A Discourse Upon the Powers of the World to Come, Treatise · Treatise proper · Part 7
I will therefore here ſubjoyn but ſome of the grounds I have reſted upon in the Interpretation of Prophecy according to a few Notes on theſe Standards, as the Next Head of Diſcourſe Propoſed.
I Firſt, according to our General Scripture Account, Fix Hiſtorical Time.
For the drawing then into one View the Types and Symbols of Prophecy, from the Time the Spirit of Prophecy was pleas'd to Compoſe it into a Scheme, and had prepar'd ſo to do; I have conſider'd the Archetypal Viſion of Ezekiel's Temple, and City, c. 40. to the End: Repreſenting the Kingdom of Chriſt in its Glory, and the New Jeruſalem alſo, having the Glory of God; Now when this was once given, it becomes a Standard; gives Types to the State of the Church of God from that Time among the Jews before Chriſt, and in the Days of our Lord in the Fleſh: then of the Jewiſh and Gentile Christian Church in all the States of it; either in the Dartings out of the Glory of it; or the Stops, Stays and Darknings of its Glory; becauſe, as is Evident both by Scripture, and Experience, that Glory hath been, and yet is under ſo long a Delay, from the Time of that Viſion given to this Day.
Now this I have all along obſerv'd, from Prophetick Viſion to Prophetick Viſion, through the Prophecy of Daniel, and of the Revelation; in thoſe Expreſs References to that, as I juſtly call it, Archetypal Viſion, from the very giving it to the End; And I Account it as a Pole-ſtar; like the Star that Led the Wiſe men to Christ; ſo this Viſion ſhapes an Unerring Courſe to the Kingdom of Chriſt.
And becauſe, one Principal Point in that Viſion of Ezekiel, was the Throne, Leading to the Throne of God, and of the Lamb in the New Jeruſalem, Ezek. 4. 3. 7. and Rev. 22. 3. And that there was to be, as I have ſaid, ſo long a Delay; Soon after the Viſion of Ezekiel given, There is a Viſion given to Daniel, c. 2 in Nebuchadnezzars Image, and of Four Beaſts, c. 7. deſcribing Four Monarchies, as Four Thrones, which ſhould ſucceſſively reach to the Kingdom and Throne of Chriſt; And then, as it is expreſly ſaid, the Thrones were eaſt down; theſe Counter Thrones to the Throne of Chriſt; and the Throne of the Son of Man Eſtabliſhed alone, Dan. 7. v. 9
This therefore I lay before me, as another Archetypal Viſion, relating to the Powers of the Gentiles, and the Enemies of the Kingdom of Chriſt.
And having to do with the Roman Monarchy, the laſt of the Four from the Times of the New Teſtament; I moſt particularly conſider that: and Finding, that the Evangeliſt Luke gives an Early Notice of it as an Ʋniverſal Monarchy in Auguſtus Caeſar Commanding a Cenſe of the whole World, as his own Dominion, Luke 2. 1▪ Even before the Birth of our Lord: I conclude this muſt be the Fourth of Daniels Monarchies; For though ſome would have it the Macedonian, as Divided after the Death of Alexander the Great; I find, That cannot be; both becauſe the God of Heaven would not have ſet up a Kingdom in the Days of thoſe Kings, as is expreſly ſaid, Dan. 2. v 44. And alſo becauſe, The Kingdom of Chriſt, Even yet, is not that Univerſal Dominion, it was Foretold, it ſhould be: And Laſtly, Becauſe I find ſo Admirable an Ha…mony be…wen the Prophetick Figures in the Revelation, and the plain Hiſtorical Accounts of that Monarchy; and that the Spirit of God hath even to plain Litteralneſs, or more than ſo, Interpreted it to be Rome and its Empire; I lay therefore before me this Roman Monarchy in the Pagan Empire; in the Antichriſtian Empire, viz. The Papacy; which to give publick Notice, it is a Throne, Aſſumes ſo Solemnly, and Notoriouſly Enthroniczation to it ſelf; and the European Kings given as Horns of Strength to it; as alſo the Mahometan Saracens, and Turks, coming as two Woes upon it, are adjuſted in Time.
