The Scriptures of Harmony, Part 5 – Part 7
From the beginning of the Captivity of Babylon unto the Commandement to reſtore and to build Jeruſalem againe, are 152. yeeres.
FOR,2 Chr. 36. v. 21 Jer 25. v. 11 &c. 29. v. 10. Dan. 9. v. 2.
The Captivity continued 70 yeeres.
The next yeere after, being the firſt yeere of King Cyrus, Iſrael returned from Captivity.Ezra 1. v. 1
They began to build the Temple in the ſecond Ezra 3. v. 8.yeere of the ſaid Cyrus, And it was finiſhed in 29 yeeres after, which was the ſixth yeere of King Darius, the ſon of Hyſtaſpes.C. 6. v. 15.
Of this Temple it was prophecied, that the glory thereof ſhould be greater then of the former; wch was, Hag. 2. v 9.not in reſpect of the beauty in building, but becauſe of the preſence of the Meſsiah, our Saviour, who John 18. v 20.ſhould teach therein.
Artaxerxes in the end of his ſeventh yeer, which Ezra 7. v. 8. 11was 52 yeeres after the finiſhing of the Temple, ſent Ezra, and gave him Commiſsion to reſtore and to build Jeruſalem againe.
Here began the 70. weeks revealed by the Angel Gabriel unto Daniel.Dan. 9. v. 21. 24
The ſaid times accompted are 152 yeeres.
Reaſons why it cannot be admitted that Daniels 70. weeks ſhould be accompted from the firſt yeere of King Cyrus.
The one is, becauſe the Angel ſaith expreſſely, that the 70. weeks muſt be accompted from the going forth of the Commandement to reſtore and Dan. 9. v. 25.to build Jeruſalem: which Commandement was not given forth by Cyrus; for the Commiſſion of Cyrus (twice rehearſed by Ezra) was onelyonly Ezra. 1. & 6.to build the Temple. And though it be alſo true, that Cyrus gave Commandement to build Jeruſalem, yet Eſa. 44. v. 28. &c. 45. v. 13.he gave not Commandement to reſtore Jeruſalem: Whereas that Commandement which the Angel ſpake of, was both to reſtore and to build Jeruſalem. This was given forth by Artaxerxes in the ſeventh Ezra 7. v. 11.yeere of his reigne; As may be ſeene by the tenour of Ezra his Commiſſion. For Ieruſalem was then reſtored when the Lawes were taught, and Religion eſtabliſhed: and it was then built, when Magiſtrates and Iudges were ſet therein. Without Religion Ieruſalem could not be reſtored: without Magiſtrates it could not be called a City. To ſettle both theſe, Ezra onelyonly received authority and had Commandement.
The other reaſon is, becauſe the Aſſertors of this opinion, when they come to particulars, doe groſſely rend in ſunder all Hiſtories, eſpecially of the Perſian Monarchy; and are forced to build on their own phanſies. As, That Cyrus after he took Bahel, Broughtons Advertiſement of corruption, pag. 11. See Mr. Mores Tables.reigned but three yeeres: Cambyſes after his fathers death foure: But Mr. More will have it that Cambyſes reigned with his father ſixe yeeres, and one after his fathers death. Both alike true. For if Cyrus and Cambyſes reigned ſo ſhort a time, how could Cambyſes, the Prince of the Kingdome of Perſia, withſtand Dan. 10. v. 13. compared with v. 1.the building of the Temple 21. yeeres, as the Scriptures affirme; and are ſo underſtood even by Mr. Broughton himſelfe?Broughton ibid.
That Darius the ſonne of Hyſtaſpes (ſirnamed Ahaſuerus) hindered the building of the Temple; who See Broughtons conſent of Scripture, Anno Mun. 3560. And Mr. Mores Tables.is generally acknowledged to be the finiſher *Joſeph. Antiqu l. 11 c. 4. Func. fol. 65. Bucholz. pag. 34 Sir W Ral Hiſt. l. 3. c. 5. Sect. 3. Ezra 4. v. 6.therof: and whoſe great favour and liberality unto the Jewes is not onelyonly ſet forth in the Book ef Eſther, but alſo in prophane hiſtories. And though it be true, that in the beginning of the reigne of Ahaſuerus they wrote an accuſation againſt the inhabitants of Iudah and Ieruſalem: yet this accuſation was ſo farre from hindering the building of the Temple, that it procured from Darius, alias Ahaſuerus, a Decree for the ſpeedy finiſhing thereof.C. 6. v 1. unto v. 13.
