CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX. A.D. | James, the brother of our Lord, and abides with them fifteen days. Here he disputes boldly with the Grecians (or those 38 Jews who used the Greek tongue), many of whom consult how they might kill him. The brethren finding this, forward him to his own country, Tarsus; from whence he travels into Syria and Silesia. 41 43 41 45 46 Peter visits the churches of Judea, Galilee, Samaria, &c. At Lydda, he cureth Eneas of the palsy; and, at Joppa, raises Tabitha to life. At Cesarea, Cornelius, a Roman centurion, is directed by an angel to Peter, now at Joppa, who had been prepared for his invitation; and going to his house, preaches to a great company there assembled, upon whom the Holy Ghost descending, Peter immediately baptizeth them. On his return to Jerusalem, Peter is accused by those of the circumcision, for conversing with the Gentiles; but on declaring to them the vision he had seen, and how God had been pleased to bless his preaching to Cornelius and his company, they glorified God for granting repentance and salvation unto the Gentiles. The believers who, after the martyrdom of Stephen, were dispersed through Phenice and Cyprus, come now to Antioch, and preach the gospel to the Greeks there, having hitherto preached only to the Jews. The church at Jerusa lem hearing this, send Barnabas, who calling for Saul at Tarsus, takes him with him to Antioch, where they continue a year; multitudes are converted to the Christian faith, the professors of which are here first called Christians. Herod Agrippa beheads James, the brother of John, and imprisons Peter; but the latter is delivered by an angel. This same Herod, not long after, addressing an oration to the people of Cesarea, some of them cry out, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man ;" upon which an angel of the Lord instantly smites him, and he is eaten of worms, and dies miserably. Barnabas and Saul sent forth to preach the gospel in Se- Paul preaches at Antioch; the Gentiles believe, but the Acts ix. 32-43. Acts 1. Acts xi. 1-18. 19-30. Acts xii. Acts xiii. 1-13. 14-52. 1-18. At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas are persecuted, and, to Acts xiv. avoid stoning, fly to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, where the ignorant heathen, seeing a miracle which Paul wrought, took him and his companion for Jupiter and Mercury, and were with difficulty restrained from sacrificing to them. 19-28. Soon after, however, some wicked Jews from Antioch and Iconium, excite the multitude against them, and Paul is 2Cor.xi.25. actually stoned by them, and carried out of the city as CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX. A.D. dead; his friends, however, gathering round him, he recovers, and departs the next day with Barnabas to Derbe, and thence to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, &c. 52 53 54 55 56 Certain Judaizing Christians come from Judea to An tioch, and teach that the Gentiles ought to be circumcised, and observe the law of Moses: these Paul and Barnabas oppose, and a council being held by the apostles and others at Jerusalem, to determine this controversy, the decrees of the Synod are sent to the churches. Paul and Barnabas intending to visit the churches, differ as to the choice of their companion, in consequence of which they separate; Barnabas and Mark, therefore, go to Cyprus, and Paul and Silas into Syria and Silicia. Paul coming to Derbe, there finds Timothy, whom he causes to be circumcised, and takes with him. He is, by a vision, admonished to go into Macedonia; when coming to Philippi, a chief city of that province, he converts Lydia and her family; but casting out of a certain female slave, in that city, a spirit of divination, her master brings Paul and Silas before the magistrates, who cause them to be imprisoned. At midnight, however, they are released by miracle; the Jailer is converted and baptized, with his whole family. Next day, the magistrates hearing of these extraor dinary events, request Paul and Silas peaceably to depart the city, to which, accordingly, they agree. Acts xv. 1-35. 36-41. Acts xvi. 1, &c. 9-40. 