Now finding the Iconiſmes, or Images of Prophecy every way Agreeing herewith, both in the Freeſt Analogical, and even Litteral Interpretation, as I have ſhewn, all parts ſquaring one with Another; I cannot but be thus far aſſur'd, The Interpretation of the ſure word of Phropheſy muſt needs be Fair, Juſt and Right; or ſeeing no other Interpretation can be Found thus to Square, Prophecy muſt be indeed of Private Interpretation, altho the Apoſtle aſſures it is not ſo.
More particularly with Relation to the Prophetical Numbers of Time, I Found the purely prophetical Time on that Baſis, or Ground of it, the Three Hundred Ninety Days of Years of Ezekiel his Bearing the Iniquity of the Houſe of Iſrael. Theſe I make Sevenfold, according to the Standard of Seven God ſo often fixes in the punniſhment of Iniquity, Levi…. 26. And ſo they comprehend in that Seven foldneſs, (which makes the 390, 2730,) the Forty Days of Years of Ezekiels Bearing the Iniquity of the Houſe of Judah, and the Twenty Three Hundred Eves, Morns of the Sanctuary Troden under Foot, until the Sanctuary Cleanſed, or Justified, according to Ezekiels Viſion, in the Glorious Kingdom of Chriſt.
Theſe Twenty Seven Hundred Thirty Years, making Seven Times Three Hundred and Ninety, is one of the Tranſcendents I find in the Scripture-Line of Time, according to my Computation of it, and the Third Standard now given.
In this Grand Portion of the Line, viz. Of the Twenty Three Hundred Eves, Morns; Fall Evenly and Juſtly All the Numbers of Time given after in Daniel, and the Revelation; or that can be ſuppoſed neceſſary to fill up any Spaces according to Hiſtory; or that are neceſſary to make up the 2300. although the Numbers are not, in Leſſer or Collatteral Lines to the 2300, Named in Prophecy, which Yet muſt be, and are Seventy Five before the Weeks, and Four Hundred Years after the Weeks; For all others are expreſly named in Scripture-Prophecy; But however, as I have often ſhewn, All Agree in their Juſt Order, and Agree among themſel…es, and Agree with the Notes of Diſcerning them, Scripture hath given; and laſtly, Agree with Hiſtory and General Chronology. All which make as great Aſſurance, as can be of a True Computation and Account; ſeeing neither Chance, nor Art can Tune Thin…s to ſuch a Manifold Agreement; For, as They ſay, Res nolunt Decipi, Things will not be deceived, nor impoſed upon; ſo they cannot be Forc'd, Compell'd, nor Flatter'd into an Agreement, and ſo manifold an Agreement; when the Natural, Mutual Reſpect, they have one to another, does not incline them.
That particular Portion of the Line of Time, given to meaſure the Time of the Apoſtaſy by, ſo often, and ſo variouſly given; viz Time, Times, Half a Time; Twice Forty Two Months; Twice Twelve Hundred Sixty Days; and Three Days and an half; and ſo the Laſt Thirty, and Forty Five, moſt Evenly and Juſtly, according to the Line of Time, take hold of, and ſucceed one another in their Juſt Places; The 1260 concert with the Ten Kings Receiving Power at one hour with the Beaſt; The Beaſts Supremacy, the Mahometan Times; (So as to give all the Aſſurance that can be) Fall in One with Another; All according to the Juſteſt Configurations of Prophetical Images, and Hiſtorical Events. And herein I obſerve Four Tranſcendencies, which moſt unexpectedly and ſurprizingly meet the Conſiderer herein, according to the Third Standard here given; and would make the Meditative upon them cry out, I have found, I have found.
1. That as Scripture-Prophecy gives the Time by Moons to the Gentiles, and to the Beaſt; and Days of the Sun, to the Witneſſes, and the Woman; and that theſe Days of the Sun and Moons, are to Agree one with another, as Lunar and Solar Time do; I find, according to my Calculation, they do Agree according to the ſo celebrated Rule of the Golden Number; and that thereby the Succeſſion of the Beaſt, or the Antichriſtian Papacy, according to the Exact Laws of Succeſſion, to the Chriſtian Emperor, as Seventh Head, and Eighth King, Revel. 17. 10, 11. is fix'd at 475, or 6. as it ought, according to all Hiſtory, to be; and determin'd to its End, or Going into perdition at 1697. Lunar Time and Solar Falling in Exactly according to all Chronology with this Prophecy.
