beginning and termination, owing to the gradual progress of the events concerned. This is the case with Jeremiah's 70 years of the Babylonish captivity, Judea having been gradually desolated and gradually re-peopled and restored. It was 70 years from Nebuchadnezzar's carrying away Daniel and other captives, with many of the sacred vessels, in the year 606 B.C. to the decree of Cyrus in 536 B.C., granting liberty to the Jews to rebuild the Temple. It was 70 years from the carrying away of Ezekiel and a great number of captives in 598 B.C., to a marked period during Ezra's building of the new sanctuary. It was also about 70 years from the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 588 B.C., and from the final carrying off of the scattered remnant of the Jews in 584 B.C., to the finishing and dedication of the Temple. Thus the whole term of captivity from first to last was about 90 years. Hence Daniel might know from Jeremiah's prophecy that the 70 years were well-nigh run out; but, unless by special inspiration, he could not have determined the precise year of their ending. Because it was nowhere stated which particular step more than another in the fall and desolation of the kingdom of Judah, the 70 years were to be counted from; the event alone showing how the predicted period coincided with the interval between the actual facts. In the same way it is quite likely that the famous 1260 years, commonly understood as the foretold term of duration of the Papacy, may extend between several dates of commencement and as many endings; especially as that power arose by gradual growth, and is declining in successive stages of ruin-the final blow alone being able to certify us as to the last out of several dates at which the cycle may have begun.

Now take the prophecy of the "seventy weeks," one verse of which has been already quoted.

"Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command

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ment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore 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.”—Daniel ix. 25-27. Apart from the obscurity of much of this passage, there is a studied ambiguity in the statement of the time when the weeks should commence. For there were four "commandments" or decrees for the restoration of Jerusalem; and it is not said which is intended. The whole period of 70 weeks is subdivided into three intervals

-7 weeks, or (as previously elucidated) 49 years; 62 weeks, or 434 years; and 1 week, or 7 years; the Messiah being predicted to be "cut off" after the 7 weeks and the 62 weeks have passed-that is, in 483 years' time from the beginning of the cycle. Had the event come to pass 69 weeks, or 483 years, from the date of any one of the four decrees, the prophecy would have been fulfilled; and until the time itself drew nigh, no uninspired interpreter could say which of the decrees formed the right starting-point for calculating the period.

The decree of Cyrus in 536 B.C., two years after the vision of Daniel, related to the rebuilding of the Temple-the first step toward the restoration. This might have been supposed to be the decree intended. But though the earliest, and permitting all the Jews, it called upon only some

Darius

among them to begin the work. Hystaspes, in 519 B.C., issued a decree concerning the same erection of the Temple, confirmatory of the aforesaid decree when it had become a dead letter. The decree of the 7th year of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. promoted the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, the restoration of their government, the re-establishment of the temple worship, and the "beautifying of the house of the Lord." It gave permission for "all the people of Israel" to go up to Jerusalem, and under it the real return from the captivity was effected. The last decree of the 20th year of the same king, in 445 B.C., authorized and assisted Nehemiah in his work of constructing the wall of Jerusalem and certain buildings in the city. If we insist upon the strict signification of the prophet's words, "to build again Jerusalem," would the earliest decree, for the erection of the Temple, or the last, for the construction of the wall, be the more natural startingpoint? Scripture commentators reckon the 70 weeks variously from more than one of the decrees, down to several events connected with Christ's appearance in the world; but probably the best interpretation is that beginning, not with either of the decrees relative to the actual work of building, but with the decree of the 7th year of Artaxerxes, which was the most effectual of the four in promoting the restoration of the Jews in their city. The 7 weeks, or 49 years, comprise the time of rebuilding the "street" and "wall" in "troublous times," alluded to in the 25th verse, down to the date of Nehemiah's latest reforms before returning to the Persian court—that is, 457 B.C. to 408 B.C. The 62 weeks, or 434 years more, or 483

(s) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand :) then let them which be in Judæa flee into the mountains.Matthew xxiv. 15, 16.

years altogether, come down to the time when John the Baptist first proclaimed that Christ was come, the remaining 1 week, or 7 years, reaching to the crucifixion, when "Messiah was cut off, but not for himself," A.D. 33. The date of this event is erroneously given in some Biblical notes as A.D. 29, on the supposition that the Saviour's age was then 33, though it is certain that He was 3 years old when the Anno Domini began.

