The Name Mark and Number of the Beast, Chapter 5 · Part 18 – Part 19
Answer.
If … may speak what I find by Experience, there is not any one place either in Daniel or the Revelation, that seemeth to me to be more intricate than the Number of time mentioned in this Chapter. It may be the Lord will have the time to lie doubtful, and to be sealed to the time of the end, vers. 4, 9.
However it be, though I cannot positively prove the meaning of the text, yet we may firmly conclude, That the periods of time do lead us to the end of the world; and that they cannot possibly be restrained to the Persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, and to the times of the suffering of the Jews under that tyranny.
But let us look to the Text: By the Children of thy people, we do willingly acknowledge, That the People of the Jewes are here meant. But we do not yield that Mr Broughton doth make a true Deduction from the meaning of these words. He doth infer, That in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes his persecuting the Church, Michael may stand up, because the whole Nation of the Iewes suffered more eminently for Religion in those times. Now here I say, This cannot be the time of the great Tribulation of the Jews, nor the time of the standing up of Michael, seeing the Tribulation here spoken of is after the destruction of the Seleucian Kingdom. For I would gladly know what the Angel doth mean by these words, He shall come to his end, and none shall help him, vers. 45. Is it not clear, by the whole tenor and scope of the text, That he speaketh of the King of the North, or the Seleucian Kingdom? That this Tyranny shall come to its end without help or remedy. And then afterward, (the Seleucian Kingdom being destroyed) the great Calamity shall fall upon the Nation of the Jews in the following times. Secondly, Our Saviour himself, that best knew the meaning of Daniel's Prophecie, doth expresly speak of the standing up of the Abomination of Desolation mentioned by Daniel the Prophet; he doth speak of the greatest wrath that ever was from the foundation of the world, that it should fall upon the Nation of the Jewes; and that for the Elects sake only those dayes should be shortened. Now then, how doth he apply these Predictions? not to the times of Antiochus Epiphanes, which Mr Broughton here speaks of; but (as all the Evangelists do agree) to the last and fatal destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans; Matth. 24. 21, 22. Mar. 13. 14, 15, &c. Luk. 21. 20, 21, &c.
Now, whereas Daniel did put the Question partly out of a desire to pry into these Mysteries, and partly to give information to the Church; he received an Answer sutable to the Question which he did propound. The Question is this: Then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? vers. 8. And the Answer of the Angel is this: From the time that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away, and the Abomination that maketh Desolate shall be set up, there shall be 1290 daies. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the 1335 dayes. But go thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest, and stand in the lot at the end of the daies, vers. 11, 12, 13. From the scope of these words, if we take it for granted, That the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation was at the last and fatal destruction of Ierusalem; (for so our Saviour doth expound the words of Daniel) then we do infer, from the destruction of that City there will be 1290 dayes, and then again 1335 dayes to the time of the end: And so we may conclude, That this period of time will not extend only to the times of Christ, but very far beyond his times toward the end of the world.
But it may be alledged, seeing that I undertake to shew the length of the period, How long it shall continue, and the beginning from whence it shall commence; why do not I speak Determinately concerning the time where it shall end?
I do only so far undertake to speak of the length of this period, to shew that Daniel's Prophecie containeth a great Number of years beyond the destruction of Ierusalem. And this is enough to Confute Mr Broughton, and other Interpreters of this way; though for my part I am not able to determine the Question why it is said 1290 dayes, and then after that, 1335 dayes. There is a special reason of doubling the Number; but yet for the accommodation of the time, I must confess my ignorance. Only for the present purpose, it is enough to say in the general, That there is a great Chain of years to begin after the destruction of Ierusalem; and that the times of Daniel, and the times of the Revelation, do both run parallel together, to the glorious Kingdom of the Saints. But for the true concord of the times, I do profess that I lie in the mire.
Whereas the holy Prophet is commanded to seal and to shut up the Vision, we are not to take this simply, as though there shall be a perpetual inclosure, and an absolute concealment of the sense for ever; but only, that the disclosing is referred to the time of the end. They that shall live neer upon the accomplishment of the Prophecie, upon the borders of the glorious Church, at the times of the Calling of the Jewes, perhaps they shall see that which hath lain hid in the Scriptures for many Ages. Though Daniel was to seal up the Vision for the time present, yet in the latter dayes many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be encreased, vers. 4.
Object. But if it shall be said, That the great Question doth lie in this, From what beginning are we to fetch this period of time, or where is the date thereof? Some place the beginning of these years in Antiochus Epiphanes; some, in the Abomination of the Desolation set up by Iulian the Apostate.
