A Scripture Line of Time, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 2
SECT. II.
That this Viſion begins at the Perſian Monarchy, and the Proof of it.
THat the Viſion begins at the Perſian Monarchy, I give theſe undoubted Reaſons:
It is moſt apparent in the very Portal of the Viſion, it was Reaſon 1 given at Shuſhan the Pallace, by the River Ʋlai, a River of Perſia, whither the Prophet was viſionally convey'd out of Babylon, to ſhew the Tranſlation of the Monarchy from the Babylonian to the Perſian Prince.
The Babylonian Monarchy was yet ſtanding, the Prophet a Subject of it in principal Place; for he continued in his Preferment in Babylon till Cyrus the Perſian. He muſt therefore Dan. 1. 21.be reſident at the time of the Viſion in Babylon, and not a Runnagate from it, and his Loyalty; but was prophetically and viſionally ſet down at the Pallace of Perſia, to ſhew where the Viſions Date was to commence, viz. from the Perſian Monarchy.
If this were not enough, the Expoſition of the Viſion begins Reaſon 2 with the King of Perſia, and where the Expoſition begins the Viſion begins; neither of theſe can be conteſted.
The Viſion crops off the Babylonian Monarchy; The Head Reaſon 3 of Gold; and the first Beast like a Lyon does not under any Symbol or Repreſentation appear in it.
The Monarchy was now indeed juſt expiring in Belſhazzar's Third, which Scripture counts upon as his laſt Year, and whereas the former Viſions were deliver'd to us in the Language of that Empire; that thereby All People, Tongues, and Languages, which take care by one means or other to have knowledge of the Imperial Language, might have notice of them. The Holy Spirit returns in this Viſion to the Hebrew Tongue, peculiar to the Church of God in the Old Teſtament.
But the Monarchy was not yet fully expir'd, nor was the Image in all ſucceeding Ages to be bereft of its Head; while therefore the Image, and the Iconiſm of the four Beasts, compleating the Image ſtood in the Eye of Prophecy; Nebuchadnezzer is the principal in the first Monarchy, with the Heart of a Man, after his Eagles Wings were pluck'd, importing his ſober Acknowledgments of God, upon the Humiliation, into which his Frenzy dejected him, even into a ſtate among the Beaſts, but he ſeems to have riſen out of Beſtianiſm it ſelf by abaſing himſelf before God. Dan. 4. ult.
The Beast in the Revelation, To ſhew, the Monarchick Power of the Image tranſlated into that of the Beaſts Kingdom ſurvived whole and entire in him, is reſembled with every one of the Beaſts, himſelf being the fourth; and to aſſure us, he is the very fourth, he hath neither in Daniel, nor the Apocalips, any ſhape, peculiar to him, but what in the Apocalips is compounded of the Three, as it were to ſay, All the Three exiſted in him, as in one Image. Revel. 13. 2.
The principal Reaſon therefore of omitting the Babylonian Monarchy, is, becauſe, The Prophetical Type of the four Monarchies, being fully ſatisfied, and repleniſhed, The great attendance of the Divine Spirit is to the Line of Time, which it joyns to the Jewiſh Lines, that went before, and particularly to Ezekiels 430 Days, or Years, which juſt comprehended, and ended with the Babyloniſh Monarchy, which Monarchy in a real Calendar I have before, more than once ſaid, began the Gentiles Times, during which Jeruſalem lay, and was to lye under Foot; but juſt here the Babyloniſh Monarchy is no farther given in Type, although it remains in the former Types, to the laſt; but the Future Line of Time is given in 2300 Evenings Mornings from the Perſian Monarchy, beginning; And this latter could not have been given with Prophetick Secrecy, and yet alſo without Confuſion, if the former had not been omitted, whoſe Time given before could not enter into this, but it muſt confound Time every way.
But thus this principal Line reaches from Literal Babylon fallen to myſtical Babylon fallen, from Literal Jeruſalem near to be rebuilt with its Temple, to the New Jeruſalem, which much adorns this Line of Time, and ſets theſe two juſt even from Point to Point.
