THE TREATISES
OF
NELSON H. BARBOUR
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
MARCH, 1871
. . . Two o'clock P.M. At this hour Dr. N.H.
Barbour, late of New York, gave a very interesting discourse on the parable of
the ten virgins, showing a beautiful harmony between it and the movements of
the Advent people since 1843, and looking to 1873 for the return of the
Bridegroom. . .
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1871
N. H. BARBOUR
This is the title of a pamphlet of one
hundred pages, presenting evidences for the coming of the Lord in 1873. By
Nelson H. Barbour. Price 25 cents per copy; $1.80 per dozen. For sale at this
office, and by D.T. Cooper, 72 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, N.Y.
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1871
Brethren: -- There are so many views of the
above prophecy, that I am almost afraid to offer the following for publication;
and only venture in the hope that for the sake of sweet charity, which not only
believeth, but "endureth all things," they will be kindly looked at,
at least, if not entertained.
These periods were given in answer to a single
question, and seem to refer exclusively to God's people; and not, like most
other prophecies, to political events. They are twin periods; for the definite
article "the," in the 12th verse, implies that the thousand years
belong equally to both.
If they refer to political events, why should
not the world understand them, as they do that of the taking away of the
dominion of papacy, and many other prophetic periods? If the 1290 days were not
given to mark the beginning of the Advent movement, why are they coupled with
the period which is designed to mark the end of that movement? And I might ask
one more question: Why, in their fulfillment, do they apply only to God's
people? Permit me to explain.
If the abomination was "set up" in
A.D. 538, when the "woman" of Revelation 17 took her seat on the
Roman beast, then the thousand years, to which such special reference is made,
would have ended in 1538, at which time that terrible despotism was broken in
upon, and God opened a door for his Philadelphian church, which no man can
shut. See Church History by Charles Hase, N.Y., 1855, page 391. -- "In
A.D. 1538 was formed the holy league against papacy, by the Archbishop of
Mentz, the Archbishop of Strasburgh, the Duke of Bavaria, George of Saxony,
Henry of Brunswick, supported by Frances of France, Henry of England, and other
northern powers." "If those days had not been shortened, viz., the
1260 of papal dominion, by the Lutheran Reformation, there should no flesh have
been saved, but for the elect's sake, God hath shortened them."
If the above is the correct application of
the thousand years (not of Revelation 20), then the remainder, (290) ended when
the Advent movement began, in 1828. Not only does Bro. Miller state in his
lectures, published in 1840, that he began the study of these periods twelve
years previous, viz., in 1828, but I have a book before me now, published in
London in 1831, in which the author states that he began to look for this
glorious hope in 1828. And in different parts of the world there were many who
began about that time to look and wait "for his Son from heaven."
"The wicked shall do wickedly, and none
of the wicked shall understand." The world will consider the beginning of
Millerism a small matter to be a subject of prophecy. The movement of great men
and kings may fill the prophetic page, but that so small a matter as the
gathering out of a waiting people who should "go forth to meet the
bridegroom," should be worthy of mention is simply nonsense. They do not
understand that one of the least of God's little flock, to say nothing of his
accumulated jewels, is of more importance in the courts of heaven, than a whole
regiment of Alexanders. And some of our brethren in their humility, think this
beginning pretty small.
If God should tell us that when the commotion
caused by the falling of a certain pebble into the ocean, had reached to the
uttermost drop of water, the blast from that trump which calls the nations to
judgment, should be heard, we would consider the falling of the pebble as an
important event.
If God is gathering out a waiting people
there must needs have been a beginning, however small, and the standard by
which he measures, who lets not a sparrow fall to the ground without his
notice, differs widely from that of the world. "Then shall the kingdom of
heaven be likened" etc., began in 1828; and when the longer of these twin
periods ends, it shall be said, "Lo, this is our God, we have waited for
him." Amen.
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1872
N. H. BARBOUR
In the last number of the Crisis (Feb. 14), I
find a criticism on the chronology as given by me in the "Midnight
Cry." The brother in referring to the "Midnight Cry," begins --
"Which is said to give the true time for the Lord's coming." This,
although not found in the book, is in quotation marks, implying that we claim
to be able to give the true time. Now, my brethren, the writer has never made
any such claim. Long years of disappointment and waiting have taught him to
mistrust human ability. And when speaking of "that blessed hope,"
either on paper, or by word of mouth, the feeling of modesty has ever been in
the ascendant. "I find the chief dependence is on the chronology,"
says the brother, "which the writer seems to think shows the six thousand
years to end in A.D. 1873, without fail, and Christ to come."
"Without fail" is also in quotation marks.
I do not object to being understood as
holding this faith; but I do object to being represented as dogmatical and positive
on these great and momentous truths. Because nothing is further from the fact,
as all who have heard me speak, or carefully read the book in question, can
testify. The brother is mistaken, and evidently has not read carefully, when he
says "he finds the chief dependence is on the chronology." The signs
and types are in themselves very strong evidence in favor of 1872. There are
many ways of showing, by the types, that the tarrying was to be thirty years;
or from 1843 to 1873. But aside from these, and the chronology, there are three
prophecies, each one of which, if standing alone, would be sufficient to make
us look for our deliverance in 1873 with an earnest, trusting faith.
The brother objects to our position that the
sum total given in God's word, are reliable. He thinks some of them may, and in
fact must, overrun the time stated in the Bible, while none could fall short;
therefore these God given periods are unreliable. I will give his own words --
"While the round years of patriarchs, judges and kings are given to us
without mentioning months and days, none can doubt that such fractions
existed."
Now I submit that we have no right to assume
that Adam, or any other patriarch, or king, was one minute older than God
declares him to be, simply because common sense teaches us that there must have
been fraction of years, unless we also at the same time assume that some other
periods may have run enough short to make the sum total correct, as God has
given it. To this, however, the brother objects.
But he admits that if proof could be brought
that some of these periods are short of the time given, then this position held
in the "Midnight Cry" would be plausible. I am happy to be able to
give the desired proof. But first I will say that I agree with the brother that
we are not called upon to believe that Adam was just one hundred and thirty
years old when Seth was born, and that every patriarch was born on the same day
of the month and year, and that each and every king was born, crowned, and died
on their birthday. But we have no right to assume one side of the question, and
not the other. I should be willing to take my stand on God's word, taking the
full years unquestioned, and all the fractions are given. There are but four or
five, all of which will be referred to in this article, and if we use them all
it only shortens the time one year and ten days, and would make the six
thousand end this side of 1873, and not beyond it.
In the "Midnight Cry" we gave the
full years without the fractions, because we believe God has so taught. But we
will give the proof that a fraction of a year which overrun was not reckoned,
and also that one which fall short was not reckoned in summing up the full
years, by the pen of inspiration. "David was thirty years old when he
began to reign, and he reigned forty years." (2 Samuel 5:4.) The next verse (2 Samuel 5:5) tells us that he actually reigned six months over
forty years, and yet this fraction is left out in the sum total here, as in two
other places, vix., 1 Kings 2:11 -- "And the days that David reigned over
Israel were forty years." Again, in 1 Chron. 29:27 -- "And the time
that he reigned over Israel was forty years." Now for the fraction on the
other side. "And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth
year of his reign." 2 Chron. 16:13. If he died in the one and fortieth
year of his reign, then he did not reign forty-one full years. Now hear the
word of the Lord -- "And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel,
reigned Asa over Judah, and forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem."
1 Kings 15:9-10. The brother notices, he says, that two kings' reigns are left
out; Jehoahaz, who reigns three months (2 Chron. 37:2), and Jehoiachin, who
reigns three months and ten days. (2 Chron. 37:9) I confess that when I
published the "Midnight Cry," these two fractions were left out of
the chronology, because after the above teaching, in relation to fractions, I
was at a loss what to do I now believe these are exceptional, and should be
reckoned in their place. They stand alone. No other period of less than a year
is given in the whole of the chronology, and one of these is given to a day,
making together six months and ten days. Reckoning these, the six thousand,
according to this chronology, will end in the autumn of 1872, six months and
ten days prior to the end of the Jewish year terminating in the Spring of 1873.
From many Scriptures, I am now convinced that such is the case; and that the
time of trouble will begin this coming autumn, at the end of the six thousand.
This would carry us about six months into the time of trouble, before Christ
comes for our deliverance.
"The third error to which I wish to call
attention," says the brother, "is in the reign of the judges.
Forty-five years are given as the period from the sending of the spies, when
Joshua was forty years old, to the division of the land." I first supposed
this misstatement of the brother's naming Joshua for Caleb was a mistake of the
printer, but he continues to reason from this premise, and says -- "This
makes Joshua eighty-five years old at the division of the land." He then
goes on and shows that Joshua being eighty-five at this time, lives twenty-five
years after the land was divided. This would be very pretty reasoning if Joshua
had been Caleb, and Caleb Joshua. Perhaps the brother will be a little
surprised when he looks at Joshua 14:7-10, and discovers his mistake; and that
there is not a place in the Bible where Joshua's age is given in connection
with any of these events. We simply know that he died at one hundred and ten
years of age.
Notwithstanding the fact, so apparent, that
the brother has read neither the Bible or my book, on this point, with any
benefit to himself, still he has touched the point here where this chronology
is vulnerable, if it is so at any place. These four hundred and fifty years of
the judges is an old battlefield over which many chronological writers have met
and broken lances. The ground has been contested inch by inch until the marks
of the struggle are familiar to all passers by. And we give the brother credit
due for his discovery. But would it not have been better if he had given the
answer to this admitted difficulty, which is already found in the book he was
criticizing, instead of ignoring that answer?
The argument on this four hundred and fifty
years of the judges has continued since the beginning of the Christian era, at
least, and filled many pages of history. It will not be expected, therefore,
that I should exhaust the subject at the end of a short article in a paper;
still I will do the best I can under present circumstances. In the world's
chronology we find an unbroken line from Adam to the end of Caleb's forty-five
years, at the division of the land. Joshua 14:7-10. And this without the necessity
of appealing to Josephus, or any other uninspired writer. Then come these four
hundred and fifty years which we think measures from the point where the
chronology is dropped, by Caleb, at the division of the land, until Samuel the
prophet. Now for our reasons for so thinking.
The first chronological period given, after
the division of the land, is that of Judges 3:8, where they serve the king of
Mesopotamia eight years. On through the book of Judges, to the death of Eli (1
Samuel 4:18), we find nineteen short periods (chapter and verse for which may
be found in the "Midnight Cry"). Thirteen of these periods measure
the time given under their thirteen judges. The other six are the periods when
their enemies prevail, between and prior to the reign of these various judges.
Hence they are actually under judges but three hundred and thirty-nine years,
and one hundred and eleven years under their enemies, making in all four
hundred and fifty. In Acts 13:19-20, we read -- "And when he had destroyed
seven nations, he divided unto them their land by lot. After that he gave them
judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the
prophet." As the judges were scattered over the greater part of this time
with continual breaks between them, no other language would be so appropriate
to cover this whole ground as that used by St. Paul. "He gave to them
judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years." I admit that it
is reasonable to suppose, from Joshua 24:31, and other passages, that a considerable
time elapsed after the division of the land, and even after Joshua's death,
before the eight year period of Judges 3:8 begins. But there is time given to
cover that apparent break in the chronology, without going outside of God's
word. I am the last one to try to cover up the fact that there is a difficulty
here. I believe this chronology was so arranged for the express purpose that
men should stumble, as a part of the great plan of closing up the words and
sealing the book "even to the time of the end." If the chronology of
the six thousand years had pointed to 1873, without obscurity, it would have
been a key to unseal the time centuries before God designed it to be
understood.