Sol. For the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation, there is no question but that this is meant of the Calamity under the Romans; for so our Saviour doth expound the meaning of the Prophecie: And there is good reason wherefore we should rest in the Authority of such an interpreter. As for the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation by Iulian the Apostate; I marvel that such a judicious Interpreter as Mr Brightman, should rest upon so groundless a conceit. But as groundless as it is, I find that many men are carried away with his Authority. But first of all, how was Iulian a taker away of the daily Sacrifice? He rather countenanced the Jewes against the Christians, Socrat. lib. 3. Secondly, how can we apply the taking away of the daily Sacrifice to the times of Iulian? and how can we make the accompt by the Abomination of Desolation set up by Iulian, when our Saviour doth speak so plainly of the des…ruction of Ierusalem by the Romans? He speaketh in this wise: These be the dayes of Vengeance, that all things that are written, may be fulfilled. And there shall be great distress upon this People, and they shall fall by the edge of the Sword, and shall be led away Captive into all Nations; and Ierusalem shall be troden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, Luk. 21. 22, 23, &c. Here observe, First, our Saviour speaketh of the destruction of Ierusalem, and of the scattering of the Jewes, and of the time of their dispersion. He doth speak of these things as they were foretold in the writings of the old Prophets, That all that is written might be fulfilled. Now where may we conceive these things are written, but in the Prophecie of Daniel? more briefly, chap. 9; and more largely, chap. 12. St. Matthew therefore, when he speaketh of the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans, doth plainly shew that this is but the fulfilling of that which was formerly mentioned in the Prophecie of Daniel, Mat. 24. vers. 14, 15. If this be so, why then should we look after the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation in the times of the Emperor Iulian, when in the Evangelist it is so strictly limited to the destruction of Ierusalem? But let us come to the things themselves; and here in the first place, concerning the wrath that shall be upon the people of the Jewes: it is expresly said, That they shall fall by the edge of the Sword, and that they shall be carried Captive into all Nations. This is the scope of our Saviours words, as we may see in the Story. Now then, doth not Daniel speak of the same things? of a time of trouble for the Children of his People, such as never was since it was a Nation, vers. 1. And doth he not speak of the scattering of the Holy People, and of the continuance of their dispersion to the time of the end? Secondly, for the time, how long the dispersion shall continue; our Saviour saith, That the Jewes shall be carried Captive into all Nations, and Ierusalem shall be troden under foot till the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled. It is plain then, That the dispersion of the Jews, and the conculcation of the literal Ierusalem, shall last to the fulfilling of the times of the Gentiles. Now then, If we apply this to the Prophecie of Daniel, doth he not speak of the destruction of Ierusalem, and the dispersion of the Holy People, and of the time of the dispersion, how long shall it be to the end of these things? vers. 6. Thirdly, The Evangelist doth begin the time of the dispersion from the destruction of Ierusalem, as from the Epocha and term thereof. And doth not Daniel do the same? Doth he not Number 1290 dayes, the time of the dispersion, from the destruction of Ierusalem? Fourthly, The Evangelist saith, That Ierusalem shall be troden under foot till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. In which words he doth secretly imply, That after the compleating of those times, there shall be a glorious Restoring of that Church and Nation. The words of St. Paul are much to the same effect; When the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, all Israel shall be saved, Rom. 11. 25. He speaketh of the Church of the Jewes that shall be in the latter times. And for the particular time, he doth restrain it in this wise, When the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in: that is, When the Fulness of the Nations shall be brought in to own Christ the Head of the Church, then the Nation of the Jews shall be Called; And so Jewes and Gentiles shall make one People under Christ their Head in the latter dayes. And are not the words of Daniel much to the same purpose? Doth he not say, Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the 1335 dayes, to the glorious Restauration of that Church and Nation?