That Artaxerxes, mentioned in the ſeventh of Ezra, was the ſame Darius mentioned before in the Broughtens Advertiſement; and Conſent.ſixth chapter, in whoſe reigne the Temple was finiſhed. But this cannot be. For Ezra ending his ſtory of Darius in the ſixth chapter begins his ſeventh thus: Now after theſe things in the reigne of Artaxerxes King of Perſia, &c. Which words ſhew plainly that he ſpake of another King, and of things done long after Darius. Beſides, in the ſeventh yeere of Artaxerxes, Ezra had Commiſſion to ſet Magiſtrates Ezra 7. v. 8. 25.and Iudges over the people, which could not be the next yeere after the finiſhing of the Temple, unleſſe we will ſuppoſe that Zerubbabel the Governour, and Hag. 1. v. 1. Zech 4. v. 6.Ieſhua the High-Prieſt, and the other Magiſtrates, did all die together on a ſudden, as ſoon as the Temple was finiſhed.
That Xerxes hindered the building of the Temple; Broughtons Advertiſement pag. 12. 13.That Artaxerxes Longimanus was brother to Xerxes; whom all Hiſtories with one conſent declare to be his ſonne: That he reigned but 36. yeeres: that Artaxerxes Mores Tables.Mnemon reigned 11. yeeres with his father, and 10. alone; and infinite ſuch like abſurdities.
Neither can they excuſe themſelves, becauſe of the diverſity of Writers touching the time of theſe Kings. For the beſt and ſoundeſt Writers doe not differ: and that which is, and hath from time to time beene generally received, muſt be taken for truth. But Vincent. Ler. contra Haereſ. c. 3.theſe follow none at all, and cannot ſo much as find one pur-blind Author to countenance their inventions. And therefore they doe cautiouſly omit the particular accompt of Daniels 70. weeks.
An Object. But Mr. More tels us, that Daniels 70. weeks muſt needs begin at the very end of their 70. yeeres captivity, Mores Tables. pag. 94, 95.or elſe the analogie of their 70. yeeres captivity, and 7. times 70. yeeres liberty, could not ſtand: and alſo the comfort were not ſo forcibly brought by the Angel, if there were any meane time betweene the end of their captivity, and the beginning of their liberty.
Reſolved. To reſolve this, we muſt know, that An analogy is a proportion, ſimilitude, or reſemblance, which one thing hath unto another. Now that any intervenient time can deſtroy an analogie, is a meere paradoxe. For in matter of proportion and ſimilitude, neither time nor place are conſiderable. Betweene the Paſchall Exod. 12. v. 3. 21. Luke 23. v. 33.Lamb in the firſt Paſſeover, and the paſſion of Chriſt the Lamb of God, there was a true analogy: yet there interceded 1552. yeeres. Betweene the lifting up of the Serpent in the Wilderneſſe, and the lifting up of the Sonne of man, there was a true Numb. 21. v. 9. John 3. v. 14.analogy: yet there interceded 1512. yeeres. Betweene Jonas his being three dayes and three nights Jona 1. v. 17. Matth. 12. v. 40in the Whales belly, and the Sonne of man his being three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth, there was a true analogy: yet there interceded about 820. yeers. Between Chriſts ſuffering, and the ſignes now adminiſtred in the Lords ſupper, there is a true analogy: yet the time ſince He ſuffered is more then 1600. yeeres. Therefore it is manifeſt, that the analogy betweene Judah's 70. yeeres Captivity and Daniel's 70. weekes may well ſtand, though the weeks doe not immediately begin in the end of the Captivity.