From the history of this famous prophecy, (as from that of Jeremiah's predicted 70 years of captivity,) it is plain that, no matter how circumstantial and detailed the terms of an unfulfilled cycle may be, we may probably have to wait the arrival of the accomplishment before the intended commencing date can be fixed upon with absolute certainty. Meanwhile, should there be several possible commencements, while the full cycle has already elapsed since some of them without bringing the expected issue, it may be easy. to assign one or two future dates as the sole remaining alternatives certain to be the end. Let this be borne in mind when we come to consider the 1260 years of the Papacy.

We must add a word in elucidation of the 27th verse, which is most probably a continuation of the predicted destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem by the Romans in the 26th verse. Instead of "for the overspreading of abominations he shall make desolate, we may render "upon the battlements shall be the idol of desolation," or, 66 a causer of desolation on the pinnacle of abominations." One Hebrew MS. says, "And in the temple there shall

be abomination." This may be the passage referred to by Christ when predicting the destruction of the city ;(s) though He quoted

But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judæa flee to the mountains.-Mark xiii. 14.

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with

the somewhat different phraseology of chapter xi., verse 31; (') thereby pointed out as being another prophecy of the same event. Commentators duly explain the allusion to the image standards of the Roman legions being placed upon the walls of the holy city or temple. The language of the 27th verse implies a lengthened period of havoc and desolation to follow the cessation of the daily sacrifices: which has been accomplished, first, in the events immediately subsequent to the taking of Jerusalem; and second, in the continued dispersion of the Jews ever since. It is not clear whether "the prince who shall come," (that is, the Roman emperor Vespasian, or the Roman power generally,) is declared to confirm this " covenant of appointed vengeance, for " one week" of 7 years; or

whether it is intended that the Messiah should confirm the covenant of promised salvation with "many," meaning the Jews, for 7 years after his death, before the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentileswhich was accomplished when Peter was commanded to preach to Cornelius. The

armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judæa flee to the mountains and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.Luke xxi. 20, 21.

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former interpretation agrees best with the continuity of the passage; the same pronoun in the latter clause of the verse being evidently put for the Romans. In "the midst of the week," or "in half a week,”that is, 3 years-the sacrifice and oblation were made to cease; exactly this interval having passed from Vespasian's march into Judea to the demolition of the Temple by Titus in A.D. 70.

We have now shown our reasons for adopting what is called "the year-day theory," or the understanding of prophetic days, as solar or civil years; how its application should be governed by the general design and circumstances of passages in which numerical days or their equivalents may occur; how the fulfilment of some predicted periods has established data helping to a solution of others yet remaining to be accomplished; and why we are prepared for considerable latitude of interpretation in investigating the dates of commencement and future termination of current cycles of prophecy.

(t) And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.-Daniel xi. 31.

"AND in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards of great honour: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if will not make known unto ye me the dream, there is but one decree for you for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time

be changed therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions : that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed Then Arioch brought the God of heaven.

in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known

unto the king the interpretation. The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter : and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.”—Daniel ii. 1—13, 16—19, 25-30.

Daniel was little more than twenty years old when, in answer to his prayer, he was enabled thus to recover the lost dream of the great Chaldean, interpret its symbolic meaning, and narrate the future history which it revealed. And God, "the revealer of secrets," he declares, had favoured the king with the vision that he might know what should " come to pass in the latter days."

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thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold."

Daniel ii. 31-38.

It appears from ancient coins and medals, that cities and peoples were often represented by the figures of men and women. Florus, in his history, depicts the Roman empire under the form of a human being in its different states, from infancy to old age; and this terrible image, beheld by Nebuchadnezzar, in a similar manner, represents the history of a certain territory. Daniel, by Divine inspiration, informs us that the golden head typifies the power of the Babylonian monarch, or of his empire, extending at that time over Chaldea, Assyria, Arabia, Syria, Egypt, and Libya ; and so celebrated for its riches, that Isaiah designated Babylon "the golden city;"(") while Jeremiah likened it to "a golden cup."(")

"And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third

that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.Jeremiah li. 7.