2. According to my Calculation, by the Time, the ſo known Character of Time, Indiction, or accounting by Fifteens of Years, was well known and ſettled after Conſtantine; the Spirit of Poophecy hath Adopted it to Enter into its Own Computation of Time; For the Time, Times and half Time, beginning accordingly at 437. are in the whole, and in each Diviſion, caſt into Indictions, or Fifteens of Years; viz. the Three Times, or Thrice Three Hundreds and Sixties; and the Half Time, or the One Hundred Eighty; and for their ſakes the Thirty, making 1260 1290, by Two Fifteens; and the Forty Five making 1290 to be 1335. Dan. 12. 11. 12. is evidently by Three Indictions, or Fifteens.
And to All this may be added the Obſervation, that the Words choſen out by the Spirit of God in the Chaldee, Hebrew, and Greek, to expreſs Time, Times and Half Time, ſo Sworn by Chriſt, as to be Determinate Time, may be Emphatically Tranſlated Indiction, or Indicted Time.
Now what can this mean? but that, Over-Ruling Providence ſo Diſpoſes All, that ſuch Notations of Time ſhould be found out, and come into Uſe, as when it ſelf hath Occaſion for them to Aſcertain its own Calendar of Prophetick Time; and who alſo would Direct, and Guide his Servants into the Obſervation of, and moſt Aſſured Diſtinction of Prophetick Time by Them; according to the fit Seaſons appointed by himſelf, to make them ſo known to them; ſo that it is no wonder they have not been known before; or that they are made known to ſome, and not to others, when they are made known.
3. It is even of Tranſcendent Remark, that the Reformation, at that ſo Agreed Epoch of it, ſhould be at 1517. as the juſt Point of Half Time beginning; that neceſſarily caſts the beginning of the Time and Times upon 437. according to my Fixation of it; before (I can Truely Appeal) I had made a Reflection upon the Wonderful Service it does to aſſure the Line of Time, and the beginning of thoſe 1260 days, at 437; but according to the Natural Progreſs of the 2300 Eves, Morns, in the Aſſignation of Each to their Proper Points of Time Adorn'd with their Suitable Events; Each, I ſay, of the Collatteral Lines ſo Aſſign'd Led me to 97.
Now all theſe Tranſcendencies of Evidence eoncerning the juſt Interpretation of Prophecy, I have from Time to Time fully opened, declar'd, and argued in their Proper Treatiſes, according to further and further Light, Euidence and Aſſurance, given in by the Father of Lights; and which are in many Hands.
4. That which it hath pleaſed the Lord further to open and manifeſt to his Unworthy Servant, by way of Tranſeendency, is; That whereas I was led to fix upon 437. as the Beginning of the Times given to the Apoſtaſy, as I ſaid by the moſt Free, and Natural Progreſs upon the Line of the 2300 Eves, Morns; Diſtributed into the Particular, Leſſer and Collatteral Lines: The very Year 437. lay only amongſt the Years of Great Events, moſt Agreeable to all the Prophetical Characters of that Time; But it ſelf was unadorn'd, and lay bare from any Notable Event, or Events to guard it; and it hath been charg'd by ſeveral, as an Objection againſt my Fixing ſo poſitively upon it. But by Further Search, and particularly help'd by that Worthy Annotator on the *Annotat. on the Revelation.Revelation, I find that Year very Notably Remark'd, with Events ſuitable to ſuch an Epoch, or Year, Beginning the 1260 Years, as it does. And that this may be Fully underſtood, I will ſomewhat more at Large Diſcourſe it; Becauſe I have not in any Treatiſe upon Prophetical Subjects, had the ſo Attent Conſideration of it, as it requires; eſpecially being charg'd as an Objection againſt it, that there are no Reaſons in Hiſtory to reſt ſo upon it.