There is an apparent break in the chronology
during the time the children of Israel serve the Lord, after the land is
divided, and prior to the first eight years which to make up these four hundred
and fifty years, which twenty years would fairly cover. And on the other hand,
there are twenty years too much time given in the period itself; which must be
accepted if we take God at his word. Paul evidently makes these four hundred
and fifty years measure from the division of the land until Samuel. (I admit he
does not positively so affirm, but he certainly implies that the four hundred
and fifty years cover that period of time.) These nineteen periods in the
Judges run down as chronology with all the apparent clearness and positiveness
of any other portion of chronology, not excepting that from Adam to the flood.
A judge delivers them so many years, then they are under their enemies another
given period, then another judge, and so on. "And the Lord delivered them
into the hand of the Philistines forty years." Judges 13:1. Then we have
the story of Samson, which winds up with the sixteenth chapter -- "And he
judged Israel twenty years." This twenty is one of the nineteen periods
which, added together, make four hundred and fifty for us, as they did for St.
Paul. And yet in Judges 15:20 we learn that these twenty years are a part of
the preceding period, viz., the forty years already given to the Philistines --
"And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years."
From the above I learn, first, that these
four hundred and fifty years are twenty years too long to reach from the time
they are sold into the hand of the king of Mesopotamia (Judges 3:8) until
Samuel the prophet. Acts 13:20. Second, that it appears to be the right length
to reach from the division of the land until Samuel. Third, Paul certainly
implies that it does cover that ground. Fourth, that the peculiar way in which
God has arranged these numbers, so that the chronology could be given perfect,
unbroken, and in full, and yet in a way that men would stumble at it, and
finally have to go back and take the simple word of God unquestioned, in order
to arrive at the truth, is just like the Lord.
The four hundred and thirty years at the end
of which the children of Israel came out of Egypt, is another very similar
case. We should have remained in the dark as to where the four hundred and
thirty years began, if Paul had not come to the rescue. And strange to relate,
the time in the thirteenth of Acts, and the one from the covenant to the law,
are the only places where chronology is so much as mentioned in the New
Testament. The simple fact is recorded (Ex. 12:41), that when the four hundred
and thirty years were fulfilled, on the self same day all the hosts of the Lord
came out of Egypt. But not a word is found in the Old Testament as to where
these four hundred and thirty years began, nor could we have known, without
Galatians 3:17. So with these four hundred and fifty years of the judges. In
both these cases the right number of years is given in the Old Testament, but
in such a way that we could not place them without further light from the New
Testament.
By
taking this, and all other chronological periods, as found in the Bible, down
to the reliable historic era, at the first year of Cyrus, B.C. 536,
unquestioned: the six thousand years will end either the coming autumn, or, at
the furthest, with the Jewish year ending in the spring of 1873; at the very
time indicated by the 1335 years of Daniel, and other prophecies found in
Isaiah and Jeremiah, together with the signs and types, as the end of this
dispensation, May we all be ready to meet the Bridegroom, and go in to the
marriage feast.
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1872
In accordance with the published invitation
of the A.C. church of Worcester, Mass, a special conference was held in their
chapel, beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 6th, and continuing over the following
Sunday. The object of this meeting was to examine the evidence relating to the
time of the Lord's return to earth, and from the large attendance from abroad,
particularly of preachers, it was very evident there was a great interest felt
in the subject. Besides Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut
were represented.
First Day. -- The afternoon of Tuesday was
spent in prayer and exhortation, and by the spirit manifested in this first
meeting, it became evident that this special gathering of saints was to be of
more than common interest. In the evening Bro. Simpson occupied the pulpit, and
briefly dwelt upon the various chronological and prophetic periods which would
be likely to come before the meeting for discussion. The effort seemed
designed, not so much to confirm any special theory, as it was to show the
relation the periods had to the time of the Lord's coming, and also their
relation to one another.
Second Day. -- On Wednesday morning, at ten
o'clock, Dr. H. W. Buxton, in behalf of the Worcester brethren, formally
welcomed those present, assuring them that their coming together as they had
was an event that gave great pleasure to the church, and that their hearts and
homes were open to welcome them. The conference was then formally opened by
appointing C.F. Horn Chairman, and C.E. Barnes Secretary. The rule regulating
the addresses was, that those desiring to address the meeting should hand their
names to the Chairman, and speak in the order said names were presented, each
address not to exceed an hour and a half. Bro. L.T. Cunningham was the first to
take the floor, and occupied about forty minutes. The "points" in his
speech were (1) that definite time regarding the Lord's second coming is in the
Bible; namely, the several prophetic periods; and (2) that they are to be
understood, inasmuch as all inspiration is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16), and these
cannot be profitable except they be understood. (3) He argued that the taking
away of the "daily," and the setting up of the
"abomination" (Dan. 12:11), was fulfilled in the taking away of
paganism, and establishment of the papacy; (4) that the 120 days are to be
reckoned from 508 A.D., when paganism was removed from Rome, and the 1260 days
from 538 A.D., when the papacy was established, thus terminating both periods
in 1798 A.D. (5) The 1335 days are to be reckoned from the establishment of
papacy, and extend to 1873 A.D., at which time Christ will redeem his people.
After a short time spent in general comment
on the foregoing, Bro. A. Simpson addressed the meeting. He did not differ
materially from Bro. C., and spent thirty-five minutes in confirming him in his
applications of the prophetic numbers. He advanced, in addition to Bro. C., the
following: (1) "The holy city" (Rev. 11:2) is the church of God; (2)
the "two witnesses" represent the Bible during the treading under
foot of the holy city; (3) Rev. 13:10 was fulfilled when the pope was taken
captive in 1798 A.D.; (4) Rev. 13:2 has its fulfillment as follows: the
"power" was given to the pope in 533 by Justinian, but the
"seat" not until 538. From this period the papacy was supreme just
1260 years. In proving the correctness of the foregoing positions, he read
quite copiously from a number of historians, such as Gibbon, Allioson, Thiers,
King, Marsh, and others.
A rule controlling those who wished to
question the speakers was, that questions should be written and handed to the
Chairman. In the P.M. Bro. C. answered a number, among which were the
following: (1) What event marked the taking away of the "daily"? Ans.
The conversion of the ten kings of divided Rome to Christianity. (2) What
constitutes the "little horn" of Dan. 8? Ans. It refers to Rome. The
"little horn" is synonymous with the fourth beast of Dan. 7.
Bro. Henry Pratt next took the stand for an
hour, and gave an exposition of Dan. 8:13-14. His object was to prove that the
2300 days end with the 1335 days. Once his brethren had seven years intervene,
and now but two, and he hoped ere long to see them agreeing that they end
simultaneously. In proving that the end in 1873, he located the termination of
the seventy weeks in A.D. 63, at which time the Jewish war began. To prove
this, Josephus was read by the speaker quite extensively. This claim brought on
quite an animated discussion as to the beginning of the Jewish war, some
claiming it began in 65 A.D., and others in 63 A.D. To prove their respective
points, both parties appealed to Josephus, and both sides ceased very confident
of having gained their respective positions.
Before adjourning, it was voted to spend two
hours each day during the meeting in a general Bible class; namely, from nine
to ten o'clock A.M., and from four to five o'clock P.M., each speaker to be
limited to five minutes. Adjourned to ten o'clock A.M.
Third day. -- After the meeting was called to
order and opened with prayer, Bro. Orion green addressed the meeting fifty
minutes. This speaker differed from those of the day before, in that he
terminated the seventy weeks of Dan. 9 at the end of the Jewish war, which he
located in A.D. 70. He claimed that the remaining 1810 days (during which
Jerusalem was to be trodden down by the Gentiles) begin at this point, thus
ending them in 1880.
The next speaker was Bro. Edw'd Daniels, who
occupied about fifteen minutes. His claims were (1), that the 1260 years of
papal supremacy ended in 1871, when Victor Emmanuel entered Rome. He referred
to no event to mark the commencement of them. (2) He also claimed that the
"two horned beast" of Rev. 13 is Victor Emmanuel, though he made no
effort to identify the two horns.
Bro. N. H. Barbour next took the stand, and
gave a brief exposition of Rev. 13. His positions were as follows: (1) The
"beast" (Rev. 13:2) is the papacy. (2) The "image of the
beast" is papacy restored, which restoration was brought about by the
first Napoleon. (3) The "two horned beast" is the two Napoleons.
Napoleon I gave life to the "image," or restored papacy, and Napoleon
III sustained it until he fell, and then the "image" fell also. In
establishing the above, he argued that the allied powers, or Holy Alliance,
could not be the "image," as some claimed. Time, fifteen minutes.
The foregoing elicited considerable
discussion, after which Bro. S.S. Brewer took the floor, and gave his views of
the chapter. (1) The phrase "he exerciseth all the power of the first
beast before him' was explained: "Before" does not mean priority in
point of time, but in the presence of. (2) The "two horned beast" is
papacy; the "image" is its system of worship. The features attributed
to this power from Rev. 13:12-18 are exactly fulfilled in the papacy. At the
request of one of the brethren, Bro. B. then read the paraphrase of Father
Miller on this chapter, after which the meeting adjourned to two o'clock P.M.
In the afternoon, after some promiscuous
discussion, Bro. G.W. Brown occupied the pulpit and presented his ideas in the
form of a sermon on Rev. 11:1-2, as follows: (1) the "angel" is
identical with the one in Rev. 14:6. It is the Advent angel, or people who are
proclaiming the advent. (2) The "temple of God" mentioned in the text
is the Christian church. (3) The "man of sin" was to sit in the
temple. He did obtain this seat in the church of Rome, 538 A.D. (4) The
"forty two months" reach to 1798, and the 1335 days, beginning at the
same point, reach to 1873, at which time Christ will return to earth. Time,
sixty minutes. Adjourned to ten o'clock A.M.
Fourth Day. -- Met according to adjournment.
After prayer, Bro. Barbour addressed the meeting for the purpose of showing
that the six thousand years of the world's history, since the creation of man,
will end with the year 1872 A.D. His measurements were as follows: --
\-
From creation to
end of flood 1656 years
From Flood to death
of Terah 427 "
Abrahamic Covenant
to giving of law 430 "
Exodus to sending
of spies 1 "
Sending of spies to
division of land 45 "
From division of
land to Samuel 450 "
From Samuel (under
kings) to Zedekiah 513 "
From Zedekiah to
end of Captivity 70 "
From end of
captivity in first year of
Cyrus (536 B.C.) to Anno Domini 536
"
From A.D. to
1872 1872 "
-----------
6000 "
\+
Having thus presented his chronology, Bro. B.
next presented an argument concerning the punishing of Israel
"double," founded on Jer. 16:13-18. He claimed that the
"double" punishment would extend beyond their rejection eighteen
hundred years ago, a period of time equal to what they had existed at that
time. At the time of their rejection (A.D. 30) they had existed as a nation
eighteen hundred and forty-three (1843) years; to be punished
"double" would be to extend their desolations an equal period beyond,
which would accomplish their punishment in 1873. In proving the foregoing, Bro.
