a little previously. For a period of one hundred and fifty
years from this date, they continued their ravages, until A.D. 762. Then
they "built Bagdad, which became their settled seat of empire; and
henceforth they became a settled nation, making no further conquests."
From that date their power began to decline. But during this one hundred
and fifty years they spread over the country like swarms of devouring
locusts. According to the well-known facts of history, "they overran
Arabia, Palestine, Persia, Egypt, and the northern sh