tution of the nation, and of the Temple worship. Symbolic vision and allegory characterize the book. The divisions are: 1. The impending fall of Jerusalem. chs. 1-24. Daniel To the book of Daniel there are two distinct parts, the first, chs. 1-6, being the story of Daniel at the court of Babylon. This part closes with the words: "So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian." Daniel 6:28. In the first six chapters, the story of Daniel is told in the third person, while the second part of the book, chs. 7-12, containing the dreams and visions of Daniel, is in the first person. This is probably because the revelations to Daniel are described by him as things he himself saw.1 Daniel, like Ezekiel, is dated in the opening verses by its author as having been written during the Exile. The fact that Ezekiel appears in the Hebrew Scriptures among the Prophets, while Daniel is in the Writings, is interpreted by scholars as having a direct bearing upon the date of its writing. This is important in connection with any attempt to interpret the book. 1 A linguistic peculiarity of Daniel, the reason for which is not known, though several theories have been advanced to explain it, is that 1:1-2: 4a, is in Hebrew, 2:4b-7:28 in Aramaic and 8:1-12:13 in Hebrew. The Aramaic begins where the words of the Chaldeans are quoted, "O King live forever," etc. II Esdras To many readers of the Bible the books of the Apocrypha are not familiar. An outline is given therefore of II Esdras, an apocalyptic book. In it, 12:10-39, is found an interpretation of "the fourth kingdom "which appeared in vision to thy brother Daniel." 1. A rebuke to the people for their sins, in spite of God's care over them throughout their history. 1:1-2:41. 2. The vision of Mount Sion and the multitude of the faithful departed receiving crowns and palms from the Son of God. 2:42-48. 3. The complaint of Esdras. God spares wicked men. 3:1-36. 4. The answer to the complaint. Uriel tells Esdras that if he cannot weigh fire, measure the wind, or recall a day that is past, he cannot comprehend "the way of the Most High." The fable of the trees, the fire, the sea, and the sand. 4:1-21. 5. Uriel answers the questions of Esdras as to the flourishing of evil, and the duration of time. Few will be saved. 4:22 9:25. 6. The visions in the field of Ardat 9:26-13:58: a. The woman and the city. 9:38-10:59. b. The eagle with three heads and twelve wings, and the lion with a man's voice. 11:1-12:51. c. The man from the sea. 13:1-58. 7. The voice of God from the bush. Woe to Babylon and Asia, Egypt and Syria. 14:1-16:78. The Revelation of John The structure of Revelation, as it appears in the following outline, is elaborate. The numbers seven and three are seen throughout: Prologue. (a) Title of the book. 1:1-3. (b) Address to the seven churches. 1:4-8. Vision of heaven. The Son of Man, the Seven Candle sticks, the Seven Stars. The command to write to the Seven Churches. 1:9-20. The messages to— 1. Ephesus. 2. Smyrna. 3. Pergamum. 4. Thyatira. 5. Sardis. 6. Philadelphia. 7. Laodicea. chs. 2-3. Vision of heaven. 4:1-5:14, and the Seven Seals. ch. 6. 1. The white horse. 2. The red horse. 3. The black horse. 4. The pale horse. 5. The souls of the slain. 6. The earthquake and the eclipse. ch. 6. Episode. The sealing of the redeemed on earth. The redeemed in heaven. ch. 7. 7. The silence in heaven. 8:1. Vision of heaven and of the Seven Angels and the Seven Trum pets. 8:2-9:21. 1. Hail, fire, and blood on the earth. 2. Burning mountain in the sea. 3. Falling star, Wormwood, poisons the streams. 4. Partial eclipse of Sun, Moon and stars. 5. Opening of the abyss, letting out locusts, "like horses prepared for war." 6. Loosing of the four angels and of the horsemen. Episode. The angel and the little book. ch. 10. The two witnesses. 11:1-14. 7. The great voices in heaven, the woman, the dragon and the child, the war in heaven. The beast coming out of the sea. 11:15-12:17. The beast coming out of the earth. Episode. The redeemed in heaven. 13:1-10. 13:11-18. The three angels with proclamations. 14:6-13. Vision of heaven and of Seven Angels having Seven Bowls of Plagues. 15:1-16:21. 1. Noisome sore upon men who worshipped the beast. 2. Sea turned into blood. 3. Rivers turned into blood. 4. Sun scorching men. 5. Kingdom of the Beast darkened. 6. Euphrates dried up. 7. Lightnings, thunders, earthquakes. Visions of judgment. 17:1-20:10. 1. Judgment and doom of Babylon, and song of rejoicing in heaven. 17:1-19:10. 2. Destruction of the Beast and the false prophet by the rider on the white horse. 19:11-21. 3. Binding of Satan for a thousand years, his temporary release, and final doom in the lake of fire. 20:1-10. Visions of 1. The great white throne. 20:11-15. 2. The new heaven and the new earth. 21:1-8. 3. The new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. 21:922:5. Epilogue. These words are faithful and true. 22:6–21. CHAPTER XVI THE ENGLISH BIBLE IN MANUSCRIPT BEFORE WYCLIFFE THE beginnings of Christianity in Britain are involved in much obscurity. There are numerous stories about the subject, which variously attribute the introduction of the new religion to Joseph of Arimathea, to Peter and Paul, to Bran the father of Caractacus, and to missionaries sent by Pope Eleutherus in the time of Aurelius, at the close of the second century, in response to a request from a British King Lucius. The last story is told by Bede, but his authority is unknown. Tertullian1 (d. circa 230) declared that in Britain were places subject to Christ, which Roman arms could not penetrate, and Origen2 (d. circa 253) speaks of the power of Christ as manifested in Britain. When the Teutons, who were heathen, invaded Britain in the middle of the fifth century, Christianity had been established there among the Celts, who received it during the Roman occupation. More than this we do not know. 3 Although efforts of the Celtic churchmen had resulted in the conversion of the Northern Picts, the conversion of the Teutonic invaders was not accomplished until the coming of Augustine and his band of 1 Tert. adv. Judæos, p. 189. 2 Tract 28 in Matt. See J. Lingard, The History and Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church, London, 1845, vol. 1, pp. 1-63, for an outline of this early history. |