The Temple of Solomon Portrayed, History · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. OF THE Temples Deſtruction.
2 Chro. 36.12 Ver. 14. Jer. 5.31.WE are now arrived at the fatal and final period of that firſt and moſt Magnificent Temple; which by reaſon of the manifold and hainous ſins of the Kings and Nobles, the Prieſts and Levites, the lying falſe Prophets, and the willingly ſeduced people of the Land of Judah, was conſumed with fire, and utterly laid waſte by Nebuzaradan, the Captain of the King of Babylons Guard,2 King. 25.8 Jer. 52.13. Joſeph. contr. Apion l. 1. p. 144. Strabo Geog. l. 15 p. 687. Calvis. Iſag. Chronol. f. p. 79. Petao-Ration. Tem. p. 2 l. 4. p. 234. edit. Par. 1656. in the 19th year of the Reign of Nebuchadnezzar his Imperial Maſter. This great and potent Emperour, who employed his Captain in that diſmal deſign, is called Nabuchodonnoſor by Joſephus out of Beroſus, a Chaldean Writer; by Strabo in the 15th Book of his Geography, Navocodroſor: by Ptolomy in that his moſt Golden Canon of the Aſſyrian Monarchs, Nabocolaſſar, according to a very correct Copy of it communicated by Dr. Overal (ſometime Dean of Pauls in London) to Scultetus living at Heydelberg, and ſince printed by Calviſius, agreeing with another of the ſame kinde publiſhed by Petavius out of the Kings Library at Paris: The ſame Canon for ſubſtance, though different in ſome letters of the names, and the years of their Reigns, is preſented to us by Euſebius in his Chronicle, where this King is called Nabupolaſar, or Nabuchodonoſor. But to leave the variation of Authors in the ſeveral letters of his name, I ſhall proceed to accommodate the time of the ruine of this once glorious Pile, to the year of the worlds Creation wherein it hapned, according to the beſt account yet extant. Here, becauſe I am not willing at preſent to trouble any with that controverſie, I ſhall follow the calculation of the elaborate pen of the late famous Primate of Ireland, Ʋſſerii An. Lat. p 1. p. 131in his Scripture-Annals, accordingly as I have hitherto generally done all along this work.
Firſt of all, it is to be noted, that the 19th year of Nebuchadnizzar, was coincident with the 160th year current of the Nabonaſſaraean Aera: for although his Father Napopollaſar, died in the 143 year of that Aera, as appeares evident by Ptolomies forecited Canon, and therefore the Sons 19th year muſt fall in with the 162 year of Nabonaſſar; Dan. 1.1. Jer. 25.1.46.2.yet the Scripture doth expreſly affirm in one place, that the firſt year of Nebuchadnezzar was the third; and in another, that it was the fourth of Jehoiakims Reign, that is the third ending, or ended compleatly, and in the beginning of the fourth. At what time he went upon an expedition againſt Pharaoh Necoh at Carchemiſh, by the River Euphrates, which Joſephus affirms out of Beroſus, Joſeph. p. 144 Peta. dedoctr. Temp. l. 9. c. 61. p. 143.to have been done by his Fathers direction being then alive; Although I know the learned Petavius differs in his judgement: Yet there ſeems to be truth in the Primates aſſertion, if we compare the current and compleat years of the Kings of Judah diligently together with this preſent Aſſyrian Canon, and the Eclypſes which confirm it, recited by Ptolomy in his Almageſt, which would take up much room, and not tend much to my purpoſe at preſent to ampliate in it. There are four Eclypſes noted by Ptolomy to have been ſeen at Babylon before the date of the 160 year of this Aera; yea, before Nebuchadnezzar entred upon Dominion: For the laſt of the four (which was of the Moon) fell out in the fifth year of Nabopollaſar his Father, and the 127 of the Aera,Bulliald. Aſtron. Phil. l. 3. c. 7. p. 151. and all of them are found by calculation from our preſent Tables, to correſpond very near with the quantities of the eclypſed digits mentioned by Ptolomy. Hence it is, that Aſtronomers have eſteemed this Epocha to be one of the firmeſt Baſis of all Chronology.
Now then to apply the time of this ſad Cataſtrophe and diſſolution of the Temple, to the Julian period: For which purpoſe, we muſt at preſent aſſume ſome things (but yet ſuch are now generally agreed on, and demonſtrated by able Authors) 1. That the firſt year of the true time of our Lords Incarnation, was co-incident with 4710 year of that happily-invented Julian Period, and alſo with the 4000 year of the world. 2. That the firſt of Nabonaſſars Aera did correſpond with the 3967 year of the forementioned Period. To which if we adde 159 compleat years of Nabonaſſar's (for it was in the 160 current) the Sum brings us to the 4126 year of the Julian Period; in which the 19 year of Nebuchadnezzar (deduced from his firſt beginning to reign, while his Father was yet alive) doth compleatly fall, If further, we ſhall ſubſtract 4126 from 4710. the year of the Julian Period at our Lords birth; the reſidue will be 584 years before Chriſts true birth-time, or 588 before the vulgar computation, which is four years behinde the truth, when the Temple was deſtroyed. Laſtly, If we deduce thoſe 584 years before Chriſt, from 4000 the year of the world wherein Chriſt was born, according to the beſt computations, the reſidue points out 3416. for the year of the world wherein the Temple was burnt, according to this calculation of the times.
