A Scripture Line of Time, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 4

A Scripture Line of Time · Treatise · Part 1 · Section 4

p. 28SECT. IV.

Gives the proof, That the Time of the Words going forth was the first Seventy Five Years of the 2300 Evenings and Mornings.

HAving now ſettled the natural Order of the Words going forth, and finding that it muſt needs poſſeſs ſuch a diſtance of Time, as from the first of Cyrus to the ſeventh of that Artaxerxes, who ſucceeded a Darius, in his Decree for the Building of the Temple after the Eſtoppage of the Building Ezr. 4. 5, 6, 7.Ezra 4:5Ezra 4:6Ezra 4:7in the Reign of Ahaſuerus, and in the days of a former Artaxerxes, and, as we ſhall ſee, of another Ahaſuerus, Eſth. 1. I come now to offer proof, This Space was a Space of ſeventy five Years.

The firſt Proof I derive from the chief Scope of the Viſion Argu. 1 of the ſeventy weeks, which was the Allowance of ſuch a ſpace of Time for Daniel's People, and Holy City, to continue ſuch a People of God, and ſuch a Holy City, until Meſſiah came, and fulfill'd all the Types of the Law and Prophecies concerning Himſelf; which could only be fulfilled during the State eſpecially of the Tribe of Judah, till Shiloh came, and of the Temple of Jeruſalem, and the Worſhip of it in its ancient State and before the rejection of it: So that, whereas often in Ezekiel and the other Prophets, the Babyloniſh Captivity and the Ezek. 16. 53.Ezek 16:53Deſolation by the Romans, are tack'd one to another; The Waters or Ocean is divided for theſe 70 Weeks, and then They return and cloſe again till the End of the Indignation, when theſe Weeks expire, ebbing back till the Flood by Titus Veſpaſian deſolated All.

Before therefore theſe ſeventy Weeks could begin, Jeruſalem muſt be reſtor'd, ſo far, as in its Temple; Its Wall, and its whole Order and State, muſt be returning within the ſeven first Weeks of the 70, according to the Prophecy: Now what more probable Proportion, than juſt ſo many Years, as Prophecy p. 29hath ſo evidently deſtin'd for the Space between the Fall of the Great City, Myſtical Babylon, and the Reſtoration of all Things in the New Jeruſalem, which by the general view we may ſee, and ſhall farther ſee, is a Space of 75 Years added to 1260, and making 1335. This may be therefore an introductive Argument.

We ſee moſt demonſtratively, The Time muſt be ſo long Argu. 2 as from Cyrus's firſt Year, to Artaxerxes's ſeventh: now ſeventy five Years, according to the beſt Chronologers, is about ſuch a ſpace. That Grave and moſt Learned Emendator of Time, Tho. Lydiatt, who was very induſtrious in this very Joynt of Time, allows ſeventy Years, and others come nearer. If then in that great Maze of Chronology at this very Period, Scripture umpires ſo with the beſt Timiſts for Seventy five, we have reaſon to accept it; and that it does ſo, under the next and laſt of Daniel's Viſions, we ſhall have farther Advantage to prove; in the mean time, It is no inſolent Preſumption.

That great Line of 2300 Ev. Mor. as we have found it, Argu. 3 diſtributed ſo neceſſarily by Prophecy and Hiſtory, giving ſpace for ſeventy five, and no more, may ſtand as a ſtrong Argument, That this was a ſpace of ſo many, and no more: For when we find every way, this bids faireſt to be the Number, and that for the aſcertaining the Beginning of the ſeventy weeks, which can never elſe be determin'd, it is neceſſary ſome ſpace muſt be determin'd, and no Number ſo fit 2 Pet. 1. 19.2 Pet 1:19as this Number, to make that Word of Prophecy ſo ſure as to be more ſure than Eye-witneſs it ſelf. This principal Line ſo ſatisfied, compleats all proof.

