Visions and Prophecies of Daniel Expounded, Prophecy 5 · Part 2 · Section 16 – Section 17
Sect. 16. Concerning the times or years ſet down, Apoc. 11. and 12. and 13. Dan. 7. and 12. &c.
IN this buſineſſe three things are to be orderly diſpatched; Firſt, we muſt ſearch out the Characters of the beginning and ending of theſe years. Secondly, we muſt ſhew, that it is poſſible, needfull, yea, required that by the Characters of their beginning and ending we ſhould ſearch out their accommodation. Thirdly, I will endeavour to accommodate them by the direction of their Characters according to the meaſure of knowledge wherewith the Lord hath hitherto been pleaſed to enlighten me.
The Characters of their beginning, are theſe. The beginning of the two witneſſes to propheſie in ſackcloth, Apoc. 11.3. the beginning of giving up the holy City into the hands of the Gentiles or Nations to be troden under feet, Apoc. 11.2. The beginning of removing the daily ſacrifice; and of ſecting up the abomination to make deſolate, Dan. 12.11. The beginning of the working of Antichriſt, Apoc. 13.5, 6. Dan. 7.25. and of his riſing among the ten horns, Dan. 7.8. Apoc. 17.12. the fall or caſting down of the heathen Dragon, and begining of the Dragons flood by way of revenge, and of the womans being in the wilderneſſe, and the beginning of ſubverſion of the Chriſtian Emperours, Apoc. 12.5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 15. But in ſpeciall I urge foure Characters of the beginning of theſe years, three whereof are ſet down together, Apoc. 12.13, 14, 15, 16. The firſt, the utter extinction of the Dragon in the heathen Emperours, v. 13. The ſecond, the flight of the woman, the Chriſtian Church, into the wilderneſſe of ſpirituall and temporall deſolation, v. 14. The third, the riſing of the Flood of the Northern Barbarians, v. 15. The fourth, the beginning of Antichriſtian Idolatry.
The Characters of their ending, are theſe: To accompliſh to ſcatter the power of the holy people, Dan. 12.7. An end of Antichriſts raign, in changing the Laws, and wearing out the Saints of the moſt high, Dan. 7.25. Apoc. 13.5, 6. The riſing of the Church from under the perſecutions of the beaſt Apoc. 11.3, 7, 11. The beginning of the Kingdom of the Saints, and of new Jeruſalem, Dan. 7.25, 26. Apoc. 11.11, 12, 13, 14, 15. The ceaſing of the conculcation of the holy city, Ap. 11.2. The ceaſing of the Two Witneſſes prophecying in Sackcloth, Apoc. 11.3. The ceaſing of the deſolation of the Church, Dan. 12.11. and of the Womans hiding in the wilderneſſe, Apoc. 12.6, 14. The bringing in of everlaſting righteouſneſſe, defaecation and purgation of the Saints, Dan. 9.24. And concerning the time of the end of forty five years after the foreſaid years, it is ſaid, Dan. 12.13. But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou ſhalt reſt, and ſtand up in thy lot at the end of the dayes.