1-15. From Philippi, Paul takes his journey to Thessalonica, Acts xvii. where he preaches three Sabbaths successively in a Jewish synagogue, with some success, but is persecuted by Jason and his rabble. Leaving Thessalonica, he comes to Berea, where his hearers are commended for searching the Scriptures. Soon after, he arrives at Athens, and preaches to them that UNKNOWN GOD whom they ignorantly worshipped. After disputing with the philosophers, and converting Dionysius the Areopagite, he passes on to Corinth. At Corinth, Paul meets with Aquila and Priscilla, who had been banished from Rome by a decree of Claudius; also with one Justus, whose house adjoined the synagogue. He continues with them about a year and a half. In the latter part of this year, Nero succeeds to Claudius as Emperor of Rome. Lardner. Paul being accused by the Jews, is brought before Gallio, Pro-consul of Achaia, who refuseth to be judge in a controversy about religion, and drives them from his judgment seat in apparent rage. Paul departs from Corinth, and passeth to Ephesus; thence he sets out for Jerusalem, that he may attend the feast. Landing at Cesarea, goes down to Antioch, and comes into the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, confirming the disciples in all those places. The character and success of the eloquent Apollos. 16-34. Acts xviii. 1-11. 12-17. 18-23. 24-28. CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX. Paul returns to Ephesus, according to his promise, and some of John's disciples are baptized in the name of Jesus ; afterwards Paul disputes daily in the school of one Tyrannus, and continues preaching there, and in the neighbouring parts, for some time. At Ephesus, one Demetrius, a maker of silver shrines for Diana, jealous of his gain, raises a tumult against Paul, which is judiciously appeased by the town-clerk, advising them to "do nothing rashly." Acts xix. 1-22. 23-41. Acts xx. Paul leaving Ephesus, comes into Macedonia, and gathers a contribution for the relief of the poor saints, which he throughout. meant to carry with him to Jerusalem; but, hearing that the Jews laid wait for him, changes his purpose, and returns unto Macedonia by the way he came. From Miletus he sends for the elders of Ephesus, and delivers to them a very solemn charge. Paul persists in his design of visiting Jerusalem, notwithstanding all the persuasions of his Christian friends; declaring his perfect readiness to become a martyr for the cause of Christ. He goes, therefore, and the Jews raise a tumult against him, and would have torn him in pieces, but for the captain of the Roman guard, who rescues him, and, as a Roman, allows him the privilege of self-defence. Acts xxi. 1-14. 15-40. Acts xxii. Paul addresses his countrymen in the Hebrew language, and gives an account of his former manner of life, and his conversion. Next, "the chief priests and council being summoned," Acts xxiii. Paul pleads his cause before them, which occasions a dissension among the Jewish sects, and a plot is laid to kill him. The chief captain understanding this, sends him under guard by night to Felix, the governor at Cesarea. Five days after, Ananias and the Jews come to accuse Paul before Felix; and Tertullus, the orator, pleads against him. He is detained in prison till Felix, about two years afterwards, is succeeded by Festus, when he leaves Paul still in prison, to please the Jews. On the arrival of Festus, the Jews come again to Cesarea, and accuse Paul before Festus. Paul defends himself, and appeals to Cesar-at that time Nero. 1-16. 17-35. Acts xxiv. King Agrippa coming to visit Festus at Cesarea, Paul Acts xxvi. again defends himself before Agrippa, who is " almost persuaded to be a Christian." Paul, however, having appealed to Cesar, is sent to Acts xxvii. Rome; but, by the way, he suffers shipwreck, and the vessel is dashed to pieces, but Paul and all the crew are saved. 1-16. The island on which they are cast proves to be Melita, or Acts xxviii. Malta, where Paul and his companions experience great kindness during the three months of their continuance; and from thence, in another vessel, they sail toward Rome, and there safe arrive. CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX. 17-31. A.D. At Rome, Paul is suffered to dwell, under the care of a | Acts xxviii. soldier, in his own hired house, where he freely and effec63 to tually preached, both to Jews and Gentiles. 65 67 70 96 We have here omitted the date of St. Paul's Epistles, as given in our Bible Index, and at the end of each Epistle, because Dr. Paley, in his Hore Pauline, has shown many of them to be false, and others doubtful; and because we have given, in our Introduction to St. Paul's Epistles (p.469), a table of the dates, &c. as collected by Mr. Horne, from the best authorities, in his Critical Introduction, &c. See also our Exposition of the last verses of the Book of Acts. Here ends the Book of the Acts, which is the last historical book of the New Testament. Both St. Peter and Paul are confidently said to have suffered martyrdom in the latter end of Nero's reign, who died in A.D. 68. See our Expos. of 2 Tim. iv. The dates of the Epistles of James, Peter, and John, we have noticed also in our Introduction to the