It is true, The Four, as Ʋniverſal Monarchies, are together the great Canale of Time, till the glorious Kingdom of Chriſt, whatever great States or Kingdoms were coexiſtent with them or any of them at any Time, or have ariſen ſince, do not mingle with this Stream, which runs ſtrait on to this end, nor are any of themſelves adopted into it ſooner than the juſt Time of their Succeſſion into Ʋniverſal Monarchy; nor do they abide any longer in it, as a Calendar of Time, after once they are fallen from that Ʋniverſal Monarchy, each ſucceſſive Monarchy ſubduing the precedent, takes it up; and in the Roman Monarchy the Dragon reſigns his Seat and Power to the Beaſt, the Imperial to the Antichriſtian, without any Conqueſt, to whom, as the ſeventh Roman Head and Ʋniverſal King, the ten Kings giving their Power, the fourth Beast ſtill ſurvives; differently from all the reſt of the Succeſſions; for each Succeſſion was by Force beſides this; ſo in This the whole Line is continued to the Kingdom of Christ: But if any of theſe Kingdoms falls in its order of Succeſſion, and becomes great afterwards on another Bottom, as the Perſian ſubdued by the Grecian, the Grecian by the Roman, the one afterwards riſing in its own Name, the other in Mahomet's, yet they diſturb not this order, nor ſo much as enter a-new into this Calendar of Time.
And becauſe of this real ſubſtantial Calendar of Time in theſe Monarchies, the firſt Act of Chriſt's Kingdom is recorded by the Apoſtle Paul to be the putting down all Rule, Authority, 1 Cor. 15. …6.and Power, referring eſpecially to theſe four Monarchies, the great Emblem of ſuch Rule and Power; viz. when the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ, Rev. 11. 15. Then all this Calendar of Rule and Power is at an end.
That therefore which is moſt conſiderable in the Explanation of this Courſe of Time farther to us, is, That whereas the Gentiles Times, viz. this ſubſtantial Calendar of the four Monarchies, began in the Babylonian, ſo long as that Calendar is in preſenting, the Babylonian is never omitted, but is the Capital in it; but when it comes to this Numeral Line, or the 2300 Ev. Mor. it is then omitted, becauſe the Numeral Line runs not upon any Revolutions of theſe Monarchies, but upon ſome eminent Providence of God towards his Church, either of Mercy towards it, or its ſuffering under the Tyranny of ſome of theſe Monarchies, eſpecially the Beſtian; as will be ſeen all along; which is a very clear Reaſon why the Babylonian is firſt ſo chief in the Calendar of the Monarchies; for that being one, and the firſt, it muſt be ſo in the Real: But when it comes to the Numeral, it is of no uſe, becauſe it had been given in the laſt numeral Line, as then exiſting; it is not given in the following Numeral, becauſe it was then paſt, and would diſorder the Account. The real Calendar is taken from each Ʋniverſal Monarchy that had the Jews, particularly the Tribe of Judah, in Subjection, and ſo oppreſs'd Chriſt's Kingdom; here the Babylonian was the firſt, the Perſian the ſecond, the Grecian the third, the fourth the Roman: under which, as Imperial, firſt, the Jews were deſolated; The manly Birth, or Christ, as King, was watch'd, as by a Dragon; Chriſtians lay, as martyr'd under the Altar, and then under it, as Antichriſtian, lies ſubdued the ſpiritual Iſrael, till both That, and the Twelve Tribes, are reſtor'd by Chriſt's Kingdom. So theſe are the Times of the Gentiles, before which neither the twelve Tribes, nor the Apoſtolical Church are fully reſtor'd, or can be.
From all which, it is moſt evident, that though the Viſion is not dated from the Perſian Monarchy, as if it was given for the Perſian Monarchy's ſake; yet the 2300 Ev. Morn. begin juſt when that begins, and very fitly, becauſe the Perſian Cyrus found the Temple fallen, and the daily Service of the Jews taken away, and proclaims the Reſtoration, which makes the Date, as we ſhall ſee. And this is the firſt thing that was to be prov'd.
The ſecond Propoſition follows; viz. That the twenty Propoſ. 2.three hundred days of this Viſion, as alſo the Things contained in it, run down, and reach to the end of All, or to the Glorious Kingdom of Christ.