Nor does any meane time betweene the Jewes Captivity, and their liberty, diminiſh the comfort thereof more then the 46. yeeres till the Iſraelites were peaceably poſſeſſed of the Land of Canaan, diminiſhed their comfort of being freed from Egypt the houſe of bondage.
From the commandement to reſtore and to build Jeruſalem againe, unto the death and paſsion of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, are 490. yeeres.
FOR,
It is expreſſely declared unto Daniel, that from Dan. 9 v. 25.the going forth of the Commandement to reſtore, and to build Jeruſalem, unto the Meſsiah, The Prince, ſhall be 7 weeks (ſo long it was before the Reformation could be fully perfected & Religion eſtabliſhed) and 62 weeks (which make 69. weeks) and Verſe 26. 27.after 62. weeks, in the week following (which added to the ſaid 69. maketh full 70. weeks) ſhall Meſſiah So Numb. 14. v. 34. So Ezek. 4. v. 5, 6. So Dan. 10. v 13 So Revel. 2. v. 10.be cut off, and He ſhall confirme the Covenant, &c. Now accompting each day for a yeere (as the Scriptures doe frequently) 70. weeks do amount unto 490 yeeres.
The full time from the Creation of Adam, unto the death and paſſion Which Ezek. might happily intend by 4000 Cubites c. 47. v. 3, 4, 5.of our Lord and Saviour IESUS CHRIST, is 4000 yeeres and 10 dayes.
A particular proofe of the times from the beginning of the Captivity of Babylon unto the death and paſsion of our bleſſed Saviour IESUS CHRIST, whereby the former computation, as alſo many places of the Scriptures, are cleared.
The firſt Monarch of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar reigned 45 yeeres.Comp. 2 K. 24. v 12. with c. 25 v. 27. Jer. 25. v. 1.
He began to reigne in the end of the fourth yeere of Jehoiakim King of Judah.
In the beginning of his tenth yeere, which was 2 K. 24. v 7. Dan. 2. v. 1. 28. 36. Joſeph. Antiqu. l. 10 c 7 &. 11.the ſecond yeere of his reigne, after he vanquiſhed Pharaoh Nechoh, Daniel told and expounded his dreame.
The Captivity of the Jewes began in the beginning 2 K. 25 v. 8. Jer. 52 v. 12. 27of the nineteenth yeere of his reigne; or, as it is, Ier. 52. v. 29. in the end of the eighteenth yeere.
From the finding of the booke of the Law in the 2 K. 22. v. 3. 8.18. of Ioſiah, unto the laſt carrying away of the Jewes into Captivity in the three and twentieth yeere Jer. 52. v. 30.of Nebuchadnezzar, are 40. yeeres; which was the Ezek 4. v. 6.time of the iniquity of the houſe of Iudah.
Evilmerodach reigned 30 yeeres.Melancthon. l. 2. Chron. de 1. Monarch pag. 165. Sleidan. l. 1.
Belſhazzar in the beginning of his foureteenth yeere was ſlaine; ſo that he reigned but 13 yeeres compleat.
Of theſe three Ieremiah ſpeaks, c. 27. v. 6, 7.
Note, that when Cyrus the Perſian overcame Aſtyages King of the Medes, (whom Daniel Dan. 9. v. 1.calleth Ahaſuerus) Darius, alias Cyaxares, ſonne of the ſaid Aſtyages, took upon him the Kingdome: but finding his ſouldiers to forſake him, and having Joſeph. Antiqu. l 10. c 12. Xenoph de inſtit. Cyri. l. 1. & 8.no iſſue male, he forthwith gave his daughter in marriage unto the ſaid Cyrus (ſonne of Cambyſes the Perſian, and Mandana the ſiſter of Darius) and joyned him in the government, who was proſperous in Dan. 5. v. 2. 30. Ezra 1. v. 1. Iſa 45. v. 1.warres, took Babylon, where he ſlew Belſhazzar in his drunkenneſſe, delivered the Jewes from Captivity, ſubdued many Nations: and was