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the kingdom of Persia withstood him one and twenty days" and it necessitated the help of
Michael the archangel before he could get through to Daniel! Not only is there this
mighty Prince of Persia, but says the messenger, "the Prince of Grecia shall come".
These princes cannot be merely human, for no human being could withstand for one and
twenty days such a glorious person as appeared to Daniel. Ten such kings form part of
the beast at the time of the end. They had no kingdom until the beast ascends out of the
abyss, then they reign together with him. How closely Satan travesties truth.
When the true King reigns, there will be associated with Him those who also received
a deadly wound and had been healed:--
"I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus . . . . . and they
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Rev. 20: 4).
Of these ten kings it is written, Rev. 17: 13, "These have one purpose". Gnome
comes again twice in verse 17:--
"For God inclined their hearts to carry out His purpose, even to carry out one purpose
and to give their kingdom to the beast till the words of God shall be fulfilled."
What a comforting thought in this awful nightmare that even Satan's Princes are
beneath the control of God! Seeking in this final desperate throw to accomplish the
purpose of their fallen master, they nevertheless can do nothing against the truth.
"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is
Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and
faithful" (17: 14).
This war is described more fully in chapter 19: Before that takes place however
another part of the Divine purpose must be fulfilled. Babylon, the great city, rules over
peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues (17: 15), and the kings of the earth
(not the ten kings) are in league with her. When the moment arrives the ten kings and the
beast throw over the attitude of support hitherto given to Babylon and make her desolate.
Thus Babylon, that wicked city, with its long history of infamy finds in the final phase of
its anti-christian activity its own executioner. This overthrow is described in detail in
chapter 18:, which we must consider in another paper.