Of this we have many Arguments in the Viſion it ſelf, which having briefly directed firſt unto, I will endeavour by farther ſtrong Proof from the whole courſe of Prophecy to eſtabliſh it.
Every Viſion of Daniel's, except the following Viſion of the Argu. 1 ſeventy Weeks, which hath the high and noble Subject of the Death and Reſurrection of our Lord Jeſus Christ, making an end of Sin, and bringing in everlaſting Righteouſneſs; but elſe every Viſion runs expreſly to the last End and Kingdom of Christ.
And whether even that does not after the Deſolation of Judaiſm give a Proſpect of their Reſtoration alſo, ſignified by foreign, or until the Conſummation, until which their Deſolations are to laſt, and no longer, I leave to the Learned; however, It certainly bears its part in carrying on Time to that end.
But the very Shape and Deſign of all the other Viſions is moſt apparently That End, and therefore I conclude, of This alſo.
The often mention of the End; Three Times the Viſion, and Argu. 2 the End are conjoyn'd; At the time of the End, the Viſion ſhall Dan. 8.be; and the Expoſition of the Viſion is to make Daniel know, what ſhall be in the last end of the Indignation, and at the Time appointed, the End ſhall be. Now what End can be ſo abſolute, as to be underſtood by its naming only, except that End of Christ's Kingdom, ſo well known by the former Viſions, and by the following Viſion, chap. 11. v. 27.? When becauſe of this End, to which every thing has led, and made no delay beyond its Time, therefore all Deſigns of the two Kings, deſigning a longer Monarchy, and to that end ſpeaking Lyes at one Table, could not proſper; for the End appointed did not allow it to either of them, the univerſal Empire of the Romans, ſpoken of in the Ships of Chittim, coming on.
And what last end of the Indignation can be meant, but that of the Deſolation determin'd on the Jews in the very next Viſion, that explains it together with Ezekiel's bearing their Iniquity, till the New Jeruſalem?
So the Viſion being for many days, its being commanded Dan. 8. v. 26 27. 28.to be ſhut up, the aſſerting it to be true, as John, Apoc. 21. 5. Theſe Sayings are true, Daniel's deep Sleep, Sickneſs, Fainting, being astoniſh'd for days, anſwerable to the Viſions being for Days, viz. many Days, argues to how great a Period the Viſion tends, and what a fatal courſe of things it was to run.
And to conclude this Reaſon; That very Title of the Viſion, of the Evening and Morning, or of 2300 Ev. Morn. collected all into one, ſhew the long Night of three Idolatrous Monarchies, and longeſt in the Roman Antichristian, and the glorious Morning of Chriſt's Kingdom.
There cannot be two Expreſſions of the noted End of Argu. 3 Daniel's Viſions, more full and adequate than thoſe two, however brief; The Sanctuary ſhall be cleans'd in correſpondence with Ezekiel's Viſion of the New Jeruſalem, and its Sanctuary, and of the Saints taking the Kingdom. And the inſolent King. ſhall be broken without hand, even the Prince of fierce Countenance, Dan. 8. 23. compar'd with c. 7. v. 8. c. 2. 33, 34.whoſe Look was more ſtout than his Fellows, who had the Eyes of a man, to underſtand dark Sentences, growing great, but not by his own power, but as the Toes of Clay, and Iron, broken without hand, or by the Stone cut out of the Mountain without hand.
Nor can any thing be more agreeable to the two Inſcriptions on the End in the Apocalyptical Prophecy, It is done, Revel. c. 16, 17. c. 21. 6.It is done, one the End of the Beaſt's Kingdom, the other on the Kingdom of Christ, or the New Jeruſalem?
Now from all this of the Viſion beginning with its 2300 Propoſ. 3.Ev. Mor. at the firſt of the Perſian Monarchy, and ſo running to the end, it plainly follows, Thoſe 2300 are not the Gauge of the daily Sacrifice taken away, but of the whole Viſion, from the Perſian through the Grecian, to the end of the Roman, Antichriſtian Monarchy, and the Kingdom of Christ; and ſo the Viſion, and the 2300 Ev. Mor. are equal.
