Page:Mahometanism in its relation to prophecy - or, an inquiry into the prophecies concerning antichrist, with some reference to their bearing on the events of the present day (IA mahometanisminit00philrich).pdf/41

 four beasts, and the four metals of Nabuchodonosor's statue, undoubtedly signify,—

1st. The Assyrian-Babylonian empire;

2nd. The Medo-Persian empire;

3rd. The Macedonian-Greek empire founded by Alexander the Great;

4th. The Roman empire, which these prophecies clearly indicate as the most powerful of them all.

But, besides these four empires, the Prophet speaks of a fifth, which he clearly intimates should be different from all the rest, which should be the kingdom set up by Almighty God Himself; and that its first establishment should take place before the expiration of the period allotted to the four empires, which we have just named. This is revealed to us in the forty-fourth verse of the second chapter of Daniel in these words: " But, in the days of those kingdoms, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed."

What kingdom is this, but that spiritual one of Jesus Christ, His Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church ? that kingdom, of which He declared "my kingdom is not of this world" of which He laid the first foundations on that blessed day when, just before His glorious Ascension into Heaven, He thus addressed His apostles, giving them the mighty