B. argued that the Jewish nationality began at the death of Jacob, from which
event to the coming of Shiloh (which was when Christ entered upon his ministry
in A.D. 30, according to Bro. B.), there were eighteen hundred and forty three
(1843) years, which he reckoned as follows: --
\-
From Jacob's death
to giving of law 198 years
Giving of law to
sending of spies 1 "
Sending of spies to
division of land 45 "
From division of
land to Samuel 450 "
From Samuel (under
kings) to Zedekiah 513 "
From Zedekiah to
end of Captivity 70
"
From end of
captivity in first year of
Cyrus (536 B.C.) to Anno Domini 536
"
From A.D. to coming
of Shiloh 30 "
-----------
1843 "
\+
This is the period of their existence as a
nation up to their rejection, from which the "double" is to be
reckoned, bringing us to 1873, at which time Israel will be gathered. Following
this the speaker gave an exposition of the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25),
in which he claimed that the Advent people since 1843 had fulfilled it exactly.
The preceding expositions gave rise to a
general discussion, which was terminated by voting, on motion of Bro. W.N.
Pile, that the afternoon session from one to three o'clock be spent in a
discussion between Bros. Simpson and Cunningham, and bro. Barbour (the latter
to have half the time), in order to learn wherein the variation of two years
occurred between their respective chronologies, that of Bro. B. ending the six
thousand years in 1873, while Bros. S. and C.'s extended to 1875. Adjourned to one o'clock P.M.
Met according to adjournment. Bro. Simpson
took the stand, and gave the following as being his system of chronology: --
\-
From creation of
man to flood 1656 yrs
From beginning to
end of flood 1 yr
From flood to end
of Noahic age 427 "
Sojourn in
wilderness 40 "
Under Joshua 25 "
Anarchy 18 "
Judges 450 "
Samuel 12 "
Kings 509 "
From captivity to
first of Cyrus 70 "
From Cyrus to
Christ 483 "
From Christ to
A.D. 5 "
------
4126 "
\+
From the expiration for Bro. S.'s time (each
speaker being allowed ten minutes), until four o'clock, the time was spent in
discussion between Bro. Barbour on one side, and Bros. Simpson and Cunningham
on the other. Bro. Barbour claimed their chronology was wrong in the addition
of one year for the duration of the flood, whereas he claimed the sixteen
hundred and fifty-six years from the creation included the year of the flood.
The discussion of this one point consumed the greater part of the time, in
which discussion Bro. B. showed very plainly and unmistakably that in this
place his opponents had inserted a year which did not belong there. His proof
was in Gen. 7:11; 8:13; 9:28-29. By referring to the tables above, the reader will
perceive wherein the variation occurs. His opponents did not acknowledge the
mistake, although the feeling was almost universal among the listeners that
they should have done so, as Bro. Barbour, on this point at least, was
decidedly in the right.
Bro. Cunningham's speeches during this
discussion were mainly for the object of proving Bro. B's reckoning wrong in
dating the first year of Cyrus in 536 B.C. He argued that as the birth of
Messiah was to be sixty nine weeks or four hundred and eighty three years from
the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem; and as
Christ was born five months before A.D., the years would extend backward to 488
B.C. Now as Cyrus issued this decree in the first year of his reign (Ezra 1),
it follows that 488 B.C. is the correct date. Although the two chronologies
differ but two years in their termination, it must be evident to all that there
is really a much greater difference between them, as at the first year of Cyrus
they are forty eight years apart. Query. This being so, how is it they can be
made to come out so near together? Surely there must be a gross error
somewhere.
[We do not learn from the "Report"
to which day the following notes belong. -- ED.]
On motion of E.G. Higgins, E.P. Woodward was
appointed Secretary in absence of C.E. Barnes.
Barbour -- Bro. Cunningham said that these
events might go beyond the seventy weeks. It seems to me that when the events
are finished the weeks must be.
Cunningham -- I did not mean that they were
specific events which commenced at a definite point, and ended at a definite
point. There was nothing to specify when he should be born in the seventy
weeks.
Pratt -- In his prayer, Daniel refers to his
covenant by Moses, and says he has confirmed his word. If the covenant is to be
a blessing, to confirm it is to bring blessings, and vice versa. The leader is
to be the man of fierce countenance, who is to destroy the city. Titus comes,
and does he do these things? The Savior says these be the days of vengeance. The
transgression is to be restrained four hundred and ninety years, and then the
Romans come. When the time is out, they come, confirm the covenant, destroy the
city, and take away the sacrifices.
Pile -- a covenant is an agreement between
two parties. It always has sanctions, that is, penalties attached to it, in
case of breach. If the people broke it then the curses came upon them. What
covenant was this, the old or the new? If one ends with Christ, how can it
relate to the Jews? And about the seven weeks and sixty two weeks, are they
separate or joined?
Ewell -- The question looks clear to me. How
much of the time belongs to the Jews? Seventy weeks. IF I lease a house for
five years, it is not four years and eleven months, but five years. If I do not
comply with the terms of the lease, when the time has expired the owner has
control of the house. It will take him some time to get possession, perhaps
seven days.
Brown -- There were two covenants made with
the Jews. The one referred to by Daniel is in Deut. 29:28. Gabriel comes along
and says, I have come forth to give thee skill; therefore understand the
matter. What matter? The matter you have been praying about. In regard to the
"new covenant," it is not spoken of at all in Dan. 9. There are seventy
weeks to restrain the evil that is to come upon you. When they are run out, and
the people of the Prince shall confirm the covenant for one week, and cause the
sacrifice to cease, and cease forever. They will take away all you have. We do
not want to put the new covenant where it does not belong. Pile quoted from
Deut. 26:27 -- "He that confirmeth not," etc.
Hemenway -- What does Bro. Brown mean by
"confirm?"
Brown -- I suppose it means to make sure; so
that it will never fail.
Pratt -- God makes the covenant himself. He
says, if you do so and so, blessings will follow; if not, curses. What will it
be to confirm the covenant? To bring these blessings or curses. Who will
confirm it? Somebody else has got to do that. I say to my child, if you are a
good boy, I will bring you something; otherwise, I will punish you. To confirm
that is to do what he did to the Jews. The Savior says, these be the days of
vengeance, etc. Nobody had confirmed the latter part of that covenant. It was
not confirmed to that people, but "to you and to your seed." We go
down a great many generations, and it is the Jewish people still. The leader
that came did destroy the city, did confirm the covenant in besieging the city,
did take away the daily, and so it is fulfilled.
Barbour. -- Bro. Pratt confuses the idea of
word and covenant. Is it necessarily the same thing?
Pratt -- I will read one verse. Dan. 9:11
(here quoted) -- hath confirmed his words." It refers to the covenant.
Cunningham -- The word covenant in Deut. and
the word covenant in Daniel, come from the same Hebrew word. It must be the
same in both instances. It cannot apply to Christ. God used the Roman army as
his scourge. The seventy weeks are for the restraining of transgressions that
length of time. Echol is to restrain, -- always rendered with the sense of
restraint. They should be afflicted, but not destroyed till the seventy weeks
were ended. After sixty two weeks from the completion of the wall, Messiah
should be cut off.
Pratt -- Gabriel comes to instruct about that
vision. He says there are seventy weeks allotted to the people and the city.
The remainder, or 1810 years, was "the time of the Gentiles."
Pile -- The question is whether they are
really cut off from the 2300 days. Bro. Cunningham said the Romans were simply
the scourge in the hands of the Lord. If that be so, the Lord confirmed the
covenant. As to the sixty two weeks, it seems to me the last clause of the
twenty sixth verse is simply and explanation; and that the only commencement of
any period is from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build
Jerusalem.
Hemenway -- In the phrase "confirm the
covenant," it is not the covenant, but a covenant. I have no question but
what is the covenant God made with his people. The seventy weeks spanned the whole
thing. Then to make the matter clear, the prophet touches events to transpire
in the seventy weeks. Who shall confirm the covenant? You apply it to Titus.
You chastise a boy with a stick. You chastise him, not the stick. I think God
would not apply the word confirm to the stick he used. He would not say the
stick, but himself did it.
Green -- It is evident that a mistake has
been made in this prophecy, and that is in the word "he." There is
only one place to begin; that is, the birth of Christ.
Hobbs -- There are five points in the seventy
weeks that are fulfilled in Christ. Reference has been made to the sixty two
weeks, that (it?) is translated by some, after the weeks, and that it is
identical with the other threescore and two weeks. That would prove
conclusively that the last week of the seventy was to bring in everlasting
righteousness, etc. This is seen by the connection. He shall cause the ----- to
cease, not destroy it.
Cunningham -- The attempt to make a
distinction where there is no difference seems unnecessary; ---- make to cease,
and cause to cease. I have quoted from the Hebrew in order to show that
"cut off" is the only correct translation.
Pile -- Bro. Cunningham is coming to the
point. If these sixty nine weeks are an integral part of the seventy, then it
follows that the sixty nine could not have ended at Christ. The word
"determine" does not express what the angel meant to express. It is
either cut off, or cut in pieces. The word is generally used in the sense of
"cutting off," or divided. The form here is unusual, showing there is
a triple division of the seventy weeks. But what evidence have we that the
sixty two weeks commence with the completion of the walls?
Brown -- I think we are advancing a little.
We must place ourselves a little in the place of Daniel. Gabriel said, Make
this man to understand the vision; and he told him what the ram and the goat
were, and "then I fainted, and was sick certain days, and was astonished
at the vision." The next you hear of Daniel he was praying to God. What
about? About the time. Then he is told about the 2300 days. The first thing was
the seventy weeks cut off, to restrain the transgression, etc. He was going to
make reconciliation for iniquity. This was God's time when the Messiah should
be cut off.
Pile -- Does Bro. Brown commence the sixty
nine weeks with the thirty second year of Artaxerxes?
Brown -- Messiah will be cut off in sixty
nine weeks from the first of Cyrus.
Cunningham -- The apostle says, "If any
man lack wisdom, let him ask of God." I think we had better apply
ourselves as Daniel did. We read that seventy weeks are to be cut off upon his
people: there will be an attempt made, at a point when it will not do to have
that people destroyed. The "restraint" shall commence at this point.
If the vision had not been broken off there, it would never have been
"shut up."
Barbour -- I believe the coming of the Lord
is what we want to learn about; but we do not seem to be coming any nearer
together. Suppose this theory, or that, is true; I would rather talk about the
coming of the Lord. What interest have we in that? Paul and the apostles did
not look any further.
Brown -- I do not want to be identified with
those who believe that the 2300 days go beyond the end. And I expect that the
1335 days end at the same place. The war commenced with the end of the seventy
weeks. There was a seven years' war commencing with A.D. 63. 1810 years will
carry us to 1873.
Pile -- Have been profited by this meeting.
Prophetic time is a proper subject for investigation. The more we keep the
Lord's coming before us, the nearer we can live to him.