So that the moſt literal ſenſe of thoſe Words, (Ʋnto how long, or unto when, the Viſion of the Daily, and of the Tranſgreſſion of Deſolation, to give both the Sanctuary, and the Hoſt to be trodden under foot? And he ſaid unto me, unto 2300 Ev. Morn. Then ſhall the Sanctuary be cleans'd.) The literal ſenſe of the Queſtion, I ſay, cannot be, Unto how long does the Taking away, &c. endure? For ſo are not the Words; But, Unto how long that whole Viſion, whoſe principal Viſum, or Thing ſeen, is the taking away, &c. amidſt many other Viſa in the whole Frame, as the Tares was of that excellent Parable, Matt. 13. 36. that had ſeveral other Materials to compoſe it, and yet is call'd the Parable of the Tares, and is indeed of the very ſame Import with this Antichriſtianiſm, and Prophecy of it.
Now when ſuch a Queſtion is ask'd, and the Anſwer is given, to ſo long, the moſt natural ſenſe is, When no Time is fix'd for the Beginning, that the preſent Time ſhould be underſtood to be it; and when it is added, And then ſhall the Sanctuary be cleans'd, it is plain, a cleanſing of the Sanctuary, proportionable to the treading it under foot, muſt be underſtood to be the end of the Viſion, and of its 2300 Days. From all which, it is evident, The 2300 begin and end with the Viſion. And it will be farther evident upon theſe following Reaſons.
The Viſion is one entire Viſion, though it conſiſts of ſeveral Reaſon 1 Members; and however, They may be diſtinguiſh'd in the Viſion, and be divided in the Events, what Date of Time is given with the Viſion, as this one Viſion, agrees to the whole Viſion and not to any ſingle part, but as ſo united with the whole; however therefore the Viſion may be denominated from any ſingle part, as principally to be remark'd, as the Viſion of the Daily, &c. The Viſion of the Ev. Mor. yet in any thing relating to the Viſion, as the Viſion it ſelf, the whole muſt be intended, and not that part. The ſeveral parts of the Viſion have indeed ſeveral ſpaces of Time cut out of the whole ſpace, proper to themſelves.
But as the Viſion is one entire Viſion, ſo the Date is one entire Date, and can be no other to agree with the whole Viſion.
The Viſion is call'd ten times, The Viſion, to ſhew it is all one and the ſame Viſion, and the ſeveral parts of it are but as the parts of one and the ſame Body, Lines of the ſame Image.
The Expoſition of the Viſion anſwers part for part to the Viſion it ſelf, firſt given; ſaving, that in the Viſion Antiochus the Type appears uppermoſt, but in the Expoſition the Anti-type appears uppermoſt, and, as in Reaſon it ſhould be, is moſt apparent: and the whole Viſion being expounded, is call'd, The Viſion of the Even. and Morn. all the 2300 being united into one, as it were to unite the whole Viſion, and the whole Line of Time, as cloſe and entire as poſſibly may be.
And which is moſt remarkable, Before the Expoſition of the Viſion, the ſpace of Time allowed to the whole Viſion, of which the Taking away, &c. was the chief (as in the Anti-type however couched under the Type) is given before the Expoſition, or juſt between the Viſion and the Expoſition, that it might diſtribute it ſelf to the whole of both; and in the Expoſition, it is therefore ſo ſumm'd up, that it cannot be divided, but muſt remain entire to the whole; for it is, as was ſaid, but one Ev. and one Mor. applied to all the Viſion; and afterward, we ſhall find the Dividend, or Allotment to each part, and moſt particularly to the Daily taken away; to each, I ſay, their part, of the 2300 Ev. Mor.
And leſt any one ſhould inſiſt too hard on the Daily, underſtanding it of the Jewiſh daily Sacrifice; beſides, that any Word importing Sacrifice is preſcinded, and only Tammith, or the Continual, applicable either to Sacrifice, or Service and Worſhip in general, uſed; it is alſo to be obſerv'd in the Expoſition, in the place of many Words concerning the daily taken away, we have the whole Action in Expreſſions moſt proper to the Beſtian Prince, according to all Prophecy of the Old and New Teſtament, and not at all proper to Antiochus, and nothing ſaid of the daily at all; but the entire Viſion is ſumm'd up in Ev. and Mor. And all this we may conceive, leaſt the 2300 Ev. Mor. ſhould be miſapplied to that part, viz. of the Daily; which is proper only to the whole.
