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ing; and the words rendered valley of decision are translated by the Septuagint, valley of Judgment.

It is observable, also, that God says by the Prophet Joel, in the same place, that He will gather all nations, and bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat. And again; Let the heathen come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about §.

In the word Jehoshaphat there is an historical reference to a signal and miraculous slaughter of God's enemies in King Jehoshaphat's reign ||; just as in the word Megiddo there is an historical reference of the same kind.

And, in both cases, there is something more.

Megiddo means destruction; and Jehoshaphat signifies judgment of God.

All nations cannot be gathered together to one valley, or to one mountain, on earth.

Hence it is rightly concluded, that the Valley of Jehoshaphat here mentioned is a general term for a signal execution of God's Judgment ** on all His enemies throughout the world ††.

-was a threshing in חָרוּץ The בְּעֵמֶק הֶחָרוּץ .14 .Joel iii *

strument, formed with revolving cylinders, armed with sharp pieces of iron. See Jahn Archæol. Bibl. § 64.

+ LXX. κοιλὰς δίκης. Theodotion, κρίσεως.

Joel iii. 2. § Joel iii. 12. || 2 Chron. xx. 1—26. ** See R. David Kimchi in loc. Nominatur vallis Josaphat de nomine judicii: sic quoque expressit Jonathan. In vallem decisionis judicii.

++ Mercerus ad Joel iii. 19. Aperte hic indicat non certo loco

In a word, the gathering together of the nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, is the same as the gathering together to Armageddon.

The parallelism between the prophecies of Joel and St. John is remarkable in other respects.

esse conclusam hanc Vallem Josaphat, sed esse eam ubicunque Dominus de impiis Ecclesiæ persecutoribus pœnas sumit, et eos concidit.-Pococke's Works, ed. Lond. 1740, Commentary on Joel, p. 337. "Coming to appear in the presence of the most high God, may well be stiled a coming up, wherever it be. The place whither they are here summoned is called the valley of Jehoshaphat; as likewise above, ver. 2," where, in the opinion of some, "God in his appointed time (p. 321) will, in the sight and presence of his Church, execute openly judgment on their enemies, according to whom, in the valley of Jehoshaphat is all one as in conspectu Ecclesiæ. As Munster speaks, ob exertum Dei judicium (contra Ammonitas et Moabitas) in eo loco, in generale evasit vocabulum, in allusion to that judgment in that place wrought on the Ammonites, Moabites, and others, (2 Chron. xx.) in answer to the prayers of King Jehoshaphat; the name therefore given importing the judgment of God passed into a general name, common to any place where He should in like manner show his power in vindicating his Church and people, on His and their enemies, by minding them of what He then did, giving them assurance that He both could and would still do the like for them, as occasion should require. It is therefore applied to the place and time, where and when God hath executed, or shall execute, any signal judgment on the enemies of his Church in their sight, or for their sakes.

The MS. Arabic Version, done by a Jew, notes that this Valley of Jehoshaphat had several names: viz.-1. The Valley of Decision. 2. The Valley of Rephaim, or Giants. 3. The King's Dale. (Gen. xiv. 17.) 4. The Valley of Slaughter. 5. The Valley of the Son of Hinnom. (Jer. xix. 6.)"

The conflict is compared by both to a Winepress, and to a Harvest.

The words of Joel* are, Proclaim ye this among among the Gentiles, (that is, the enemies of Christ,) Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up; beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

That is, let Earth rebel against Heaven.

Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves round about.

Then the Prophet turns to the armies of God; Thither cause Thy mighty ones to come up, O Lord.

Then God Himself speaks;

Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge

the heathen.

Then He sends forth His own Angel-armies to the conflict, as to a day of Harvest or Vintage.

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, and the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

Multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near, in the Valley of de

cision.

Such is the prophecy of Joel: now let us hear St. John f.

* Joel iii. 9, 10.

Rev. xiv. 14-20.

I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the Harvest of the earth is ripe.

And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over the fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the Winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

Such is the language of St. John.

It may now be inquired, Why is the scene of this conflict called a Valley by the prophet Joel, and a Mountain by St. John?

It is called a Valley in one place, and Mountain in another, for the same reason as the Conflict itself is called a Vintage, and a Harvest, that is, in order

that we should not imagine that these prophecies are to be understood literally.

The Valley of Jehoshaphat, and the Mount of Megiddo, or Armageddon, are not to be regarded as any one place on earth; nor do they represent any one event; but a general, open rising of the enemies of God *; a marshalling together of some Rulers and Nations against the Lord and against His Anointed; a marching forth of some earthly Powers under the proud banners of Infidelity; an open league of the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet; that is, an unholy union of Christian psalms with shouts of blasphemy, a profane junction of sacraments with sacrilege, and of the Cross of Christ with the symbols of Antichrist.

This gathering together is said to be to a Mountain; for they who thus associate themselves are swollen with pride, and elated with confidence; and they rise up against the Mountain of the Lord's House +, the Church of God, the Holy Hill of Zion, upon which CHRIST is set as a King §.

But this their Mountain will sink into a Valley

* Primasius ad loc. Non quod ex toto orbe in unum locum colligunt, sed quod unamquamque gentem in loco habitationis. suæ volunt militare.-Bede ad loc. Non ex toto orbe in locum unum congregati sunt, sed suo quæque gens in loco sanctos impugnant.-Haymo ad loc. Nunquid ad unum locum venturi sunt? Non; sed in unum consensum. Hæc est novissima persecutio, quando Diabolus et membra ejus aperte pugnabunt contra Ecclesiam.

+ Psalm ii. 2.

Isaiah ii. 2. Micah iv. 1. § Psalm ii. 6.

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