Brown -- What the "restraint" is
off, the war will commence. The war will be for seven years, and in the midst
of this time the sacrifices should cease. Where do the weeks commence? We can
tell by running back from the time the war commenced.
Pile -- The trouble is, it does not hit any
time. There must be a commencement for the 2300 days, as well as for the 1810.
If we run back, it brings us to 428 B.C.
Brown -- What of it? Is it anything wonderful
that there is a difference of two years? Here we have to depend upon Josephus;
but when I get down to A.D. 70, I am at home.
Barbour -- If we can make it end in 1873, I
would be willing to let it go so; but our other brethren run the 2300 years to
1875, so that they can run two years beyond the end.
Cunningham -- Br. Brown must show us some
event in 428.
Brown -- I think there is nothing wonderful
if there should be a mistake somewhere.
F.W. Higgins -- The question is in reference
to the seventy weeks; what portion of the sixty two, or sixty nine, or seventy,
extend from the death of Christ to the war?
Cunningham -- He says in the first place that
seventy weeks are cut off upon thy people. Then there is Christ's coming introduced,
and the reconciliation for iniquity to be made. Then he says the walls shall be
built, and after sixty two weeks Messiah shall be cut off. There is a distinct
work to be accomplished at the termination. When we come to the one week, we
have the Messiah not introduced, but the people of the Prince that shall come.
E.G. Higgins -- Which part of the sixty nine
weeks reaches to Christ?
Cunningham -- They do not terminate at the
birth of Christ. The sixty two and sixty nine weeks are distinct from each
other.
Pile -- The transgression was not restrained
after 63 A.D. Does it not follow that the four hundred and ninety years must
commence with the seventy (?) weeks? How shall we make the four hundred and
ninety years reach from Cyrus to Christ?
Brown -- I do not believe the four hundred
and ninety years commence with the first year of Cyrus. But I believe the sixty
nine weeks do. If they commence together, they end forty nine years before he
was born.
E.G. Higgins -- It says first that seventy
weeks are cut off, and then that is divided up into sixty two and seven, which
make sixty nine.
Brown -- I don't believe a word of it.
Pratt -- If the seventy weeks end with the
crucifixion, the 2300 days run out in 1843 somewhere, and we are all afloat. It
must have ended when the desolation of Jerusalem commenced. If the Jews' time
ended in 63, we have the end in 1873; if in 65, the end is in 1875; if in 70,
1880.
Cunningham -- The brother admits the meaning
of the word "restrain." When the restraint is taken off, the 490
years end. Josephus was in the war, and it seems that he might settle the
matter. (Extract read respecting the last act of the war in 72, when nine
hundred slew each other.) the war ended 72 A.D.
AFTERNOON
BIBLE CLASS
Letter read from D. Clow, Janesville, Wis.
Sisters invited to speak by Bro. Higgins. Bro. Barbour spoke on the Commune, as
foretold in Revelation. He understood the beast of Rev. 11, Rev. 12 and 7, to
be the Roman beast, tracing its various developments to the beast that was, is
not, and yet is, which is of (not one of) the seven, being the general uprising
of the people for power, * or Commune, as the last form.
-------------------
* I think Bro. Barbour had better be asked to set forth these views in an
article. I know I could not fully understand him, and fear others did not.
Perhaps a repart of his words would do him injustice. -- E.T.W.
-------------------
Bro. Pratt spoke of the designs of the Pope
to repossess himself of kingly power, and the societies which oppose his plans,
and the consequent certainty that those who look for "peace and
safety" will be mistaken. (Remarks somewhat extended).
Barbour -- When Israel came out of Egypt, the
last seven plagues were poured out on the Egyptians alone. So in the last seven
plagues, the Lord will hide his people. And the world knows something is
coming, yet they know not what.
Pile -- Read extract from the Report of the
Troy Convention of American Spiritualists, showing the chances of union between
Communists and Spiritualists to be consummated soon. Considers the Commune the
last form of the Dragon. They aim at a Universal Republic, and Spiritualists
aim at the same object.
Bro. Brittan thought property would not be
worth much in this world soon. It was a good time to draw out what we had. Had
nothing himself invested there. It is a great deal better to be burned out than
to be burned up. Brethren say they cannot go into the churches, as they cannot
get anything there; then go and carry something. Feed my sheep.
Bro. Pratt -- Had nine houses in Springfield
he would dispose of in a manner that would satisfy everyone of his belief, if
he could only be sure the Lord was coming in 1873. Adjourned.
THE
BIBLE CLASS
As already mentioned, two hours each day were
spent in a general Bible class, each speaker being allowed five minutes, and
not to speak more than three times in a session without permission of the
class. The hours thus spent were very profitable and interesting. The following
are a few of the topics which occasioned considerable discussion: --
(1) Did Noah enter the ark seven days prior
to, or on the day of, the flood? Gen. 7:11-13 were quoted as proving the latter
supposition.
(2) Were the words in Matt. 24:15-22
fulfilled in part at the destruction of Jerusalem, and in part in the papal
persecution, or is their fulfillment wholly in the latter? On this, it was
clearly proved that the entire passage referred to but one event, and that was
the papal persecution.
(3) Are the weeks in Dan. 9:25, reaching to
Messiah the Prince, to be computed from the birth of Christ, or when he entered
upon his public ministry, or from his resurrection and ascension? This question
elicited a variety of opinions, and its discussion was very animated.
(4) Are the "weeks" in Dan. 9:25 to
be considered as wholly distinct form the "seventy weeks" of the
preceding verse; or does verse 25 enumerate the divisions of time into which
the "seventy weeks" are to be divided? In proving the latter, the
words "know therefore and understand" were appealed to as being proof
that the periods in verse 25 were intimately connected with that of verse 24.
In their rejoinders one to another, as a
general thing, kindness and brotherly love were very prominent. A word,
however, concerning an occasional feature of the discussions, may not be out of
place here. In trying to prove certain positions, after reading portions of
Scripture and advancing certain deductions therefrom, the speaker would
sometimes close with an appeal something like this: "Now which are you going
to believe, the word of God, or men? Les us believe God!" and in a short
time one or the other side would close his argument and deductions with the
triumphant appeal, "Thus you see what the Bible says on this point. For my
part, I choose to believe God!"
Would it not be well for brethren to remember
that Christians may differ greatly from one another, and yet each have an
abiding faith in the teachings of the Bible? When different views of the same
passage are presented, the difference of opinion is not because one believes
the Bible and the other does not, but merely because they differ in their
interpretation of a text which both firmly believe.
THE
PREACHING
The discussions were confined to the sessions
during the day, the evenings being devoted to preaching. Bro. Simpson preached
the first evening (see supra), and Bro. Carpenter the second, who gave a very
interesting exposition of the seventh chapter of Daniel. In his remarks he
considered France as the Euphrates of mystic Babylon, which was "dried
up." Rev. 15:12. On Thursday evening Bro. Simpson gave an exposition of
Matt. 24, and on Friday evening Bro. Pile preached on "The Coming Reign of
Terror," in which discourse he argued that the same agencies that produced
the French Revolution in the last century; namely , Spiritualis, Infidelity,
Socialism, Free Love, etc., are not working in the world and tending to a
similar result. (This discourse is printed in a tract of twenty four pages,
which can be had of the author, Springfield, Mass.)
C.E. BARNES, Secretary.
As a whole, the meeting was undoubtedly
profitable; new ideas were developed, and some old ones, supposed to be
indisputable, were found to be unwarranted. So far as a united agreement upon
the prophetic periods is concerned, no conclusion is reached. The point on
which there seemed to be any general unanimity was the ending of the thirteen
hundred and thirty five days in 1873. If any did not endorse this conclusion,
they made no public statement to that effect. Harmony prevailed, and the meeting
assured all that brethren can dwell together in unity, even though not agreed
in all their opinions.
C.E. BARNES, Secretary.
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1872
N. H. BARBOUR
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people,
and upon thy holy [koh-desh] sanctuary." Dan. 9:24. The same word occurs
in Dan. 8:14. "Then shall the koh-desh be cleansed." These seventy
weeks were evidently given to measure the remnant of, the Jewish dispensation.
Most Bible students think they ended at, or about the time of the crucifixion;
while some recent writers extend them to the destruction of Jerusalem.
Objections to both views have been raise by those who take opposite sides. If
the former be true, the balance of the 2300 days, from which these seventy
weeks were cut off, must have ended 1810 years after the crucifixion, or about
A.D. 1843. The objection to this application is with the ending of the longer
period of 2300 days, and not with the seventy weeks themselves. If the latter
view be taken, there are objections to the ending of the seventy weeks, and
also that of the longer period. Those who believe they ending in A.D. 65,
divide the 2300 days thus; seventy weeks or 490 years, "determined,"
or cut off on the Jews, and 1810 measure "the time of the Gentiles."
OBJECTIONS
TO THIS VIEW
If the seventy weeks which were
"determined" on that people ended at A.D. 65, it follows that their
nationality and organization must have continued until that time; for when the
organization which constituted them a peculiar people ended, they must have
ceased to be "thy people," in every sense in which they are not
"they people" today. Hence the "seventy weeks" must have
been the measure of their dispensation, probation, or organization. The
affirmative on this question, say their nationality, priesthood, sacrifices and
organization did continue until A.D. 65. And this is in a certain sense
correct. Hence they are right in making this assertion as they do, unsupported
by Bible evidence; the burden of proof lying with the negative. Romanists
assert that the bread is the body of Christ. "Take eat, this is my
body." This is correct in letter. Protestants affirm that it represents
his body. This is true in Spirit. The affirmative on the question before us,
are correct in letter, and therefore have a plausible position. But we shall
show theya re not correct in spirit. "The letter killeth, but the spirit
maketh alive." Hence, whatever is based on the letter alone, is worthless.
Paul teaches that Christ made an end of
sacrifice. The affirmative declares that Titus made an end of sacrifice. Both
are correct in a certain sense. But which is true? It is not a handsome
application of prophecy alone, but the true application, for which we are in
search. "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a
change of the law." Here we perceive the law was changed Moses to Christ
with the priesthood. The Aaronic priesthood ended when Christ, who was of the
tribe of Judah, took the office of Priest upon himself, is the teaching of
Paul. The Aaronic priesthood did not end until Jerusalem was destroyed, say
they. "The law was, until John, says Christ. The law was until Titus, say
they. The partition wall which made the distinction between Jew and Gentile,
was broken down and removed by the gospel, is the teaching of Paul. The
partition wall which made that people distinct, was not broken down, say they
until A.D. 65, notwithstanding our Lord said "their house was left unto
them desolate."
Under the gospel dispensation, Paul teaches
that they that were Jews outwardly had ceased to be Jews. The outward Jew
continued to be "thy people" until A.D. 65, say they. If nothing
else, certainly their nationality continued until A.D. 65, say the affirmative.
(From their stand point, I should say it continued until A.D. 70; but this
would be five years too long.) The simple fact of their having a city, did not
make or mar their nationality. They were a nation before they had a city. See
Deut. 26:5. They were "a royal priesthood, a holy nation," so called
of God. And the two characters were one and inseparable. When their priesthood
ended and the kingdom of God was taken from them, they ceased to be a nation,
in the true sense of the language of Inspiration. For under the gospel
dispensation "we are a royal priesthood; we are a holy nation," says
the Apostle. Did God have two royal priesthoods, two holy nations, two
dispensations, two doors to the kingdom, at one and the same time? He did if that
old Hagar and her children continued to be "thy people and thy holy city'
until A.D. 65, in any sense in which they are not his today.