So then if the Line be commenſurate with the Viſion, it muſt begin with the Perſian Monarchy, and not with the daily taken away, for That, in whatever ſenſe expounded, was not till long after: in the ſame manner, If the Viſion goes on to the great viſional End in Daniel, viz. the breaking of all the Monarchies in Antichrist, and the Kingdom of Christ appearing in the Sanctuary cleans'd, it cannot be applied to any taking that was begun, and ended long before that End, as all takings away, of what kind ſoever, that have been thought of, did, (and moſt particularly that of Antiochus) except that taking away by Antichrist; which therefore is the only taking away here to be underſtood.
And from every Particular of this Diſcourſe it undeniably appears, Theſe Ev. and Mor. are not mere Natural Nycthemers, but 2300 Ev. and Mor. importing ſo many Years; for a leſs ſpace of Time could not contain ſo great a Viſion and its Charge.
If a Line of Time were given applicable only to the Time Argu. 3 of the daily Sacrifice taken away, there would be ſome certain Time fix'd when that taking away was to begin, according to all Uſage in this Prophecy. The 70 Weeks are dated from the going forth of the Word; the 1335, from the taking away of the daily: And in the Apocalyptick Prophecy we ſhall find ſome certain Epoch of each numeral Line: but there being no Epoch to theſe 2300 Ev. Mor. but the general Epoch of the Viſion one and the ſame, as we ſhall find, with the ſeventy Weeks, That muſt be the Epoch.
Seeing the Anſwer (And the Sanctuary ſhall ba cleans'd) Argu. 4 and the Expoſition of the Viſion, touching the King exerciſing the Tyranny, Broken without hand, gives the full End of all Tyranny on the Saints, and of all taking away their daily Worſhip, as it was under Babylon continued to be taken away at that Time, and after by Antiochus, laſt of all by Antichrist; it is plain, according to Scripture-Uſage, The End is principally intended, which ſuch a courſe of Time is to attain; As the complemental End of the 70 Weeks making an end of Sin, &c. is chiefly purſued in the next Viſion, The end of Wonders, and the State of Bleſſedneſs in the 1335 Days of the laſt Viſion: and here the Sanctuary cleans'd and Antichriſt broken, is the main Intention; and from the preſent Viſion, at that NOW given, to thoſe Ends, there would be 2300 Ev. and Mor.
So that the taking away the daily does not ſpread it ſelf upon the whole 2300 Ev. Mor. and ſo end with them, but e're all ſuch Things as a tyrannous taking away the daily Worſhip of the Saints would be at an end, it would be ſo many: for the Viſion indeed ſpreads it ſelf upon all the 2300, being for thoſe many days; but the taking away begun but at its own Time, as we ſhall ſee, and ended at the 2300 ending; ſo many from the Time of the Viſion, and ſo was unto them; that is, whenever it began it reached to the end of the 2300 of the whole Viſion, e're the Sanctuary was cleans'd.
That theſe 2300 Ev. Mor. are a Line of Time of ſo great Argu. 5 comprehenſion, as from Literal to Myſtical Babylon's Fall, from the Reſtoration of Literal Jeruſalem to the New Jeruſalem, may be argued from ſeveral extraordinary Notes of Honour upon this Line, and the Viſion of it.
1. The very drawing it out to ſo great and unuſual a length, is unparallel'd in all the Scripture; ſo that if it were not great in its Beginning, as that State of Things would admit, great in the End, as that State of Things imports, and great in its ſubordinate Lines, it could no ways anſwer the Magnificence of ſo great a Number, eſpecially when the prophetical Abbreviation of Time was come into uſe by ſo peculiar an Ordination of God in Ezekiel.
