hould naturally expect that it
would be included in a comprehensive view like this of the
world's history.

The prophecies of the book of Revelation relative to the great
red dragon--pagan Rome (chap. 12), the two beasts that succeeded
to his seat and power (chap. 13), and (what is identical with
these two beasts) the woman riding upon a scarlet-colored beast
(chap. 17), are so intimately related to the fourth kingdom of
Daniel, that whatever view be taken of this kingdom must apply
to them also. In these prophetic symbols we have again all the
characters of pagan Rome as continued in papal Rome. Chap. 32,
No. 4. To the class of prophecies now under consideration belong
also, according to the most probable principle of
interpretation, those of the seven seals, the seven trumpets
included under the last seal, and the seven vials of the last
trumpet (Rev. 6:1 _seq._); for in these the succession of events
is distinctly marked.

The _numbers_ of the books of Daniel and Revelation,
particularly the "time and times and dividing of time"--three
years and a half--during which the little horn is to have
dominion (Dan. 7:25), and (what is equivalent to this number)
the "forty-and-two months" during which the Gentiles are to
tread down the holy city (Rev. 11:2), and the beast that
succeeds to the dragon is to have power (Rev. 13:5); or in days,
the thousand two hundred and threescore days of the two
witnesses (Rev. 11:3), and of the woman's sojourn in the
wilderness (Rev. 12:6), have furnished for centuries matter of
curious speculation and computation, upon the assumption that a
day here represents a year (Chap. 35, No. 9); but hitherto
history has not verified the results as to time which the
students of these prophecies have given. The failure of their
computations might have been anticipated. It seems to be the
plan of God to throw such a vail over even exact dates of
prophecy, that their place in a chronological chart of history
cannot be accurately marked out beforehand. Either the time
_from_ which the reckoning is to proceed, or the symbolism of
the dates, or the place which the whole series holds in relation
to other prophecies, is left in obscurity. The experience of
those who have busied themselves with the computation of these
dates teaches, not that we should