Catholic Epistles, p. 730. The dates of the gospels have been considered in the Întroduction to each. It is probable they were all written between A.D. 60 and 65, except that of John, which some place even after the book of Revelation. This year Jerusalem (according to Christ's prophecy) is besieged, taken, sacked, and burnt by Titus, when 1,100,000 Jews miserably perished, and 97,000 were taken prisoners, besides an innumerable multitude that, in other parts of Judea, either killed themselves, or perished through famine, banishment, and other miseries. Of the apostle John we have little or nothing recorded after the conversion of St. Paul, except in his own Epistles and the Book of the Revelation. Our authorities for dating this book in A.D. 96, will be seen in our Introduction to it, p. 784, 5. ANALYSIS OF THE APOCALYPSE, OR REVELATION. To complete the series of divine providences, we subjoin an Analysis of this last Book of the sacred Canon, whose predictions bring us to the end of time, and of the world. The three first chapters (after a short introduction) contain distinct Epistles to the seven apostolic churches of Asia. The fourth and fifth contain introductory visions of the throne of God, and of the book sealed with seven seals. The inspired author then proceeds to the opening of the seven seals distinctly; the first, beginning from the extraor34 dinary effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and extending through the apostolic age. The three next (viz. 2, 3, 4) allude to the dreadful wars and contests between the Jews and Romans, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the direful effects of famine, pestilence, and captivity, which followed, in the second and third centuries. 70 270 304 to 323 The opening of the fifth seal, represents the awful scenes of Pagan persecution, under which the souls of the martyrs were now groaning, till the time of Constantine. The sixth seal evidently describes the fall of Paganism, with the end of the dragon's persecutions under that form, and the legal establishment of Christianity. The seventh seal produces a solemn pause, and a short interval of peace, after which seven angels with trumpets are brought forward. Eusebius His. Eccles. 1. ii. c. 24. Mat. xxiv. 1-28. Acts ix. 1, &c. Rev. vi. 1-8. 12-17. Rev. vii. CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX. A.D. The first four trumpets predict the invasion of the several barbarous nations which finally brought on the fall of the 337 Roman empire about the middle of the sixth century. to The fifth trumpet introduces the Saracen invaders, like 356 locusts from the bottomless pit; and the sixth trumpet brings 612 in the Turkish armies from the banks of the Euphrates. to 912 From The seventh announces the approach of the millennium, and introduces the prophecies of the little book. Seven visions are introduced previously to pouring out the vials. 1. The measuring of the temple, leaving the outer court 34 to unmeasured, to imply the corruptions already crept into 1940 the church. 2. The two witnesses prophecy, in sack-cloth, 1600 to 1260 days or years. 3. The true church persecuted, and Rev. ix. 1-12. 13-21. Rev. x. Rev. xi. 1, 2, 3-18. Rev. xii. 1-5. 7-12. 13-17. Rev. xiii. 1-10. 11-18. The Lamb and his company on Mount Sion. An angel Rev. xiv. announces the universal spread of the gospel, another the fall of Babylon, a third the vintage of God's wrath, and a fourth the harvest of his justice. Seven angels appear in the temple with the seven vials, ready to pour them out; and the song is heard in heaven of Moses and the Lamb. The vials are poured out; and the effects of the three first extend, according to Mr. Lowman, from the 9th-but, 1900 according to Mr. Morell, from the 16th-to the end of the 18th century. 1960 2000 The four last vials are reckoned from the beginning of the 19th to the middle of the 20th century. The fall of Babylon, with which that of Mahometanism is expected to be contemporary. The lamentation of her friends.-The triumph of the church, with the destruction of the Papal beasts. Rev. IV. Rev, xvi. 1-5. 6-21. Rev. xvii. Rev. xviii. Rev. xix. Satan bound for a thousand years, which produces the Millennium; or a long period of knowledge, moral purity, Rev. II. 3000 piety, zeal, and happiness. to After this, Satan makes one more (his final) effort for the mastery, with the immense armies of Gog and Magog; but is defeated finally, and cast into the abyss of hell, for ever. The present earth and heavens being destroyed by fire, a new heaven and earth are created, wherein dwell righteousness, and peace, and happiness, for ever. Conclusion of the book, and of the sacred Canon. Rev. xxi. Rev. xxii, 1-5. 6-21. |