It is not unworthy Obſervation, That when the whole Argu. 4 ſpace of the Words going forth, before the ſeventy weeks, for the reſtoring of that eminent State of Jeruſalem, its Temple and VVorſhip, and the firſt ſeven of the ſeventy for building the VVall, full of Clefts and Breaches, juſtly to be accounted reſtoring Jeruſalem, the firſt by ſolemn Decrees, the ſecond by ſome laſt ſounds of thoſe words of Decree; The Years of the p. 30Perſian Monarchy for the Tranſaction of this whole Matter are juſt ſeventy five, as may be accounted.

When therefore, They have done the ſymbolical Service of accounting the ſeventy five years, not otherwiſe accounted; The Time from the Weeks Beginning pointed out to ſeven Weeks, or 49 Years in the Viſion, hath a Room allowed for it in the Story, viz. 25 years from the Decree in Artaxerxes his ſeventh throughout his Reign, which by all Hiſtorians, is agreed to be near forty ſix; and from thence Lett into the Reign of Darius Nothus, which ſeems on purpoſe nam'd to continue the 49 years current, for which there had been ſpace, more than enough, if the Weeks had begun ſooner, then Artaxerxes his ſeventh, and not enough, if they then begun without being Lett into the Reign of Darius Nothus, nor Nehem. 12. 22.Neh 12:22enough if they did not then begin, but at his 20th only.

Now it is enough known, Scripture thus improves its mention, or not mention of Things, its ſo much mention and no more, into ſymboliſmes, and ſo may very well be ſuppos'd to do on theſe Perſian years. For it minds not Heathen Chronology, but to ſome great purpoſes; I ſhall give one Inſtance among others, and it is that moſt viſible one of Melchiſedec, who in Shem ſtanding at the Head of the ſecond Roll of Patriarks, without Father, Mother, Beginning of Days, or End of Life, is ſo repreſented, by vertue of this Symboliſm. Hebr. 7. 3. Compare with Gen. 11. 10.

p. 31Arg. 4. There is nothing more evident, then that the Reſtoring Jeruſalem in its Temple, and the BƲILDING of the Wall are two moſt diſtinct Things, both in Daniels Prophecy, and in the Hiſtory of Ezra and Nehemiah; ſo that they cannot be confounded either in the valuableneſs of their Character, or in their Time.

One, viz. of the Temple is moſt diſtinctly recorded by Ezra, Ez. 1. &c. Neham. 2. &c. Ezr. 9. 9.Ezra 9:9the other by Nehemiah, The one is call'd a Reviving to lift up the Houſe of our Lord, and to repair the Deſolations thereof, and this he calls giving a Wall in Judah and Jeruſalem; The other is call'd by Nehemiah repairing the City of his Fathers Sepultures, which was no Diſſimulation of the Intention in more acceptable Words as ſome have thought; for no ſuch needed to him, who had given ſo munificent a Decree for the Temple of the God of Heaven at Jeruſalem. That of the Word going forth for the Temple is before the Weeks. That of the Wall is within the Weeks, and ſo of Nehemiahs leave to ſettle the Order.

And yet all theſe are ſo united in the common Intereſts of Jeruſalem, and in ſome Air of the Word going forth for them, ſo that there may be moſt fitly from the real Line of the forty nine years for building the Wall, ſo far as it is given in Number, a Communication of a ſymbolical Line, according to the Years of the Perſian Monarchy, ſo as that 75 may be collected from the whole Number, even as the word going forth, that is proper eſpecially to the Reſtoring the Temple is communicated alſo to the Royal Letter, for Timber to build the Wall, and the word of Princely leave for Nehemiahs going up to ſettle the Order; ſo that from the words firſt going forth to the Time within the Reign of Darius Nothus may be conceived a Line of the whole word going forth before the Weeks, and to the end of the ſeven weeks, viz. of 75 and 49 years which is the Point to be made good.