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each number is equivalent to a series, not of years of 360 days each, but of natural solar years.

apocalyptic months, not as 4 months, but as 5 months; the apocalyptic 3 days, not as 24 days, but as 34 days; the 31 times, not as 21 times, but as 31 times; and the 42 months, not as 41 months, but as 42 months. I presume also, were he interpreting the prophecy of the 70 weeks, he would estimate the period, not as 69 weeks, but as full 70 weeks.

With such difficulties and such inconsistencies, I may be allowed to wonder, how Mr. Cuninghame could ever seriously adopt his theory of computing the single period of 1260 days by current time.

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CHAPTER III.

RESPECTING THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND CHARACTERS COMPREHENDED WITHIN THE GREAT PERIOD OF SEVEN PROPHETIC TIMES, AND ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE LATTER HALF OF THAT PERIOD OR THE THREE TIMES AND A HALF MENTIONED BY DANIEL AND ST. JOHN.

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THE celebrated, though imperfect, period, of three prophetic times and a half or 1260 natural years, is allotted by Daniel and St. John to the tyranny of a very extraordinary Power; which is described, as wearing out the saints of the Most High, and as influencing in a wonderful manner the actions of the fourth great secular Empire.

But three times and a half is a broken or imperfect number: and, since the period thus defined is clearly represented as commencing long after the downfall of the three first Empires and long after the rise of the fourth Empire, it does not singly contain THE SACRED CALENDAR OF PROPHECY; because it does not singly comprehend those TIMES OF THE GENTILES, which are the times of all the four great Empires. Hence it is only a partial and imperfect chronological measure. Would we, therefore, obtain a general and perfect chronological measure, we must call to our aid a much larger

term of years than that which is contained in three prophetic times and a half.

That the four great kingdoms, which form the subject of Nebuchadnezzar's vision of the image and of Daniel's vision of the four beasts, are those four great kingdoms which are equally employed as the basis of Ptolemy's Astronomical Canon; namely, the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Macedonian, and the Roman: is a matter so clear and self-evident, that it is well denominated by Mr. Mede the A B C of prophecy'. Nor is it less manifest, as the same able writer observes, that THE SACRED CALENDAR AND GREAT ALMANACK OF PROPHECY is a prophetic chronology of times measured by the succession of Daniel's four principal kingdoms. Such being the case, the length of THE SACRED CALENDAR is the duration of those four kingdoms under their scriptural aspect: or, in other words, the length of THE CALENDAR is the duration of the allegorical life of the great human image reckoned from the parturitive commencement (if I may so speak) of the golden head; for the chronological measure of the image is the chronological measure of those TIMES OF THE GENTILES, which expire with the deliverance of Jerusalem and with the restoration of God's ancient people".

' Mede's Works book iv. epist. 8. p. 743.

2 Mede's Works book iii. Apost. of latter times, chap. 12. p. 654.

3 Luke xxi. 24.

But the golden head is declared to be the individual Nebuchadnezzar himself 1. Therefore THE GREAT ALMANACK OF PROPHECY commences at the birth of that prince. The precise year of his nativity history does not enable us to determine: but, as the epoch of his reign and his victories is perfectly well known, we may be morally sure, from our certain knowledge of this epoch, that he must have been born in the course of the ten years which elapsed between the years 658 and 646 before the Christian era. Hence it will follow, that THE GREAT ALMANACK OF PROPHECY Commences at some point between those two years.

What then, we may ask, is the complete length

of THE SACRED PROPHETIC CALENDAR ?

Since the three times and a half, allotted to an extraordinary tyranny which is exercised over the saints of the Most High, is evidently the latter portion of THE SACRED CALENDAR; because the calendar comprehends the duration of the four great Empires reckoned from the birth of Nebuchadnezzar, and because the last of the four Empires is destroyed at the end of the three times and a half: it is plain, that the three times and a half of special tyranny and the sacred calendar of prophecy terminate synchronically. But the three times and a half, which thus constitute the latter portion of the sacred calendar, are evidently a

'Dan. ii. 38. See below book iii. chap. 1. § I. 1. (1.) 2 See below book iii. chap. 1. § I. 1. (1.)

broken or imperfect number, the moiety (as it may reasonably be presumed) of an unbroken or perfect number. If then the three times and a half of tyranny are to be considered, not as an insulated or independent number, but as the designed moiety of a larger period which comprehends the perfect number of seven times we are instantaneously and almost irresistibly led to conclude, that this perfect number of seven times is the measure of THE GREAT ALMANACK OF PROPHECY. For, since three times and a half constitute the latter portion of the great almanack, and since three times and a half are the moiety of seven times; we can scarcely avoid concluding, that the other moiety of the seven times or another broken period of three times and a half constitutes the former portion of the great almanack.

That such is actually the case, we shall hereafter see reason to believe: meanwhile, the use at present to be made of this important chronological arrangement is abundantly manifest.

Since the great almanack of prophecy, which commences with the nativity of Nebuchadnezzar the golden head of the image, must therefore commence at some point between the years 658 and 646 before the Christian era; and since that great almanack comprehends the large term of seven times, divided into two smaller terms of three times and a half respectively it will follow, that the chronological bisection of the seven times, which are the entire length of the great almanack, will fall upon some

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