Even this does ſufficiently argue, where it begins, whither it tends, what ſpace of Time it ſpans: Cypher or ſhorthand was of Old in prophetick uſe; a Week for ſeven Years, Gen. 29. 27. c. 41. v. 26. Numb. 14. 34.fourty Days for forty Years in the Wilderneſs, ſeven Ears of Corn for ſeven Years, ſeven Times for ſeven Years, Dan. 4. 22. But God declar'd, and promulg'd it as the Law of Interpretation of prophetick Time, Ezek. 4. So we underſtand ſeventy Weeks, Weeks of Years without controul, or 490 Years, Dan. 9. 24. Now if contrary to ſo many Inſtances of the prophetical Uſage of ſuch Abbreviatures, it ſhould draw out Years into their full Length, or Number of Days, How could we underſtand the Divine Mind in it, eſpecially on no greater occaſion than Antiochus's Tyranny, as ſhall be after argued? Prophecy, that amaſſes Time by giving Years in Days, cannot rationally be ſuppos'd to wiredraw Years into Days.
But this is not All: There are fourty Days for fourty Years, 390 and 40 Days for ſo many Years; ſeventy Weeks for 490 Years; 1260 Days for ſo many Years, and Months proportionable: But 2300 Ev. Mor. taken for ſo many Years, is very auguſt, and ſpeaks a divine Zeal to graſp that great End of putting down all Rule, and Authority, and Power, and Chriſt taking his Power to himſelf, and Reigning, yet not ſo as to diminiſh from Government, but to perfect it to its higheſt Ends, under himſelf, and his Supreme, and Univerſal Monarchy. To graſp this, I ſay, within ſo great a Line given, from the very Time in which it was given: This great Number is given by the divine Numberer.
2. For Jeſus Chriſt the Lord of this Prophecy hath the peculiar Title of Palmoni, to which whatever ſenſe we give, it Dan. 8. 13.admoniſhes us to enquire for ſomething extraordinary; and if we reſt in what is every way neareſt, The wonderful Numberer, it comes exactly to the wonderful Line, and the great Secrets to be found in it.
3. Gabriel, the heavenly Envoy upon all Declarations of the Kingdom of Chriſt, as Dan. 9. Luc. 1. is employ'd in its Expoſition.
4. Daniel's extraordinary Title (Son of Man) allowed him only in this Viſion, as bringing to him the glorious Appearance of Chriſt; of which Glory, Ezekiel, being more often an Eyewitneſs, Cap. 1. Cap. 10. Cap. 43. 2, 3.is more often call'd Son of Man. For if the Learned Dr. Lightfoot's Account of this Title, as a Chaldaiſm, were good, Daniel, who was the more eminent Chaldean, ſhould be oftneſt inveſted with it. On the contrary, He only in this Viſion is ſo ſtiled, but Ezekiel often: and they alone enjoy it under the ſupreme Son of Man of all the Prophets; and Daniel never, but here, ſhewing the high pitch this Viſion makes, and its cloſe approach to Chriſt's Kingdom: from which his other Viſions do but derive, or are but preparatory to it.
Nor is Daniel's Attention, and ſignalizing himſelf unworthy Cap. 8. v. 1, 2, 3. v. 15.Notice, I looked and ſaw, I Daniel, and to me Daniel, very agreeable to parallel Expreſſions of the Apocalyptick Prophet, I John.
But in ſhort, I conclude from the whole, The prophetical Contexture hath given all poſſible Advantage to the Greatneſs of this Viſion, and its Line: I will now briefly add the Arguments from the whole Courſe of prophetical Scripture, which will much fortifie theſe Textual Arguments, even as they receive Strength from them.
Every Scripture Line of Time argues this ſo great a Line Argu. 1 from Adam to the Flood, from the Flood to Abraham, from Abraham to the Redemption out of Egypt, from thence to Solomon, and ſo to his Death, are indiſputable; and general Senſe of Interpreters carries the 390 Days or Years as far as the Temple burnt. After the Captivity, few, if any, Chriſtian Interpreters, doubt of the ſeventy Weeks, as 490 Years, reaching to Meſſiah. Now if theſe Lines are not continued, fill'd up throughout the whole ſpace of Time, even as a Vacuum is in Nature, ſo would ſuch an empty ſpace be in Time; it turns all to Confuſion, we ſee how hard it is to fix the beginning or end of any Line, for want of acknowledged continued Lines; as we find by Experience, how few agree in either the Beginning or Period of the Weeks while they univerſally agree in the definiteneſs of the Line. Let then Ezekiels 430 days reach to Cyrus, as I have endeavoured to prove, and how juſtly will theſe 2300 days joyn them which were prepar'd as a medium betwixt Historical and Prophetical Time.