I come now to the ſecond point intended; to ſhew that it is poſſible, needfull, yea required, that by theſe Characters we ſhould ſearch out the accommodation of the years. But here a great difficulty doth ariſe, which in the firſt place muſt be removed. For our Saviour in his anſwer to the Apoſtles, asking the time of the reſtoring of Iſrael, ſaith, that It was not for them to know the times and ſeaſons, which the Father hath put in his own hands, Act. 1.6, 7. Whereby he ſeemeth to ſignifie, that the exact time and year of the reſtoring of Iſrael, that is, of the beginning of the Kingdom of the Saints, and deſtruction of Antichriſt, is hidden and unknown, and not to be made manifeſt to man. If this be ſo, then either the foreſaid years are not determined for the bringing in of this effect, contrary to that which hath been ſhewed: or elſe they are ſo at leaſt propoſed in Scripture, that yet they ſhall never be ſearched out, nor known by man, untill the end is fully come. Again, Matthew 24.36. our Saviour having ſpoken of the laſt time, wherein the Enemy ſhall be deſtroyed, and the Kingdom of the Saints ariſe, verſe 29, 33. ſubjoyneth, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the Angels of Heaven, but my Father onelyonly. Which is alſo farther amplified and confirmed by that which followeth, v. 37. For as the dayes of Noah, ſo ſhall alſo the coming of the Son of man be: For as in the dayes before the Flood, they did eat and drink, &c. and knew nothing, till the Flood came and ſwept them all away; ſo ſhall alſo the coming of the Son of man be: Which the Apoſtle Paul confirmeth alſo, 1 Theſſ. 5. 1, 2, 3. But of the times and ſeaſons (Brethren) ye need not that I write unto you: For you your ſelves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord ſhall come as a thief in the night; For when they ſhall ſay Peace and ſafety; then ſhall come upon them ſudden deſtruction. Whereunto may be added that which is ſaid of the laſt afflictions of the Church, Pſalm 74.9. We ſee not our ſigns, there is not one Prophet more, nor any with us that knoweth how long. Laſtly, the uncertainty of the time is made by Chriſt an argument to ſtir us up to watchfulneſſe, Luke 12.40. Be ye therefore ready alſo, for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. So Mark 13. verſe 35. Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the maſter of the houſe cometh, at Even, or at Midnight, or at the Cock-crowing, or at the Morning, lest coming ſuddenly, he finde you ſleeping. And what I ſay unto you, I ſay unto all, Watch. So Matthew 24.42. Wake therefore, for yee know not what hour your Maſter will come.
For anſwer unto theſe Scriptures, I ſay as followeth; Firſt to Act. 1.6, 7. that it was not for the Apoſtles or any of that age, to know the time of the reſtoring of Iſrael; yet nevertheleſſe it is for them to know it that live in the laſt age. The Father alſo hath reſerved it in his own power, howbeit in reſpect onelyonly of ſuperiour ages, from which he purpoſed to conceal it; not in reſpect of the laſt age, whereunto he purpoſed to reveal it. So in like manner, it was not for Daniel to ſearch and underſtand the time, two times and a half at the end whereof the Kingdom muſt begin to be ſet up; howbeit theſe times are to be unſealed to the laſt age, about the time of the end, as it is expreſly ſaid, Dan. 12.7, 8, 9, 10. Unto that, Mat. 24.36. and the other paſſages annexed, I anſwer two wayes; Firſt, as for the wicked, the day, the hour, the time, the year, is to be hidden from their foreknowledge. And this our Saviour intendeth, when he compares the times of Noah, and when he ſaith, that day ſhould come upon them as a ſnare, and the like. See 2 Pet. 3.3, 4. Mat. 24.37, 39. 1 Theſſ. 5.1, 2, 3. For Noah did foreknow the year of the Flood, though the wicked did not, Gen. 6.3. and ſo in the laſt times the Saints ſhall underſtand, when none of the wicked ſhall underſtand, Dan. 12.10. Secondly, as concerning the Saints, our Saviour doth not ſimply and abſolutely deny unto them the foreknowledge of the time; for he knew that the time was to be revealed to his Saints, near unto the end, Dan. 12.4, 10. But he denyeth it onelyonly to the Saints preſent, and far diſtant from the end; to whom it was to be unknown, Dan. 12.4, 9, 10. And for this end, leſt the long diſtance ſhould cauſe ſecurity; therefore our Saviour doth accordingly propoſe the time, as for the preſent hidden, and maketh uſe alſo of the end for which it was hidden, by dehorting from ſecurity, and ſtirring up to watchfulneſſe. But as for the Saints of the laſt age, the foreknowledge of the end cannot occaſion unto them ſecurity, to whom it is not far off, but rather watchfulneſſe, becauſe it is near. And therefore as in the time of Chriſt, the Saints were to be ſtirred up to watchfulneſſe, becauſe the time of the end was unknown: ſo now they are to be ſtirred up to watchfulneſſe, becauſe the time of the end is known. Being then far off; and therfore if known, apt to hinder watchfulnes: Now near; and therefore by knowledge apt to cauſe it.
