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النشر الإلكتروني

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to be characterized, according to the text, by the cessation of the scattering of the power of the holy people. Now, as the holy people are coincident with the Christain people, it follows, that as soon as their power began to spring up and extend, that then the time was come. And as the United States, at its rise, was the beginning of the cessation of the scattering of Christians and their power, by monarchy, it is evident that this may be counted the time of the end of the oppressors of the liberty of Christians. "The time of the end" does not refer to the spiritual end of the world, because the Millennial era was immediately to follow it; and it plainly coincides with the seventh trumpet era of the Apocalypse. 3. This era was to be remarkable for the unveiling of the mystery of prophecy. This great predicted discovery we think we have made; and shall proceed to prove our discovery, by fair and logical testimony. We do not profess to have been inducted into the mystery by any miraculous agency, yet, as the subject has been matter of more than daily prayer and most laborious study, during a period of more than twenty years, we may, without enthusiasm, be supposed to have derived some aid from that Wise One who giveth wisdom to those who diligently seek his counsel. That our mode of exposition should differ from all other expositors is to be expected, if we are correct; for they must be essentially wrong, if they follow the ancient and now prevalent modes of interpretation. That our conclusions. should be different from all received opinions would follow, necessarily, if we are correct; because these opinions are those which have prevailed for a thousand or more years, and are but the revised opinions of the ancient fathers; and they must be wrong, from the declaration of God, that no correct view of the period in question,

should be held until the latest periods in the history of his people's adversity.

According to the principles of inductive philosophy, we must ascertain unknown truths from those which are well known; and upon this principle we shall proceed to ascertain the true solar lengths of those periods termed days, weeks, months, and times. As days, weeks, months, and years, are resolvable into each other, it follows that if we are able to discover the solar length of a symbolic week, that we can from that ascertain the solar length of a symbolic day, month, and year. This position will be admitted readily, because it can not be denied. Now, there is one period of symbolic time in scripture, whose solar length can be distinctly known, and that is the famous "seventy weeks." These, according to prophecy, were to extend from the decree for the restoration of Israel to the death of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem. Now, as these two eras were respectively 603 years and some days, and 564 years and some days long, it follows that all other periods of this kind must be proportionally long. It also follows that 70 weeks, divided into these two periods of years, will give us the length of a prophetic week. Thus far, we can see the amount of time a single symbolic week contains. As, however, this does not show the mode by which a week is found to coincide with its value, as ascertained by fulfillment, we must search for it until we find it. It is certainly to be found, for the fulfillment has always decided that fact, by deciding the length of the 70 weeks. To ascertain this mode, we must turn most diligently to all the facts connected with Hebrew weeks and years, and modes of expression and customs.

CHAPTER I.

INTERPRETATION OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS.

We shall now quote the famous prophecy of these weeks, and then proceed to interpret it. "Understand the matter and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression and make an end of sins; to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness; to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and three score and two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war, desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”—Dan. ix.

The first thing stated in the prophecy, is, that seventy weeks were determined upon Daniel's people, and the holy city. That is, as every one can see, there were to

be seventy weeks to the Jews and to Jerusalem. In the subsequent part of the prophecy, the signification of this is shown to be the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the corrupt Israel. "To finish the transgression and make an end of sins," is also to the same purport, and is interpreted by the causing of the daily sin-offering to cease, and desolating of the sanctuary for its abominations. The second thing stated is, that the seventy weeks extend from the restoring decree to the time when reconciliation shall be made for iniquity, and everlasting righteousness brought in. This plainly refers to the atonement and salvation by the death and resurrection of Christ, and is explained by Messiah's being cut off, but not for himself.

The third thing stated, is the sealing up of the vision, and anointing of Christ. Isaiah says, "A vision sealed like a book, is one that is not understood." We understand here, the closing of the sacred canon, and the beginning of the mystic prophetic period. The anointing, we do not fully understand, in this connection.

The fourth thing stated is, that it shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks, to Messiah the Prince. This must refer, not to the birth of Christ, but to his entering upon his ministry, after the days of John's mission were ended. To this, the Saviour undoubtedly alluded, when he told his disciples to preach repentance, because the kingdom was at hand; and that the time was fulfilled; and that the son of man would be come, before they had gone over Israel.

We see, from these things, that the prophecy was to have a double ending; and that one end of the weeks was to be at the fall of Judea, and the other at the crucifixion. Its beginning is so clearly stated, as not to need repetition. We shall now ascertain precisely

when the decree of restoration was promulgated; and when the crucifixion took place, and, also, when Judea was overthrown.

SECTION I.

THE DECREE OF RESTORATION-THE CRUCIFIXION-THE FALL OF JUDEA.

History shows us that there were two principal decrees given for the restoration of the Jews; the first, and full decree, was by Cyrus; and the second was given to Ezra, by Artaxerxes Longimanus; by the first, Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt, and the country resettled; and by the second, the Jewish ritual was reformed. We will consider each in order.

Paragraph I.

THE DECREE OF CYRUS.

This was given in the last part of the year 537, before Christ. In the first year of Cyrus, according to Ezra, first chapter, and the last of 2d Chronicles, the decree for Judea's restoration was issued. Keep it in mind, that it was the first year of Cyrus. Now, by the combined aid of astronomy, scripture, and history, we shall show, that this first year synchronizes with 537, B. C. There was an eclipse of the sun on the 20th of September, A. U. C., 601, which had been foretold by Thales, the Milesian, and this was the 147th year of Nabonassar, and the 9th of Jehoiakim, king of Judah.-(Prid. Conn. vol. i.) Now, Daniel, in his first chapter, says that Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem, and besieged it; and the Lord gave Jehoiakim into his hands, in the third year of his reign. Subtracting, therefore, the 3d

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