CONCLUSION.

We have shown that seventy symbolic weeks may have seven, a priori, senses, legitimately, viz: 70×54= 360; and 70×6=420; 70×74-430; 70×7=490; 70×6=480; 70×7%, and 70×48=411%. We have also shown that these may be considered abbreviated weeks, to which rest time may be added. We have, also, shown that upon reduction to solar time, the 70 weeks may equal 483 years and 250 days; 522 years and 326 days; 564 years and 109 days; and 603 years and 129 days. We now, then, inquire, do any of these results coincide with the fulfillment of the 70 weeks. As we know certainly that these weeks are fulfilled, and also the dates when they were realized, we will date them at one of these points, say at the crucifixion, and return into the past and see where they carry us. 564 years and 109 days, dated at the crucifixion, March 25th, A. D. 29, carries us back to the 6th of December, B. C. 537, right to the very week when Israel left Babylon by virtue of the Cyrus decree. Let us date the 603 years and 129 days at this point, and return, and we are brought to the 21st of Nisan, A. D. 68, and to the very day on which the desolator encamped at Jerusalem. Again, dating the 483 years 250 days at the crucifixion, and returning we are carried to 456, B. C., and the month of July, when Ezra, by virtue of the decree of Longimanus, began the restoration of the Mosaic ritual; and, dating the 522 years and 326 days in the month of July, 456, B. C., we are brought forward to A. D. 68, and to the month Sivan or June, when the great mount was built which brought the ruin of Jerusalem. Here, then, the fulfillment of the 70 weeks actually coincides with FOUR of our, a priori, expositions, and gives a quadruple sanction to the legitimacy of our expositions, and thus determines our accuracy infallibly. Nothing of this kind has hitherto been presented to the world, and we, therefore, may claim the discovery without any immodesty or injustice to others.

Observe, now, that our labor has not been to prove that the seventy weeks are fulfilled; this is an admitted fact; our object has been to ascertain from this fact, the mode of explaining the weeks, a priori, so that we might see how they coincided with fulfillment. We showed, upon self-evident principles, that any legitimate, a priori, expositions with which the actual solar lengths of the weeks would coincide, must be counted those which the prophecy was intended to fulfill; we showed that our expositions were as legitimate, a priori, as any others; and as God's own fulfillment endorses them, who will deny their validity? Who can show the illegitimacy of our interpretations? We challenge the world to the labor. We have not proved, a priori, that our expositions are those intended, by God, to explain the prediction; such a thing can be done by no mortal; we have shown the need of a new theory to explain the text, and the theory presented, a priori, perhaps as doubtful as any other, is yet changed to demonstration by the, a posteriori, proof of a divine realization. In the very same way, that every obscure prophecy is shown to be fulfilled, so our exposition explains the realization of the weeks. But again let it be emphasized with power, that our showing is not merely strong with the strength of a single overwhelming coincidence, nor only doubly strong to convict the mind of its veracity; its truth rushes upon us like the four winds of heaven, and besets with the might of a whirlwind; it sheds its light, not from one lone star of durable fire, but, with the quadruple splendor of the sun, it expels all darkness, and obscures only with its excess of brightness. It is as profound as mathematics, and as conclusive as geometry; requiring sense to comprehend it; only "the wise shall understand." From the demonstration here given, we possess, henceforth, four, a priori, expositions, as a key to the days, months, and times of Daniel and John.