Unto Pſal. 74.9. firſt it may be queſtioned, Of what time the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh. Secondly, If he ſpeaketh of the laſt time; then either of thoſe, unto whom the light of the Propheſies hath not yet fully ſhined: or in compariſon with precedent times, when they had Prophets extraordinarily and immediately ſent unto them: whereas now they ſhould have none ſuch, but only mediate and ordinary teachers, delivering conjecturall interpretations of numbers myſtically involved. Thirdly, the complaint may be, not of the want of knowledge ſimply, but of the loſſe and great ſlaughter of the teachers, by whom knowledge of the times was manifeſted.
Laſtly, although the uncertainty of the time is made by Chriſt an argument to ſtir us up to watchfulneſſe, yet this hindreth not, but that the yeer of the end or at leaſt the propinquity may be known to the Saints in the laſt age. For the time was abſolutely uncertain to the preſent age wherein Chriſt ſpake; and therefore unto it, the abſolute uncertainty of the end might and ought to be applied, as a provocation and incentive unto watchfulneſſe.
Sect. 17. Arguments to prove, that the foreſaid years are poſsible and ought to bee ſearched.
FIrſt, the foreſaid years are poſſible and ought to be ſearched, becauſe revealed in the word Joh. 5.39. Search the Scriptures, Rom. 15.4. Whatſoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Secondly, becauſe thoſe years are parts of that propheſie, and of thoſe things to come, which God the Father gave unto his Son, to ſend and ſhew unto his ſervants, Apoc. 1.1. Chriſt did not ſend to ſhew the matter without the ſenſe: but that it ſhould be underſtood: therefore we muſt ſearch to underſtand.
Thirdly, becauſe it is ſaid of all the propheſie, and conſequently of the times therein contained, bleſſed is he that readeth, and they that hear this words of this propheſie, Apoc. 1.3. And it is not a liveleſſe reading and hearing without underſtanding, which is here ſpoken of: For ſuch a reading maketh not bleſſed, Acts 8.30. Beſides, it is ſuch a reading as may be the rule of practiſe, and therefore it is added, and keep thoſe things that are written therein, and conſequently it muſt be with underſtanding.
Fourthly, to come neer, our Saviour alledging the propheſie of Daniel, concerning the abomination of deſolation, whereby the foreſaid times are declared and characterized, Dan. 11.31. c. 12.11. addeth with all foreign, let him that readeth underſtand. The ſame ſpeech is applied to the 70 weeks of years, which determine the ſame events with the years above mentioned: know therefore and underſtand, Dan. 9.24.
Fifthly, as the time of the end is neerer at hand, ſo the propheſie, and conſequently the times included are to be unſealed, Dan. 12.14. Apoc. 22.10. and 1, 3.
Sixthly, I argue expreſly from Dan. 12. where the time, two times and halfe being propoſed, Verſe 7. and Daniel profeſſing he underſtood not, Verſe 8. an anſwer is given, Verſe 9. that the words were ſealed up till the time of the end, that is, untill the laſt time immediately before the end, as the phraſe is uſed, Apoc. 11.7. Therefore in the time immediately before the end, thoſe words are to be unſealed, which is farther proved by Verſe 10. Many ſhall be tried, made white, and purified, but none of the wicked ſhall underſtand, but the wiſe ſhall underſtand. And it is farther confirmed by the Verſe following, where what they ſhould underſtand at that time in particular, is more fully ſignified and from the time (ſaith the Angel) that the dayly ſacrifice ſhall be taken away, and the abomination making deſolate ſet up, ſhall be 1290 dayes.
Seventhly, I argue from the end intended in ſetting down theſe years, which was (as learned Napier ſpeaketh) to prevent ſecurity, and move unto repentance. The knowledge of the end (ſaith he) hath been concealed from former ages, to prevent ſecurity: but it is to be revealed to the laſt age, to move unto repentance. For theſe ends then the foreſaid years are now to be ſearched, and underſtood, and to ſuſtain us alſo in the time of the end, the foreſaid years are to be unſealed, Dan. 12.4. And ſo our Saviour expreſly ſubjoyneth, Mat. 24.21, 22, 23, 24, 25. behold I have told you all before. For to know that it muſt be ſo in ſuch a time, and how ſhort the affliction ſhall be, will be a ſtay and comfort to our faith, that it faint not, Mat. 24.22. Pſal. 74.9.