"They shall take away the daily, and
they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate" (Dan. 11:31)
doubtless refers to the Romans. And the Romans did stop the burning of sheep
and oxen. But when they took away the "daily," it was not a
sacrifice. A sacrifice means an offering made to God, by his own appointed
ministers, says Cruden. As the priesthood had been changed to Christ, there was
no priest or minister among that God forsaken people to offer a sacrifice.
Hence, the prophet calls it "the daily" simply; but not sacrifice, as
our translators have. I should have called it "abomination." They --
the Romans -- took away the daily abomination, to please the one that
"maketh desolate." Let no man deceive you, however plausible his
theory may appear, when it is opposed by the whole spirit and teaching of the
gospel, as this one is. That dispensation, covenant, law, priesthood, nationality,
and organization ended with the introduction of a new order of things; when
Christ became the minister of a better covenant. "And he shall confirm the
covenant with man for one week." Dan. 9:27. This 'he" cannot refer to
the prince of the preceding verse, for it is "the people of the
prince" who accomplish the destruction. Hence if it is the work of
destruction which confirms the covenant, as some of our brethren assert, it
should have been, "they shall confirm the covenant," not
"he." There is, to my mind, far more propriety in referring this
"he" to "the Messiah." But to make an application of a
prophecy as dark as this one is conceded to be, and with such a variety of
renderings, hinge on the supposed application of a pronoun, as given in this one
rendering, would be very unsatisfactory to me, unless it were supported by
other evidence. A covenant, testament, or agreement, is an obligation or
contract between two or more parties, and must be confirmed by the party who
obligate themselves to accomplish or bring about certain results, and not by a
third party who have no interest in it.
Again. A covenant, or testament (synonymous
terms), must be confirmed before it comes into operation; not after it has
expired. See Heb. 9:16, 18. "The first covenant had ordinances of divine
service, and a worldly sanctuary." This "first covenant,"
referred to by Paul, was evidently the Jewish covenant, and could not have
continued after "the seventy weeks" determined on that people had ended.
The seventy weeks ended, as our brethren say, at A.D. 65. Hence, by this theory
of application, the Jewish covenant was confirmed after it had expired, and by
Titus, who had no connection with it. All of which is opposed to Scripture and
reason. Moses was the mediator of the first covenant, Christ of the second. The
first covenant, confirmed by the shedding of blood; so was the second, -- but
not the blood of Titus. "If that first covenant had been faultless, then
should no place have been sought for the second." Heb. 8:7. "In that
he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old; now that which decayeth
and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." Heb. 8:13. "Then saith he,
Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may
establish the second." Heb. 10:9. It was "he," the Messiah, and
not Titus, who came "to do thy will, O God," and "took away the
first, that he might establish the second." The whole tenor of Paul's
rasoning, and of the gospel itself, teaches, beyond all question, that the
first covenant was taken away to make place for a better one, long before
Jerusalem was destroyed.
The "he" that confirms the covenant
(Dan. 9:26) is the same "he" that causes the sacrifice and oblation
to cease. And if Paul's testimony can be received, Messiah made the sacrifice
and oblation to cease, "nailing them to his cross." The fact that the
"one week" is mentioned after the destruction of the city, certainly
does not prove that its chronological place is during its destruction. Events
are often mentioned in prophecy without regard to their chronology. In Micah
5:1-2, for instance, they are said to "smite the judge of Israel on the
cheek" in the first verse; after which his birth is mentioned in the
second. In Zech. 9:9-11, the everlasting kingdom and gospel dispensation are
strangely mingled, as also in many other places.
This stretching of the seventy weeks to the
destruction of Jerusalem, does great injustice to the unity of the prophecy, as
well as to its language. "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and
upon thy holy city," to accomplish certain definitely specified things,
all of which were accomplished at and by the death of Christ, as we can prove
from the New Testament. "Know therefore" -- in consequence of these
seventy weeks being determined on thy people, that it shall be divided so and
so -- "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build
Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and
two weeks." This ended when Christ began his ministry, after John the
forerunner had fulfilled his course. For as the Messiah, or Anointed, he did
not come until after John had baptized. Acts 13:24. "And after threescore
and two weeks [those just mentioned, not a new period] shall Messiah be cut
off." Whether it was three and a half years after, or seven, we can never
know, for Inspiration and history are alike silent on that point. "And he
shall confirm the covenant with many for one week." Whether Christ
confirmed it in his own person, during the whole week, or a portion of the time
through those who heard him, we cannot tell; doubtless the latter; for as he
causes "the sacrifice and oblation to cease in the midst of the
week," and this occurs when he offers himself on the cross, it is probably
that he preached only three and a half years.
By destroying the unity of this prophecy, and
separating the seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks, and one week, into
periods having no relation to each other, or to the seventy, of which it is so
clearly implied they are a part, our brethren make them cover seventy nine
weeks. Sixty nine weeks reach to the birth of our Lord, say they; while the one
week, by some wonderful arrangement, is made to reach to A.D. 70, or ten weeks
further on. Hence there were really seventy nine weeks determined on that
people, it would appear.
It seems to me enough has been said to show
that this whole theory is based on the one fact that Jerusalem was not
destroyed for some thirty or forty years after God had given it up, and it had
ceased to be "the holy city," and without one atom of Scripture
support, but in the face of a perfect avalanche of inspired testimony against
such application.
"The times of the Gentiles' must refer
to Gentile dominion, or Gentile probation; there is nothing else to which they
can refer. If to the first, they began with Babylon, the first universal
Gentile kingdom. IF they refer to their probation, hey began when the gospel
was first preached to the Gentiles. In either case the balance of the 2300
days, or 1810 years, is too short to cover "the times of the
Gentiles." And to say that they began at A.D. 65, is like all the rest of
this application, founded on pure assertion, entirely unsupported by Scripture.
God had given them up long before that; and Christ had told them that by and by
an army should come and destroy the old Hagar and her children.
OBJECTIONS
TO THE 2300 DAYS ENDING IN 1843
The evidence that the Jewish covenant, law,
ordinances, seventy weeks, and all that pertained to that dispensation ended
with the last, or "one week," during which our Lord takes away the
old, and confirms the new covenant, and "causes the sacrifice and oblation
to cease," by instituting a better sacrifice and a "better
covenant," is beyond all question. Therefore, it follows that the balance
of the 2300 days must have ended 1810 years after the termination of that
"one week," or at about 1843. But as we have clearly shown these 1810
years are not long enough to cover "the times of the Gentiles," we
are forced to the conclusion that the Gentile times extend beyond the 2300. And
there is nothing in the language of Dan. 8:14, which forbids it. "Unto two
thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,"
certainly does not imply that it had been cleansed before the days ended, nor
does it imply that it must be accomplished instantly at the end of the days.
When 2300 days have ended, there was something in the future, something still
to be done. "Then" implies time, and means the next even. You go to
England, then to China. "How long the voyage from the time you leaven the
shores of England, until you pass the last inch of water, and plant your feet
on the soil of China? And he said unto me, until 2300 days, then shall the
passengers go ashore." The question in the vision, like this question,
covers the whole time, "even to the last end of the indignation;" but
the answer is indefinite. You might go ashore in a few minutes, or, if night
had come on, not until morning. In the case before us, night did come on. The
vision tarried at the end of the 2300 days; "and while the bridegroom
tarried they all slumbered and slept." A similar case occurs in the
twelfth chapter. A question which covers the whole time down to the
resurrection, is asked -- "How long shall it be to the end of these
wonders?" The answer is, that it shall be for a "time, times and a
half;" then something was to be done which the time given in the answer
does not cover. Daniel then asks, "What shall be the end of these
things?" and is informed that "there shall be a thousand two hundred
and ninety days." And even this period does not cover it all; for after
these days end, there is something still future -- a waiting time --
"blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the month and a half added thereto";
as some old translation read.
None of these periods so far given in the
book of Daniel, reach to the end; for there is a positive declaration, that
after each one of them there was something as yet unaccomplished. And whether
that something would be accomplished in five minutes or fifty years, there is
not the slightest hint, until the last period is given. Here, with "the
thousand three hundred and five and thirty days," (1335) is the final and
complete answer, to which God, the angels, and the prophet have been gradually
bringing us, through all these past visions, questions, and answers. This final
answer is clear and positive. Of this period it is said -- "Thou shalt
rest, and stand in thy lot, AT THE END OF THE DAYS."
This makes the book of Daniel, a unity, not
broken fragments, independent of each other. The vision of the second chapter
was a mere outline; the seventh adds new features; the eighth still more, and
finally, with the last words that fall from the lips of the "man clothed
in linen," we reach the solution of the great problem. The book was then
"closed up and sealed, even to the time of the end." "Behold I
will make thee to know what shall be in the last end of the indignation, for at
the time appointed the end shall be." Verse 19. From this to the twenty
fifth verse the angel shows him what shall be, even to the last end, where the
"fourth beast" is "broken without hands." This was the time
God had appointed in the second chapter for the end, when the stone cut out
"without hands" should smite the image. Two prophetic periods had
been mentioned prior to this -- "the time, times and a half" (1260)
of the seventh chapter, and the 2300 days of this vision; but it does not
necessarily follow that either of these periods was the time God had appointed for
the end. God speaks of things that are not as though they were; and though he
had declared the end from the beginning, he did not reveal it to Daniel until
the last sentence of his communications was completed.
God appointed the time long before Daniel's
day. He says to David, in Psalm 102 -- "When the Lord shall build up Zion,
he shall appear in his glory" -- just what we are looking for at the end
of the days -- "Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to
favor her, yea, the set time is come."
The Bible is a unit; and the plan of salvation, stretching from the garden of
Eden till the "last trump" shall call the sleeping millions from the
dust, is one progressive and unbroken work. A word uttered in some dark corner
by an ancient seer, echoes down the centuries until the stream is caught by
other lips, and used as if the language had but just burst forth from their own
inspiration. "Let us then take heed unto the sure word of prophecy, as
unto a light shining in a dark place, . . . . knowing this first, that no
prophecy is given of any private interpretation;….but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost," and their words are linked together in
one great comprehensive plan. The several parts not perfect in themselves, or
containing the whole truth; but each one dependent on, and perfect only in
connection with, its fellows. The 1260 days reach to "the time of the
end" -- 1798. The 2300 days reach to the tarrying time -- 1843. The 1290
days reach to the waiting time, or to where the Advent movement began -- 1828.
The 1335 days reach to the time when Daniel will stand in his lot -- 1873.
The different phases of the Advent movement,
like all of God's work, are consistent in themselves, and form a united whole.