But yet for a further amplification, let us consider what is spoken Dan. 9. 27. And here we shall find that this doth parallel the two former Scriptures, and that all three together do speak of the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans, and the continuance of the dispersion of that People after the destruction. These are the words; He shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease; and for the overspreading of Abomination, (or as it is in the Margine, with Abominable Armies) he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. In these words, Note, First the Agent, who it is that shall make desolate; The People of Rome, or the Prince of that People who shall come. Secondly, The Action it self; he shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease, and shall bring in the Abomination that maketh Desolate. Thirdly, The time when this Action shall begin; to wit, After the cutting off of the Messiah: Then the People of the Prince that shall come, shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary. And so they did, as appeareth by the event. …ourthly, For the time of the continuance of the Desolation; it is said, He shall make it desolate even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. He doth not speak of the desolation of Ierusalem only at that … …nstant, but of the continuance thereof, as the Lord had determined and Decreed it upon that City and People. I… is said to be determined, because … is precisely cut out, de…ned, limited, and circumscribed, as was the period of the 70 weeks, vers. 24. Further, The Prophet Isaiah … of the casting away of the Jewes, useth the same expression, as is her… used in the text of Daniel. For, (saith he) though thy Peo…le of Israel be as the sand of the Sea, yet a … of … shall return▪ For foreign the consumption … … the p…ecise consummation shall overflow … …, chap. 10. vers. 22, 23. This is spoken of the … fata… …cattering of the Jewish Nation, and the … … … … of that dispersion, as the Apostle him…elf … ex…ound, Rom. 9. 27, 28. So then, the text doth not only speak of the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans, but of a certain determinated time of the desolation of that People, how long it shall continue. Now let us apply all these things to the controverted place, Dan. 12. 11, From t…e t…me that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away, and the Ab…nation that maketh Des…late be set up, there shall be 1290 … ▪ What is more natural and consonant to the text, an… … is more congruous to other Scriptures, than to take the … up of the Abomination of Desolation for the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans? And that the 1290 dayes, the time of the dispersion, doth run from that begi… … ▪ We ha…e good reason to take this for an authentick … ▪ because Dan…el in the 12 Chapter doth more largely repe… … Desolation by the Romans, which he had more briefly … chap. 9. We cannot be perswaded, but that the Prop… … last Vision, went farther into the times, than he did i… … going before; at least, he went as far. For … is expresly said concerning this last Vision, that the time was long, and for many dayes. The word in the Original is foreign or as Mr Broughton doth well render it, the Army-like-ordered time was great. Piscator upon the place also, doth well observe the same propriety of the phrase; Vide …r … … ess… Metaphora, quod in tempore determina…o partes convenienti ordine à Deo sunt dispositae sicut Milites in exercitis. T…e s…emeth here to be a …; the parts in this determin…te time are so disposed of G… Souldiers in an Army. We may then safely conclude, … in this last Vision Daniel doth go many …-deep into the times, and much deeper than he did in the former Visions. And therefore we may necessarily affirm, That he doth lead us far beyond the times of Christ. On the contrary, If these times end with the Persecution… under Antiochus Epiphanes, (for so Mr Broughton and others will have it) how is the time long? and how doth the Lord speak of such notable events that should befal Da…iel's People in the last and utmost Rere-ward of time? The destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans, was 230 years after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes: And therefore the Vision of the 70 weeks (if Mr Broughtons interpretation be good) must go farther than this last Vision, by such a Proportion and Number of years. Now, who can possibly believe this to be true, that readeth the three last Chapters of the Prophecie? Must the whole Narration of all the things there declared end at Antiochus his death?
Now then, to gather all into one sum, we may safely collect, That Daniel in this Vision doth not only lead us to the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans, but he doth speak also how long the Jewes shall remain under that fatal Dispersion. These things our Saviour, the Apostle St. Paul, Isaiah, and Daniel, all of them do speak: First, of the scattering of the Nation after the destruction of Ierusalem, and of the time of their Dispersion till their Calling again.
If any shall then require me to make good the Chronologie of 1290 dayes, and of 1335 dayes, I must confess that I am here at a loss; and it may be that they who shall come in the Rere-ward of the foreign or the Army-like-ordered time, shall see more. Then perhaps many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be encreased. If I may (to use the words of Mr Fox) vent foreign my Conjectures, I should be willing to proceed in this manner: First, To speak of the time in a Latitude. Secondly, To speak of it more particularly. If we speak of it in some Latitude, and begin the 1290 daies at the destruction of Ierusalem, this period of time will bring us precisely to the year of the Lord 1359: And here, (as Alstedius well observeth in his Chronologie, cap. 6.) the Saints did begin more vigorously to testifie against the Antichristian Idolatries. And in very deed, if we diligently observe the times, with some subtilty of consideration, we shall find, That from the taking of Constantinople, and the destruction of the Greek Empire, in the East, the Languages have been revived, and the Witnesses of Truth have been more effectually raised up in the West; and the light of the Gospel doth more and more encrease. And it is very probable that these things will go on, and never cease till the Kingdom of Christ be set up in its full glory and Monarchical power over Jews and Gentiles.
This I take to be the meaning of the Prophecie, in the general accommodation thereof. But for the more distinct and particular Application of the times, this (as I have said before) I must leave to them that come after. Now let us proceed to the words of Piscator in his Preface upon the Prophecie of Daniel.
Piscator.
The third Kingdom is not here rightly extended to the Successors of Alexander the Great, so far at least as he is stated the first King of that Kingdom. For though this is done, chap. 8. vers. 21. yet nevertheless, that Prophecie differeth much from this. For the Kingdom of the Greeks figured by the He-goat is there expresly Named, and is divided into the Kingdom of Alexander, (who is resembled by the notable Horn which the He-goat had between his eyes) and the Kingdom of his Successors. So that this of Alexander is clearly to be distinguished, as different from that of the Successors. For it is said, When that Horn was br…ken, four stood up for it, or in the place of it; and afterward those four are expresly called one Kingdom, vers. 23. Likewise it is spoken concerning the Kingdom of Alexander, That it should be plucked up, and that it should come to others, and not to his Posterity, Dan. 11. 4.