And why ſhould we think, God, who hath taken Care for ſome parts of Time, hath not taken Care of all? Seeing the Proviſion elſe is maim'd, and unequal; or why for Hiſtorical Time, and not for Prophetick? Seeing Prophecy and Hiſtory are alike preſent to him; and to us Prophecy is the more noble, and requires that aſſurance moſt: Why for the Church of the Old Teſtament, and not for that under the Goſpel, when Revelational is higher, and more perfect.
It is a vain ſubterfuge, That, when the Times of theſe Gentile Monarchies came in, God truſted the Records of Time with them, which he did not truſt with his own People, without a ſupream Hand of Revelation, fixing ſuch Lines of Time, as were moſt exact, either before by Prophecy, or after by Hiſtory, as we ſee.
Now if this Argument have ſtrength in it, where can we find ſuch a Line, as this, ſo aggrandiz'd, ſo extended from its Epoch to the laſt end of all?
We ſhall find this long Line of Time, diſtributed into its Argu. 2 parcel, and collateral Lines, and ſupported by them.
Daniel in the very next Viſion gives us the firſt, in the Time, or ſpace of the words going forth, and from thence ſeventy weeks. Then follows the ſealed Time, which by the revelational Prophecy, we knew certainly laying it to Hiſtory, to be 400 years. Then follow immediately the thirteen hundred thirty five; twelve hundred ſixty of which are given, as we ſhall ſee in a ninefold variety, and yet conſent.
Now thoſe two, four hundred Ninety of the 70 Weeks, and thirteen hundred thirty five, can allow ſpace but for 475 more. Having then ſo good ground to fix four hundred between the Weeks, and the 1335, we may find in the Time of the Words going forth ſpace for the ſeventy five, but for no more. All which I propoſe rationally to make out.
So then we have this great Proof of the 2300 Evenings Mornings, as 2300 years, That we find them in the direct ſtream of Scripture Prophecy, and the Conſpiration of Hiſtory hitherto, which is more ſatisfactory then History giving us a courſe of Time, and its Events, one anſwering the other, for here History and Prophecy meet, as we ſhall ſee.
After ſo ſolemniz'd a Prophecy, or Viſion of the daily, or Tammith taken away, we find the laſt ſeventy five in the thirteen hundred thirty five, ſo remarkably epoch'd with the Tammith, daily, or continual taken away; and Daniel aſſured his Lot at the end of them, as it were in the New Jeruſalem, or the Sanctuary cleans'd, to either of which, as the Inheritance of the ſealed Tribes, or the courſes of the truly holy Prieſthood, the word, Lot, invites very lively our Thoughts; ſo that from hence we know in this after Viſion, what might elſe puzzle our Thoughts; viz. How many of 2300 days are to be aſſign'd to the daily taken away, ſeeing the whole Number appertains not to the taking away, but to the whole Viſion. We know, I ſay, the Daily taken away, begins at the firſt of thoſe 1335, and ends in the laſt of them, viz. in the Sanctuary cleans'd perfectly, and not in the preparation only, at the 1335, ended.
And ſo having finiſhed the firſt Poſition, concerning the Poſi. 2.juſt meaſure of this Line, I come to the ſecond, viz. That the Viſion intends Antichriſt in every Part, wherein Antiochus ſtands as a Type; And theſe two laſt Poſitions confirm, and ſtrengthen one another; For if the Viſion and its 2300 days run to the end, they muſt run to Antichriſt, ſeeing Antichrist is at the End of all Things. And if Antichriſt be at the end of the Viſion, Antiochus can ſtand in the Viſion, but as a Type to Antichriſt, who is at the End.