The first "going out to meet the bridegroom," began at the end of the
1290 days, and reached to 1843. Then came the disappointment, just as our Lord
had said -- "And while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and
slept." This accounts for the divisions and mistakes of this phase of the
movement. "At midnight," viz., the middle of this tarrying, or
sleeping time, from 1843 to 1873, there was a cry -- the true one -- to be
made. The 1873 cry began in the middle of this thirty years of tarrying, just
where our Lord said it would begin. And now at that cry the virgins are waking
up, and trimming their lamps by hundreds and by thousands, and still the cry
goes on. But in order to preach 1873 time, we must go back to the platform
occupied by "the virgins" before they went to sleep. Bro. Miller's
dream is coming true. During this sleeping time the virgins have taken those
"jewels," or prophetic periods which God gave to him, and scattering
them to the four winds, have put counterfeit ones in their place. But these
lost jewels are being found and reset, and are indeed "shining brighter
than before."
There are many overwhelming evidences for
1873. Some of our brethren see one of these, the 1335 days, and are preaching
it; others see more; but just so far as they are preaching 1873 time, they are
on the old 1843 platform. And when they get completely back into the position
occupied before they went to sleep, they will get such a blaze of light from
the sure word of prophecy as will make their hearts glad, and their words powerful.
Seen from this high eminence, all the disappointments and strange history of
the Advent people come out in strong relief; and what has hitherto appeared
like confusion, is seen to take its place as a part of a systematic plan
through which God designed to lead us to our deliverance. And as the beginning,
or first movement, was based in truth, we shall find a good tree will bring
forth good fruit, notwithstanding the unripe fruit has been bitter.
Convince me that the 1843 movement was based
in falsehood, and that the past has been only confusion and error, and I will
admit, with the world, that the chances are a hundred to one that this 1873
movement will be of a like nature, and end in disappointment. But as its
foundation was laid in truth, depend upon it, at the end "the vision will
speak and not lie."
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1872
N. H. BARBOUR
"When the Lord shall build up Zion, he
shall appear in his glory."
"Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon
Zion; for the time to favor her, yea, the set time is come." - Psalm 102.
God has certainly set the time when he will
bring again Zion; when her warfare will be ended, and his people see eye to
eye; and it is then "he will appear in his glory." Many of our
brethren seem shy of these portions of God's word in which definite time is
mentioned. But if the subject be investigated in the right spirit; with no
dogmatical assertions; simply with the view to learn what God has spoken, I
think harm to the cause of Christ could not result. Surely it cannot be wrong
to investigate Scripture on this subject. IT is true, men have no right to set
the time for the coming of Jesus. But it is not only right, it is a positive
duty, to search for all the light we can get on this most important event. Many
say -- "It makes no difference when the Lord comes, if we are only
ready." To me it does make a difference. I cannot say to our High Priest
-- "Come, Lord Jesus, and come QUICKLY,' and then turn to my brother and
say -- "It makes no difference to me when he comes."
Angels and patriarchs, holy men, apostles and
prophets, have all earnestly desired to know when Christ would come in his
glory. I, too, feel the same earnest desire, deep down in my heart, to know
"what, and what manner of TIME" the Spirit of Christ which was in the
prophet, did signify. And God being my helper, I will continue to search, and
"search diligently," and never, NEVER give over until I fall asleep,
or see the King in his beauty. Disappointments may be bitter; that of 1843 was
exceedingly so to me; and I have never seen an argument that satisfied me since
then, until the four strong arguments which God has given for 1873. The eating
of that "open book" in the 1843 message was sweet. O what love, what
unity, what strong faith we then had! But the digestion was to be bitter. The
disappointment followed; and those who passed through it will never forget the
bitterness of that cup. Perhaps that which God put to the lips of Abraham was
not more so, when the old man started on that three days' journey to offer his
son, his only son, as a burnt offering. He stood the trial, and did not draw
back. He went on his way; built the altar, prepared the wood, bound his son,
and nerving himself for the last sad act of obedience, grasped the knife, and
with uplifted arm aimed at the life of his boy. But God's eye was on him, and
quicker than thought an angel was sent to stay his hand. "Stay thy hand,
Abraham," said God. Now I know thee.
If God would try us, -- and surely nothing
has been so severe a trial to the Advent people, as the passing of the time --
shall we turn our backs on this part of god's word, and say "no more time
for me" -- "A burnt child dreads the fire," etc., etc? "If
any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."
God has called out the Advent people. A
hundred years ago, men were waiting for death; and so many good Christians are
today, and pray that God will prepare them for death; but when he comes, he
will have a few, at least, who can say -- "Lo, this is our God; we have
waited for him, and he will save us." Now he has a waiting people. They
came out on time. What could the 1843 movement been with the 1843 left out?
They will go in on time. At the end, the vision will speak and not lie. And
depend upon it, "the wise shall understand." Then, dearly beloved, do
not be afraid to investigate, but let us be meek and have the Spirit of Christ.
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1872
N. H. BARBOUR
"Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go yet
out to meet him."
To those who accept the Bible as the standard
of truth, there can be nothing plainer than are the indications that we are on
the eve of the world's dissolution. The sings in the sun, moon, and stars; the
perplexity of the nations; the downfall and gradual consumption of the papacy;
the disintegration of social and political organizations; all together speak in
language too plain to be misunderstood, and tell us that the "times of the
Gentiles" are about fulfilled, and earth's history under the curse drawing
to a close. Then will come the day when Zion's warfare will end, and death be
swallowed up in victory. A few more days and the grave must give up its sleeping
millions; a few more days and we shall greet the loved ones who sleep in Jesus.
This being true, the history of the present
time is one of interest to the prophetic student; especially that portion which
refers to God's people. When the Lord comes there is to be a
"waiting" people on the earth. "In the day when he takes the
rebuke of his people from off all the earth, it shall be said, "lo, this
is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us." "Blessed is
he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty
(1335) days." All living will come to the end of the days, but the
blessing is for those who wait and come.
No one would say they were waiting for a
friend if that friend should come upon them by surprise, and when they were not
expecting him. O no, beloved, let no man deceive you; God will have a people,
when he comes, who are waiting, not for death, as all men were before this
Advent movement began, and as many are even to this day; but a people who are
waiting for him. And that people have a prophetic history in the parable of the
"ten virgins," which is now being fulfilled. May God give us wisdom
to see and believe the truth.
The going forth of the virgins was fulfilled
in the 1843 movement. "The Bridegroom tarried," and we were
disappointed. "They all slumbered and slept," and hence, we have been
in darkness. The 1873 cry answers to the midnight cry; and the virgins are
rising and trimming their lamps. Thus the parable has been literally fulfilled,
as we shall show, and the going in of the wise virgins remains before us.
Some suppose parables ought not to be applied
in detail, but teach one, and only leading idea. This, however, cannot be true,
for our Lord does not so apply them. Look at that of the "tares and wheat,"
where every part is fully carried out in the application. Again, in the parable
of the "sower." Mark 4. And the application of this one is made a
sample, or rule, by which all parables are to be explained. For when asked for
an explanation he says -- "Know ye not this parable? How then shall ye
know all parables?" ver. 13. Then follows the interpretation. The seed,
the birds of the air, the wayside, the stony ground, the thorns, the scorching
of the sun, choking by the thorns, want of earth, the good ground, etc. All
parts have their meaning. Not a though expressed in the parable but finds a
full application. Hence, we may expect every detail of the parable of the ten
virgins to be accurately fulfilled.
Let us first notice its chronology, which
unlike all others is put in the future. "then shall the kingdom of heaven
be likened," viz., at some future time. All others are given in the
present tense. The kingdom of heaven is likened to a sower, to a net, to a
nobleman, etc. These refer to the whole gospel dispensation; while that of the
ten virgins was placed in the future, and ends with the coming of the
Bridegroom, and hence is clearly located at the end of the dispensation.
This is so apparent that I am surprised at
the blindness of those who try to make it apply to the whole gospel
dispensation. Then again, it has been literally fulfilled by the Adventists
during this present generation.
The signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and
upon earth distress of nations with perplexity, were to be seen by the last
generation, "and when these things begin to come to pass, then look up,
and lift up your heads." Luke 21:28. This movement which has made us
"look up, and lift up our heads," began in 1828, after the sun had
been darkened, but before the falling of the stars, or when these things began
to come to pass.
The first public labor of Bro. Miller, as an
Adventist, began in Feb. 1828 (see his Life), and was followed by a revival. It
is true he had studied the subject for many years before this; and that he did not
publish his lectures until two or three years subsequent (1831); nor did he at
this time call himself a preacher; but here is where he began his public work.
The movement continued for about fifteen years, and ended in the great
disappointment of 1843-1844. Never was there such a taking of the lamp.
("Thy word is a lamp.") Everybody had a Bible, and searched to see if
these things were so. Ministers read it as they had never done before. Farmers,
mechanics, lawyers, and laborers, women and children, male and female,
everywhere, at home and abroad. Bibles were in demand; and the near approach of
the judgment stirred the hearts of the multitude. They took their lamps and
went forth; some with fear and trembling, and others with joy and rejoicing.
But we were disappointed -- "The Bridegroom tarried."
With the passing of the time it seemed almost
as if God's word had failed. We were in darkness on this subject; our unity was
gone; discord and confusion seemed to reign; and these things have continued,
more or less, until the present time. "While the Bridegroom tarried, they
all slumbered and slept." Truly this much of the parable has been
fulfilled.
Objections have been raised that the 1843
movement was confined principally to this country, and therefore was not of
sufficient extent to answer to the prophecy. This may also be raised against
the signs in the sun, moon, and stars; for they were seen very little, if any,
except by those on this continent.
The gospel began in the East and is ending in
the West. Hence the last prophecies which refer to God's people find their
fulfillment here. If this movement has not been extensive enough to answer to
the parable, it simply follows that its fulfillment is yet in the future, and
must be enacted on a larger scale. What then become of the signs, and
"this generation," now almost dwindled to an end?
But that 1843 movement was extensive enough;
the sound went to the uttermost parts of the earth, and was more fully
disseminated than were the events pertaining to the first coming of Christ
during an equal period of time.
The night of this parable, or slumbering and
sleeping time, is while the Bridegroom tarried, and has been so fulfilled. This
has been the time of our darkness; the shut doors, Elijahs, and all the strange
applications of prophecy, from which time has compelled us to retreat in almost
every instance. These things may not be pleasant to talk about, but all know
they are true.
Prior to the tarrying our Lord exhorts the
virgins to be awake. And here let me remark what we all know to be true, that
during this slumbering and sleeping, every definite time which has been
preached, and every prophecy applied, has been by tearing down those things
taught by the virgins before they went to sleep. Take, for instance the 2300
days of Dan. 8. If they did not end in 1844, 1854 did as well. That time
passed, and they moved them on to 1867, 1868, 1870, 1873, 1875, and some to
1880.
When Bro. Miller's argument that the seventy
weeks were part of the 2300 days, and ended at the cross, the only landmark God
has given, was thrown away, we were all afloat. One place to end them would do
as well as another. So with the "abomination of desolation," which,
in 1843 times, we understood and proved was "set up" in A.D. 538, and
its "dominion" taken away in 1798. These great landmarks were
forsaken, while the virgins slept, and the "days" made to fit almost
any place.
Now we are driven back to the platform on
which the virgins stood before they went to sleep, in the application of every
prophecy. And just so far as we get back we begin to see the light for 1873.