In this deplorable year,2 King. 25.8 on the ſeventh day of the fifth MonethMonth (anſwering to Auguſt the 24 of the Julian year, being Wedneſday) the Great Commander of the King of Babylons Army, ſets fire to the houſe of the Lord, and the Kings Palace, and to all the houſes of Jeruſalem, ſo that every great mans houſe was burnt with fire; which diſmal and flaming conſumption continued, till it had fully devoured all thoſe forementioned ſtately Palaces on the 10 day of the ſame fifth monethmonth, anſwering to the 27 of Auguſt, being Saturday, Jer. 52.12.and the Jewiſh Sabboth, when the City reſted in its cinders for the ſins of the Inhabitants, who had ſo greatly polluted the Sabboths of the moſt High God. After this, they brake down all the walls of Jeruſalem round about; then they battered in pieces the two famous pillars of Braſs, the ten Baſes with their lavers, together with that admirable Brazen Sea, all to ſhivers, and carried away all the braſs to Babylon, with the Cauldrons, Candleſticks, Cups, Snuffers, Spoons, Shovels, Fire-pans, Bowls, and Baſons, and all the Veſſels of Gold, Silver and Braſs, great and ſmall wherewith they miniſtred in the houſe of the Lord; yea, the treaſures of the Temple, and of the King and his Princes were conveyed to the Triumphal City: So that now the Lamentations of Jeremy the weeping Prophet, may well ſuit the ſubject of this Chapter, ſeeing the once delicate Daughter of Zion now ſits deſolate upon the ground, while her dear children,Jer 6.2. hanging up their harps upon the willows by the rivers of Babylon, convert the ſongs of the Temple into bitter howlings,Amos 8.3. and their Sacrifices into the bread of mourners,Hoſ. 94. Pſal. 137.1. 2 Kin. 21.13 Hoſ. 2.11. Mal. 2.3. and ſwell the rivers they ſit by, with floods of tears, and weep unſpeakably while they remember Zion: Alas for Jeruſalem, the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the houſe of Ahab is now ſtretched over that beautiful City: God had now cauſed all her mirth to ceaſe, her Feaſt-days, her New-Moons, her Sabbaths, and all her Solemn Feaſts: The dung of her Solemnities was now ſpread upon her face; nay, the very place where the Temple once ſtood in full beauty and glory, was in the days of Jerom, an eye witneſs, after its laſt ruine,Hieronym. t. 5. in Iſa. 64. p 293. c. Job 30.31. Iſa. 27.9. Lam. 4.1. Mic. 3.12. Lam. 5.18. turned [in ſterquilininum urbis novae] into the dunghil of the new city, called Ae…ia. Well may the harps of the Temple be now changed into mourning, and the organ into the voyce of them that weep, when the ſtones of the Altar become as vile as chalk ſtones, that are beaten in ſunder; and the ſtones of the Sanctuary are poured out in the top of every ſtreet, and the fine gold thereof become dim, and the precious Sons of Zion eſteemed as earthen pitchers: Zion it ſelf is plowed like a field, Jeruſalem laid on heaps, and the Mountain of the Houſe, as the high places of the Forreſt, and the Foxes walk upon that mountain without controul.
Jer. 7.12.Whe…ce we learn, That as God did to Shiloh, ſo he dealt with his Houſe at Jeruſalem, turning an Eden into a Deſart; a pleaſant Land into an howling Wilderneſs, cauſing ſtately Palaces to become a throne for bryars and nettles to triumph in,Iſa. 13.21.34.14, 15. and their ſad ruinous heaps, to be dens of Dragons; for Iim and Ohim, and the wilde Satyrs to dance their meaſures, for the wickedneſs of them that dwelt therein: Whereby let us be warned (if we act over their ſins) leſt God act over us their judgements. If we ſhall abuſe ſuch places (which our devout fore-fathers have erected) by idolatry and Superſtition, to the high provocation of the pure eyes of Gods glory to jealouſie againſt us; certainly he will proceed yet further, as he hath in ſome meaſure begun in his wrath,Iſa. 64.11. to make even our Jeruſalem become a deſolation, and our beautiful houſes, wherein we and our Fathers have praiſed him, to be burnt with fire, and all our pleaſant things to be laid waſte. 'Tis not outward glittering pomp that God looks at: The hour is now come, that neither in the Mountain of Samaria, John 4.nor at Jeruſalem, will the Father be worſhipped; but thoſe that now preſent their homage to him, muſt perform it in Spirit and in truth: For the Salvation of Iſrael hath long ſince appeared from Zion, Pſal. 14.7.and hath abrogated all the ancient Ceremonies, and God hath revealed himſelf in a ſpiritual way to ſuch as have waited for the Conſolation of Iſrael:Luke 2.25. They muſt now expect a Temple (not made with hands) coming down from God out of Heaven, which ſhall need no Golden Candleſtick to enlighten it,Rev. 21.23. no Sun or Moon to ſhine into it: But the Glory of God and of the Lamb ſhall be the light thereof, moſt radiantly beautiful is the place where his Honour dwelleth: From out of whoſe Throne rivers of Water of Life,Rev. 22.1. clear as Chryſtall ſhall, ſhall proceed, for the true Worſhippers that ſhall reign with him for ever to bathe themſelves in, being ſtreams of inexpreſſible pleaſure, that flow at his right hand for evermore.