Further, if the Roman Antichriſtian Power be not the Anti-Type to Antiochus, The Head of the Image is not only lopp'd off in this Viſion, but the Roman Entayl, which appears the principal, and at the End, in the former Viſion, is dock'd in this, even where the End is ſo often memoir'd, whereas indeed the Imperial, Roman Power, given in the former Viſions Revel. 13. 4.as preceeding the Antichristian, is in this Viſion ſet in the Antichriſtian Power, as the Dragon in the Beaſt, and ſo in the laſt Viſion, c. 11. that we may know, He is the principal in it, and ſo may underſtand him in the Apocalyps accordingly.
Further yet, Antiochus is every way too ſmall to be any more, than the Type in ſo great a Viſion; What remarkable End did Antiochus give, that-the End is ſo often recorded in his Viſion, he gave none to the Monarchies of the former Viſions, or to the Indignation againſt the Jews, nor to the delay of Chriſts Kingdom, there is no Monumental End, but of himſelf, and that not deſerving this Prophecy. His Days were not many, why then ſhould the Prophecy be ſhut up? Nor were they ſo far off, as the Things ſeen in the following Viſion, c. 9. nor till we encounter the ſame again, c. 11. c. 12. as running to the ſame End, do we meet with any ſuch mentions of the End.
Why was Daniel ſo faint, ſick, aſtoniſh'd, in a dead ſleep at Antiochus's Tyranny? Who had known the daily ſo long taken away in the Captivity, who foreſaw the Romans deſolating Wing of Abomination, and the Jews after Troubles, recounted Dan. 9.after Antiochus Epiphanes, in the Maccabean Story, betwixt theſe Viſions and the Meſſiah. But the ſo ſtrange, the ſo unaccountable, foul, longſome, Apoſtacy of Antichriſt, lying ſo long, on the ſo excellent Religion of the Goſpel, ecclipſing the Kingdom of Chriſt, Full of all the moſt pernicious Effects is deſervedly Aſtoniſhing to Angels and Men, and captivating the Many, the Wiſe and the Great againſt all Scripture, Reaſon, and even common Senſe, and were it not for that Captivation, as unworthy Confutation, as the Alchoran.
The very Hiſtory of Antiochus, as it were proper to Antichriſt, is only to be found in the Antichriſtian Canon of Scripture, and only Typically given in Daniels Prophecy, ſhewing it of no great Account with God.
The Time, The underſtanding dark Sentences, the growing great not by his own Power, are no way applicable to any hiſtorical Memoirs of Antiochus. A Prince furious, active, enterpriſing, at the Head of his warlike Affairs.
Laſtly, the very Ev. Mor. of this Line, a manner of Speech not uſed in Scripture from the very firſt of Geneſis, till now, lead us to the new Creation, to the Reſtitution of all things, to the bright Mornings Stars diſplay of his Beams, and in the mean time, even as Days compounded of Ev. and Mor. ſo theſe Ev. Mor. with equal Fitneſs and Naturalneſs, ſuſtain the prophetical Type of Time, Days for Years.
Of all which, let this be the applicatory Remark, to lead Remark.us with Confidence, Aſſurance, due Preparation, Faith, Prayer, and earneſt Deſire, to him who ſaith, Behold, I make all things new, and immediately after, as it were in remembrance Dan. 8. 26. compar'd with Rev. 21. 5.of his Declarative Amen, upon the Viſion of the Ev. and Mor. It is true; impoſes his perfectory Finitive Amen. When he ſays no longer, Seal, but write in Capital Letters, Theſe Sayings are faithful and true.
Whoſo then by following the Lamb whitherſoever he goes, overcomes, ſhall inherit all Things. Chriſt will be his Father; He ſhall be the Son of God and of Christ. But the Fearful, who are frighted into Antichriſtian Cympliances; the Abominable, &c. ſunk down into the Defilements of all ſorts proper to the foul State, Falſhood, and the great Lye of the Apoſtacy, ſhall have their part in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimſtone, where the Beaſt and the Falſe Prophet are.
Let us then live by Faith, and not draw back; for He that ſhall come, will come, and will not tarry. Even ſo, Come Lord Jeſus, Come quickly. Amen.