The unfolding of events during the last thirty years has strengthened every
application of prophecy, as it was applied at that time, and the only change
has been in a few jots and titles of light added to those positions; and every
independent application of prophecy made since then has to be swept out of the
way.
The mistake of 1843 was in beginning the
"thousand" (Dan. 12:11) thirty years before the abomination was
"set up," or in 508, when we supposed the "daily sacrifice was
taken away."
The Advent movement may be likened to a man
who builds a house. He digs deep, and lays his foundation on a rock. Night
comes on, and he dreams his beautiful structure is all in ruins. With the
debris he essays to build again; but having no foundation, it soon falls. He
moves a portion of the crumbling mass a little further on, and tries again and
again, with like results. When almost in despair the morning light begins to
shine. He awakens and beholds it was all a dream. The noble structure is still
secure. The winds blew, the rain fell, and the floods came, but it was founded
on a rock. He thanks God, and with a light heart goes back to where he left off
the day before, and adds a few jots and tittles and completes the building.
Would not all who beheld him know that his dreams were at an end, and that he
was now awake?
Even so in this 1873 movement, it is based on
the old foundation of 1843; not a stone has fallen. The dark night is passing
away, and "Behold the Bridegroom cometh."
Some suppose, in order to understand this
parable, we must learn how a marriage feast, was conducted in the East. Christ
drew upon eastern customs to illustrate this movement of the virgins, or going
out of his people, the Adventists, at this time, it is true; but he presumed to
have understood what he wished to illustrate, and to have drawn as many
features of an eastern feast as it was necessary to complete the illustrations.
We have no right to add to his parable, and say that because wedding feasts
were sometimes consummated in the night, therefore Christ will come and the
resurrection take place in a symbolic night.
If he had said -- "Then shall the
kingdom of heaven be likened to an eastern wedding feast, and you may fill up
the picture for yourself;" then indeed we might have taken some liberty.
But what he say is, that it would be likened to ten virgins who go out to meet
him; he tarries, and they slumber and sleep. At midnight a cry is made -- "go
ye out to meet him." A second movement. At that cry they rise and trim
their lamps.f He comes, and they that are ready to go in, and the door is shut.
Thus the parable ends with the coming and the resurrection. The night and
darkness connected with the movement have been since the tarrying and
slumbering and sleeping. And when the Bridegroom comes, the glorious morning
will be when Christ comes. And therefore the parable cannot end until morning.
Any other conclusion is a forced one.
Midnight means the middle of the night; hence
the cry -- "Behold the Bridegroom cometh! Go ye out to meet him,":
must be made in the middle of this symbolic night, or tarrying time. Otherwise,
his parable would fail of being accurately fulfilled. The midnight cry brings
to view a second movement. The first one in which they took their lamps and
went forth, continued about fifteen years, or from 1828 to 1843-1844. Hence the
last going out must necessarily consume time. He does not come when the cry is
made, or begins to be made; for there is much to be accomplished under the cry;
still it is the true cry in accordance with which he does eventually come, and
they that are ready to go in; and there is no failure or disappointment
associated with it by our Lord.
Therefore the 1844, 1854, or 1867 time, can
neither of them answer to the midnight cry, as they all ended in
disappointment. They may represent the "watches," as many think; but
they cannot represent the true cry at which he comes. Nor have we a right to
join these watches as given in Mark 13:35, with this parable of the virgins.
Both are perfect in themselves; and though they may cover the same ground,
still they remain two separate and distinct parables; the midnight watch and
the midnight cry having nothing in common.
In the parable under consideration there are
but two movements spoken of. The first was to end in disappointment; the last
in glory. "At midnight," said our Lord, this cry should be made.
Hence, if it is not already made, we have not yet, after twenty nine years of tarrying,
reached midnight, and the morning must be at least twenty nine years in the
future. What then becomes of this generation? The only objection to this clear
and positive application of the parable is, that we make too much of Christ's
words. I do not believe it, for not one jot can fail. The midnight cry has been
made, thank god; and there are seven different ways of proving that this night
is to be but thirty years long, and will end in 1873.
We believe the 1873 cry is the midnight cry,
because we believe the Lord will come in 1873; and the midnight cry is the true
cry. Hence all the evidences which go to prove that the Lord will come at that
time, also proves the cry of his coming to be the midnight cry. And more than
that, this 1873 cry began at midnight, viz., in the middle of the tarrying, or
about fifteen years after the spring of 1844. And though small in its
beginning, it has continued as a persistent cry until it has swelled to its
present proportions. As with the first movement, the virgins come in slowly for
many years, and at last by thousands; so it has been with this; and now the
virgins are rising and trimming their lamps (examining the truth of this
matter) all over the land.
Many have supposed the 1854 cry was the
midnight cry, but as that ended in disappointment, and this does not, they
cannot be the same. Others suppose the midnight cry is not yet made, and is to
be at His appearing. This, however, is not possible, for a midnight cry cannot
be made in the morning. Again, some have supposed there was to be no
conversions after they "cry" was made, because the foolish get no
oil. If because the "foolish" do not become "wise," proves
there are no conversions under the last movement, then there have been none
since 1828; for in the symbol; the five wise and five foolish started in that
condition, and so remain until the end. But of course the symbol has nothing to
do with individual changes. The foolish were never ready. The only way to learn
is to be wise.
If it were not for the light thrown on the
Advent movement by this parable, we could never expect to gain the confidence
or faith of the people in another time movement. But when we are taught by our
Lord so clearly that the past would be precisely what it has been, and yet
there was to be a true cry in which they that were ready would go in, our
disappointments, slumbering and sleeping, and confusion even, become additional
evidence that we are on the right track.
The going out to meet the Bridegroom, which
was to precede the disappointment, has been made. He has tarried, and have they
not all slumbered and slept? Who that knows out past history, as a people, but
will answer yes? The midnight cry has been made. Of this there is abundance of
evidence. Some will say that 1873 was spoken of long before the midnight hour.
That indeed is true. Bro. Miller said soon after 1843 passed, that he
"could see no light this side of 1873," and many others might have
said as much; but it was soon lost sight of, and did not begin as a persistent
cry until God's time, the midnight hour, had come.
Others again insist upon it that it must be
made by an angel. They are willing to admit that the cry made by the angel
(Rev. 14:6) was fulfilled in the Advent movement, while here, where nothing is
said of any such personage, they expect a miraculous appearance of an angel.
Again, there are others who say the movement has not been large enough either
in its beginning or present proportions, and so they can all find excuses.
God's work has always been done in a way that
men could find excuses, if they chose, to disregard it. But the facts of our
past history have met this parable, and fulfilled it in all its details. There
is nothing before us but the separation between the wise and foolish, and the
coming Bridegroom. God grant that we be found among the wise. I believe with
all my heart, Christ is coming in 1873. "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus,
and come quickly."
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1872
N. H. BARBOUR
"And from the time the daily sacrifice
shall be taken away, and the abomination of desolation set up, there shall be a
thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to
the thousand and three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way
till the end, for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the
days." -- Dan. 12:11-13.
No prophecy of the Scriptures is of any
"private interpretation"; that is, no prophecy can be fully
understood alone and by itself; each one hinges on another. Hence the
understanding of the whole truth, especially on so great a subject as the time
for the coming of the Lord, has been a progressive work. Prophecies which we
once thought contained the whole matter, we now learn gave us but a part of the
truth. Our text can only be understood from the basis of the "time, times
and a half" of the seventh chapter. Hence the angel has brought it forward
in this connection, as found in the preceding verses.
THE
DAILY
"And from the time the daily sacrifice
shall be taken away." The word "daily" occurs in Dan. 8:11;
11:31, and in our text; and refers, as we shall try to show, to the Jewish
daily sacrifices. In the eighth chapter, the 2300 days are given in answer to
the questions -- "How long the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and
the transgression of desolation?" The vision covers the daily and the
transgression of desolation; and seventy weeks of this vision were
"determined" on the Jews, as a dispensation based on a
"continue" or daily sacrifice. Therefore it seems very arbitrary to
refer the first part of this vision -- "the daily" -- which was
determined on the Jews, to something which has no connection with the Jewish
dispensation, or the seventy weeks.
Some suppose the "daily" refers to
paganism. If so, the seventy weeks would not be long enough o measure it. And
yet the natural division is, "the daily, and the transgression of
desolation"; not the "abomination of desolation"; that was that
was the papacy; while the "transgression of desolation," to my mind,
refers to both pagan and papal Rome.
Another view held by some is, that the
"daily" refers to the true worship. But that was never taken away by
force of arms, either in Rome or in any other place. Being in the heart, and
not with outward form, it can neither be taken away nor established by human
laws. Oh no, beloved friends, this "daily" was the Jewish daily
sacrifice. It ceased when Christ made an end of sacrifice, but was not taken
away by force of arms until Jerusalem was destroyed. "Arms shall stand on
is part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and they shall take
away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh
desolate." Dan. 11:31. God's people had forsaken the holy covenant, and he
let the Romans pollute their sanctuary of strength, and take away their
"daily." (when taken away it was not a sacrifice, but an
abomination.) "The daily was taken away and the place of his sanctuary [the
temple] cast down." Dan. 8:11. "The days shall come upon thee that
thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and shall lay thee even with the
ground, and thy children within thee, because thou knewest not the time of they
visitation." Luke 19:43-44. "The people of the prince that shall come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." Dan. 9:26.
It may be asked if the daily was taken away
at the destruction of Jerusalem, and the abomination of desolation not set up
until some centuries after, would there not be a break, a want of connection,
in the prophecy? If the abomination refers to papacy, or the man of sin, I
answer, No! "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work," said St.
Paul, even in his day; "only he who letteth will let, until he be taken
out of the way; then shall that wicked be revealed." The abomination began
to grow before the daily was taken away, and continued to enlarge until he that
"let" (pagan Rome) was taken out of the way; then the Roman arms
"set up" this abomination in the seat of the dragon.
THE
ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
This we can prove refers to the Roman
Catholic Church. The great tribulation on the church of God, "such as was
not from the creation of God to that same time; no, nor ever shall be,"
spoken of by our Lord in the thirteenth of Mark (Mark 13) and twenty fourth of
Matthew (Matt. 24) was to be under "the abomination of desolation, spoken
of by Daniel the prophet." And all know the papacy has filled the picture.
It was to stand "in the holy place," or "where it ought
not." The holy place was in the temple of God. The Roman army never stood
in the holy place; the temple was burned while they were breaking up the city.
And more than that, there was no holy place in the temple at the time, for God
had left their house desolate long before Jerusalem was destroyed. Then, again,
the Romans did not put to death the "elect"; they had all fled from
the city; hence the days might have been "shortened" or lengthened,
without affecting them. The greater tribulation on the disciples of Christ,
i.e., his people to whom he was talking, was under the Roman Catholic Church.
Hence the abomination must refer to that. Papacy did get into the "holy
place," that is, the Church, or temple of God. "Know ye not that ye
are the temple of the living God?"
SET
UP
"I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet
colored beast." Rev. 17:3.This woman, or church, drunken with the blood of
the saints, is the papacy, which we have proven to be "the abomination of
desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet." She was "set up" when
she took her seat on the beast, or civil power. And we understand the papacy
was to maintain its seat or hold "times and laws" for 1260 years, and
that the dragon was to give him his seat -- Rome. Hence if we can learn when
the papal church was supported for an unbroken term of 1260 years by the civil
power in Rome and Italy, we shall certainly have learned when the abomination
of desolation was "set up."