We showed, 1. That all prophecy relating to the period from the desolation of Judea to the present age, was not to be understood "till the time of the end.” ́ 2. That

the last prophecy of Daniel is a key to this general mystery. 3. That the chronologic days and times are a key to this vision. 4. That these days and times are to be understood by the wise only, and in such an age as ours. 5. That scripture allows a day to symbolize a year, but does not specify what kind of a year is to be understood. 6. That its exact and intended meaning can be known only by a realization of some one of the meanings which may be legitimately attributed to the term day. 7. That any meaning is legitimate which is not opposed to the context, nor to the nature of things, prior to fulfillment. 8. The only prophecy, containing symbolic chronology, which, being fulfilled, enables us, thereby, to determine the exact solar time symbolized by prophetic days, is that of the "seventy weeks." 9. The seventy weeks may be legitimately esteemed as "abbreviated or cut short weeks," expressing only labor time, to which proportional Hebrew rest time may be added, to obtain the full time they represent. 10. The time, thus obtained, may be considered as symbolic of Hebrew years of years of 364 or 366 parts each, and these may or may not be reduced to solar time; or the time obtained by these additions may be considered as true solar time, and not symbolic. 11. That we obtained by either of these modes of computation, 483 years and 250 days; 522 years and 326 days; 564 years and 109 days; and 603 years and 129 days, as legitimate meanings of the 70 weeks. 12. That the 70 weeks were fulfilled in four ways, and in four lengths, exactly coinciding with these legitimate, a priori, expositions, thus demonstrating that they were the exact lengths of the 70 weeks, or 490 days, intended to be taught by inspiration. The conclusion is, therefore, that knowing the mode in which God has, by fulfillment, explained the length of symbolic weeks and days, we have a key to the days and years of Daniel's last vision, and also of that entire vision, and of all its collaterals, whether delivered by Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel or St. John. If there is no mistake in the whole argument, and we think no serious one can be found, then

our interpretations are of the utmost utility to our country. To all commercial, agricultural, manufacturing, legisla tive, mechanical and Christian interests, they are of incalculable importance, and especially to warn our country against that great war of Armageddon, or "battle of the great day of God Almighty," which is so near us. We now apply our principles to certain dark historical features of the Bible, and finding in their explanation a confirmation of our theory, we proceed to explain all the symbolic chronology of Daniel and Revelation.

SECTION VIII.

FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY AND FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS.

Paragraph I.

FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS.

Moses and Paul say it was 430 years from the covenant with Abraham to the law, or exodus. But if we look back to the detailed account of this same period, we see that it was much longer than 430 years. For God assured Abrain, at the making of the covenant, that his seed should be in bondage, in a strange land, for 400 years. Now, Jacob was 130 years old at the descent into the land of bondage, and Isaac was 60 years old at Jacob's birth. Now, these together, make 590 years. But the covenant was several years earlier than this, as it was just before the birth of Ishmael, (see Gen. 15th ch.); and Ishmael was 13 years old at the birth of Isaac.

As these years are given in round numbers, there is, doubtless, a little excess over the true solar time, for it was customary with the ancients to call a part of a year

a whole year. So, that Jacob's being born when Isaac was sixty, might be when he was in his sixtieth year. The whole amount can not rationally exceed 604 solar years, and was, doubtless, somewhere between 603 and 604 years. Now, we have seen, that 430 years is one form of the 70 weeks, and that 70 weeks were just equal to 603 years and 129 days. The 430 years, and the detailed chronology of the same period, are thus reconciled by our mode of exposition, and can not be satisfactorily explained in any other.

Paragraph II.

FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY YEARS.

In I. Kings vi., it is stated that the foundation of Solomon's temple was laid in the 480th year after the exodus from Egypt, and in Solomon's fourth year. Josephus says, the period was 592 years long, but his detailed accounts vary a little from this aggregate. St. Paul says, the judges continued for 450 years; and after them David and Saul reigned, each 40 years, and Solomon 3, to the time of the foundation. These together, make 533 years, to which must be added the 40 years in the wilderness, making 5733; to this must be added the days of Joshua and Samuel; these are reckoned, by some, to amount to 30 years; so that all taken together, will amount to 603 years.

Now, we have seen that 480 years was one form of the 70 weeks, which we know to equal 603 years. These explanations of these two periods are confirmatory of the correctness of our principles of interpretation. We could proceed, also, to show that all the great eras of the Hebrews are measured by some form of the lengths of the seventy weeks or Sabbatic weeks of years.