ent state, also come at its termination. God has explained a "time" to be a period of 360 days, (Rev. xii. 6, 14.) In seven of those periods there are 2520 days, which, understood as years, for they cannot be understood literally,—and commencing B. C. 677, end A. D. 1843.

360

7

2520

677

1843

The proofs that the end will come at the end of this period are found Dan. xii. 1-7. Luke xxi. 24-27. See also remarks on the cleansing the sanctuary and last end of the indignation. Dan. viii.

TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED DAYS.

THE second of the prophetic periods, which are considered main pillars in Mr. M's calculations, is found Dan. viii. 14.

The objections on this period are, 1. "It is not to be understood as years. 2. And if it be so understood, the cleansing of the sanctuary is not the end of the world. 3. There is no evidence that it begins with the seventy weeks. 4. If it does begin with the seventy weeks, we do not know with which of the several decrees it begins."

1. Should the 2300 days of Dan. viii. 14, be understood as years?

The difference of opinion which exists upon this question appears to arise from the use of the words "evening-morning," which specify the portions of time enumerated, and which are translated days in the

text, (2300 evenings and mornings, it is contended, make only half that number of whole days;) and, from the supposition that the question, in answer to which they are given, refers only to some particular pollution of the sanctuary which might occupy but a small portion of the time comprehended in the whole vision. That the marginal and original reading, evening-morn ing, is the Hebrew expression of the natural day, is admitted by the most respectable Hebrew scholars. Professor Stuart, as a witness, will not be suspected.

"On the whole, then, we must consider these 2300 evening-mornings as an expression of simple time, i. e., of so many days, reckoned in the Hebrew manner. So Gesenius, Rosenmueller, Hävernick, and others."-Hints, p. 100.

On the other point, whether the question and answer refer to a part of the vision or the whole of it, there seems to be less room for dispute.

In determining the true application of any particular portion of prophecy, we should refer, 1st, To the views of standard writers on the prophecies; and, 2d, In a difficult case, we should make use of the following rule. It is quoted from Macknight, and may be found in Dr. Clarke's notes on 2 Thess. ii. We regard it as a complete" counterfeit detector," and have no doubt its value will be appreciated at the present time.

RULE." In every case where different interpretations of a prophecy have been given, the proper method of ascertaining its meaning is, to compare the various events to which it is thought to relate, with the words of the prophecy; and to adopt that as the event intended which most exactly agrees, in all its parts, with the prophetic description."

These criteria will commend themselves to every enlightened and candid mind.

The Jewish writers appear generally to have understood this and the other periods of Daniel as years.

"Rabbi Isaac Abarbanel proves that the days are to be interpreted as years, when shall be the days of our redemption, and so have explained them all our other interpreters.”—Political destiny of the earth,-Preface.

Bishop Newton, who may be considered a host of himself, and whose works on the prophecies have been considered equal to any other for nearly a hundred years, expresses himself on the point before us as follows:-"The days, without doubt, are to be taken, agreeably to the style of Daniel in other places, not for natural, but for prophetic days or years; and as the question was asked not only how long the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the transgression of desolation continue, but also how long the vision shall last, so the answer is to be understood, and these two thousand and three hundred days denote the whole time from the beginning of the vision to the cleansing of the sanctuary.-Newton on Proph., p. 259.

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Fletcher, the devout and eloquent vicar of Madeley, in a letter on the prophecies, dated 1775, says, Chronologists may mistake a few years, but cannot, err upon the whole, and as God is true and faithful, so it is manifest that the prophecy of 2300 years must be fully accomplished in our days, or those of the next generation." See also Dr. Clarke's notes on Dan.

viii. 26.

We might fill a volume of similar quotations from the best and most able men who have ever lived; but we pass to "the words of the prophecy."

The first thing attempted in the interpretation of this vision, is to show that it extends to "THE END," (v. 17,) the exact meaning of which is explained to be " THE LAST END OF THE INDIGNATION," (v. 19,)' and, that "the vision," and the time given in it, terminate together," AT THE TIME APPOINTED THE END SHALL BE. (v. 19.) All this was said by Gabriel before a word was said about the historical emblems of the vision-the ram, goat, &c.,-evidently implying that these points were the most important to be understood.

What, then, is " the time appointed?" It must be the time mentioned in "the vision;" for it was "the meaning" of "the vision" Daniel sought, (v. 15,)—it was the vision Gabriel was sent to "make" him "understand," (v. 16,) and it was the vision Gabriel

"came" to explain to him, (v. 17 ;) the time appointed, therefore, must be the time given in "the vision," or Daniel's prayer was answered with mocking, Gabriel forgot his commission, and directed his attention to something foreign from the matter to be attended to. No other time is given in the vision but the "2300 days," (v. 14,) and that this was specially designed to be communicated to Daniel is evident from this fact: when the question was asked, "How long the vision!" though it does not appear to have been proposed by Daniel, the answer is addressed to him," And he said unto me," &c.

This, then, is "the time appointed," at the end of which the vision" is to end," then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," "the last end of the indignation" come, and the power represented by the "little horn" "shall be broken without hand."

It is sufficient to settle the question whether this period is to be understood literally or not, to know that 2300 days, literally, will not cover the history of the power which continued for the shortest time of any one in the vision—the “king" represented by "the great horn” of “the goat”—Alexander.

If anything more were needed, the fact that all who have attempted to apply it literally, have failed to do so, many of them confessing it unequivocally, puts it forever to rest. It must, therefore, be understood symbolically, as equal to 2300 years.

2. If the period is understood to be years, does the cleansing of the sanctuary bring us to the end of the world?

What are we to understand by the "cleansing the sanctuary?" To understand" this correctly we must ascertain what is meant by "the sanctuary.' The word sanctuary is used by the inspired writers in the following significations. 1. It is the name of a particular part of the temple. Heb. ix. 2. 2. The different apartments of the temple. Jer. li. 51. 3.

The temple itself. 1 Chron. xxii. 19; xxviii. 10. 4. Places of worship generally, true or false. Amos vii. 9; Ezek. xxviii. 18; Dan. viii. 11. 5. Heaven

is called the sanctuary. Ps. cii. 19. 6. The prom

ised land. Ex. xv. 17; Ps. lxxviii. 54; Isa. lxiii. 18. 7. The tabernacle of God in the heavenly state. Ezek. xxxvii. 26, 28. These are the principal significations of the word sanctuary, in the word of God. According to which of these significations is the word to be understood in the text before us? I think the most obvious sense is that which points out the promised land; for it must be evident to every one that the sanctuary here spoken of must be capable of being "trodden under foot," and of being “cleansed," and, as I think we shall see, of being cleansed at the coming of Christ and the resurrection of the righteous dead. The text should also be understood in a sense that will harmonize with other cases in which the word is used by Daniel in particular, with the views of the other prophets, and the word of God generally.

The promised land, of which old Jerusalem was the metropolis, was given to Abraham, (Gen. xvii. 4—9,) and to his seed after him, FOR AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION, in a covenant established with Abraham, and to be established with his seed after him in their generations. And this seed are thus to possess it as a peculiar inheritance when the promise to Abraham that he should be the heir of the habitable earth (kosmou) shall be realized. There will be the “city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God," to which they have "looked" while "strangers and pilgrims on the earth." There"the king shall be seen in his beauty," upon the throne of David, to order and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even forever." FOR THE LORD HATH CHOSEN ZION: he

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hath desired it FOR HIS HABITATION. 99 "THIS IS MY REST FOREVER: HERE WILL I DWELL; for I have desired it." Ps. cxxxii. 13, 14. "This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, THE LORD WILL_dwell IN IT FOREVER. ." Ps. lxviii. 16. See also Ex. xv.