Some have supposed we must find where the
papacy plucked up three horns or divisions of the empire. This, however, does
not follow. It says (Dan. 7:24) -- "He shall subdue three kings; and he
shall speak great words against the Most High; and shall wear out the saints of
the Most High, and think to change times and laws." Here are four things
this horn is said to do; and it must exist before it does either of them. What
right, then, have we to fix upon any one thing it was to do, in preference to
another, to mark its setting up? Certainly not because of their chronological
order in the prophecy; for things are often mentioned first which occur last.
See Micah 5:1-2, where Christ's death and being smitten on the cheek are
mentioned before his birth. No one supposes these things occurred
chronologically; that he first subdued three kings, then spake great words,
then wore out the saints, and last of all thought to change times and laws.
To fix on the overthrow of these three horns
as the time when the 1260 years began, is not only arbitrary, but impossible.
The prophecy does not inform us whether
the days should begin before, or after, or during the time they were being
plucked up; and to guess that it was when the third one was plucked up, would
savor too much of the way prophecy has been applied during all these years in
which the virgins have been slumbering and sleeping. And what is more,
expositors do not even agree on which three were plucked up. We do know the
papacy wears a triple crown, as a sign of thee kingdoms plucked up, and also
that he has spoken "great words." But God has given a much more simple
way to determine when the abomination of desolation was set up, than by
arbitrarily fixing on some one thing that horn was to do; viz., finding when
the woman took her seat on the beast. In other words, when the church was first
supported by the civil power, as per conditions. It must be in Rome, the seat
of the dragon; and for an unbroken term of 1260 years. On this point history is
so clear that the question becomes one of the simplest of all historical facts.
Both the beginning and the end are clearly marked, and the end of that period
is within the memory of some now living.
This horn -- papacy -- does not come up until
after the ten divisions of the empire were complete. See Dan. 7:24. And Rome
was not so divided until about the fourth century; then we find it in the
possession of the Goths for nearly a century more. During this Gothic reign
thirteen popes lived and exercised their priestly functions by permission of
these non-Catholic powers, or barbarians, as they called them> Hence the papal
church was not yet set up, or supported by the civil power; for she only
existed in Rom by sufferance.
In A.D. 538, Rome and Italy were freed from
the control of the barbarians, and the provinces of Italy embraced the part of
Justinian, the Catholic emperor. See Gibbon, Lon. Ed., p. 707, from which I
will quote -- "Belisarius entered Rome Dec. 10th, 536, and the city after
sixty years servitude was delivered from the yoke of the barbarians. The Goths,
however, assembled in vast numbers for the defense of their country, and
besieged the city; which siege was maintained for one year and nine days. . . .
The Goths raised the siege of Rome, March, 538; and the Gothic army, lately so
strong, was not reduced to the walls of Ravenna and a few fortresses destitute
of natural support, and the provinces of Italy embraced the part of the
emperor."
Now in 538, the civil power has embraced the
part of the emperor and become Catholic. And the Catholic arms, which had long
been trying to establish the papacy as head of Rome, were successful. Justinian
had issued a decree to that effect some hears before, it is true, but here is
where it goes into effect. The prophecy does not imply that the church would
receive any accessions of power at this time, nor did it. "They," the
same dragon power who took away the "daily," have not by force of
arms "set up the abomination that maketh desolate." Maketh desolate
is in the present tense, when set up. The papacy had desolated God's people
before it was set up as head of Rome, and was to continue that work after it
loses its seat. "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints and
prevailed against them, until the time came that the saints possessed the
kingdom." It was to occupy the dragon's seat, and sway "times and
laws" for 1260 years. Papacy was supported by the civil power, or people
of Rome and Italy, the heart and center of the Roman empire, from A.D. 538 to
1798; just 1260 years. This fact remains unquestioned by all the world.
It is true the Goths were not entirely expelled
from their last stronghold in Italy until the next year; that they invaded the
city a number of times after that, in the next few years; and popes were taken
prisoners and put to death time and time again during the 1260 years of papal
rule. But the people, or civil power, remained true to the papacy (not to
individual popes) until 1798.Then, when the beast had carried the woman until
God's words -- "time, times and a half" -- were fulfilled, he let
them throw her off and establish a republic. "The judgment sat, and they
took away its dominion"; viz., the same "they," the people, who
set it up. See French Revolution, by Christopher Kelly, Lon. Ed., p. 243 --
"the Roman republic was proclaimed Feb. 15th, 1798. The arrival of the
French army, and the proclamation of the general, had given the fatal blow to
the papal sovereignty."
This is the argument, and these are the
dates, 538 and 1798, given to the world in the 1843 movement, for the setting
up of the abomination of desolation, and the taking away of its dominion. Thus
we find ourselves back on the old platform where the virgins stood before they
went to sleep. Nor can we preach 1873 from any other standpoint. Our mistake in
1843, and the only one we made in all the prophecies, was in calling the "daily"
some pagan institution, taken away as we thought some thirty years before the
abomination of desolation was set up, in 508; and began the
"thousand" there. If we had begun to reckon from the time the
abomination was set up, it would have come to 1873 instead of 1843. The
"virgins" would not have gone forth at that time, and Christ's words
would have failed. But it is all coming out right, thank god! He had this trial
for us, and some of us, by the grace of God, will stand the test and not "draw
back."
Having learned that the abomination was set
up in 538, we can easily add up the numbers given by the angel. "A
thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to
the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days." This thousand
evidently belongs to both periods. In other words, it is a single period with
two extremities; on reaching forty five years beyond the other, and given in
answer to a single question -- "What shall be the end of these
things?" I answer, the end of these things was to be the Advent movement,
which covers all the wonders Daniel and the angels had been talking about, --
the running to and fro, the increase of knowledge, the many being tried and
purified and made white, the wise understanding, and the resurrection of many
who are sleeping in the dust of the earth. The period had been given for us
Adventists, and we alone can understand it. This final answer was given in such
a way as to measure this movement. The shorter extremity ended in 1828, where
the Advent movement began; and the longer one will end in 1873, where the
movement will end.
Who can doubt that God has given his waiting
people a place in prophecy as well as an Alexander or Napoleon? Form A.D. 538
"there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (1290) blessed is
he that waiteth and cometh" to the end of the longer period. No political
event so much as hinted at. Nothing but a waiting. Why not be satisfied with
what God has given? There are those even among Adventists who think this
"Millerite" movement, or waiting time, was too small in its beginning
to be noticed in prophecy. The gospel itself began too small to suit some
people. But God's ways are not our ways.
The answer given to Daniel in these last
periods refers solely to God's waiting people; therefore the wicked cannot
understand them. They must admit this movement to be of God if they would
understand. They know the dominion was taken from papacy in 1798, just as well
as God's people know it. But here is something they cannot comprehend. The
Millerite movement to have a place in prophecy; away with such nonsense! Not
one of them can understand, or admit it. But "the wise shall
understand."
THE
SHORTENING OF THE DAYS
"And except those days should be
shortened there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days
shall be shortened." Matt. 24:22. It has been thought by some that the
thousand two hundred and ninety days were shortened to 1260; but there is no
Bible or fact in history to support this idea. The days of tribulation under
the Catholic church were shortened by the Lutheran Reformation, as all men
know. One prophetic period was not shortened into another. NO prophetic period
had ever been fixed upon during which the papacy should make war on and
persecute the elect of God. "I beheld and the same horn made war with the
saints and prevailed against them until the Ancient of days came; and the time
came that the saints possessed the kingdom." Dan. 7;21-22. Times and laws
were given into his hands for 1260 years, it is true; but the 1290 days of the
twelfth chapter had nothing to do with the measuring papacy; the only measure
put upon it was already determined here in the seventh chapter; while the 1290
days were given to measure quite another thing. "From the time the
abomination was set up," there would be 1290 days to the waiting
time."
But it is said Christ connects the shortening
of these days with the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the
prophet. Then why not go to where Daniel speaks of this abomination, and
connects it with a shortening or reducing of the tribulation? In. Dan. 11:31,
this abomination of desolation is first spoken of; and certainly we ought to
first look here for the application of Christ's words; and here we find there
is a real shortening of the days of tribulation, answering perfectly to what
our Savior said. "they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate;
and they that understand among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall
fall by the sword, and by flame, and by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now
when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little hope. . . And some of
them of understanding shall fall even to the time of the end; because it is yet
for a time appointed." Dan. 11:31-35. Here we find a parallel to Chris's
words. Under this papal power there was a tribulation on his elect, such as was
not from the creation of God unto that same time. It continued until his
church, the elect, were almost extinct. Then by the Lutheran Reformation God
did help his people, and shorten the days of persecution. And yet some
"continue to fall even to the time of the end"; for the Scriptures
could not be broken. It was not the taking away of the dominion of papacy in
1798, but the Lutheran Reformation, which saved the "elect" from
becoming extinct. Supposing the papal dominion had not been taken away for
thirty years after, or not until 1828, the end of the 1290 days; what then? It
would not have affected the elect, God's church, one particle. Persecution had
already practically ceased before the 1260 expired. Then how were the 1290
shortened to 1260 to save God's elect? But by the Lutheran Reformation the days
of tribulation were shortened, and for a purpose; to save his church. "For
the elect's sake those days shall be shortened," said Christ. This
application means something. There is a ring about it, and common sense, facts,
and Bible, to support it. Christ's words and Daniel's and history synchronize.
THE
THOUSAND YEARS
This thousand is mentioned twice, and in a way to give it significance. It is
the thousand from which most of God's martyrs will date their experience. From
A.D. 538 a thousand years bring us to 1538, where seven of the powers of Europe
form the holy league, for the protection of the seed of the woman, or true
church, which had fled into the wilderness. "The earth opened her mouth
and helped the woman." And thus it was that God "helped his people
with a little help." See Church History by Charles Hose, p. 391. "The
holy league between the Archbishop of Mentz, the Archbishop of Strasbuourg, the
Due of Bavaria, George of Saxony, Henry of Brunswick, Francis of France, Henry
the VIII of England, and other northern powers, was formed in 1538, to stay the
papal persecution, and protect the Reformation." Thus were the days of
tribulation shortened to one thousand years. (This thousand has nothing in
common with that of Rev. 20, which is till in the future.)
DARKENING
OF THE SUN
"In those days," viz., the 1260 set
apart for the papacy, or the abomination of desolation, "and after that
tribulation, shall the sun be darkened." Mark 13:24. The sun was darkened
May 19th, 1780, or eighteen years before the 1260 ended. Thus it was in those
days, and yet after the tribulation. Matthew says -- "Immediately after the
tribulation of those days"; thus making the tribulation something distinct
from the days. Immediately means soon after; the next thing in order.
We have proven by facts which no one can
question, that the papacy, or abomination of desolation, was set up in A.D.
538. Form which date the 1260 years bring us to 1798, where all men know
"its dominion was taken away." That a "thousand" years from
the time it was set up brings us to 1538, where God did help his people, and
shorten the days of tribulation. That the "two hundred and ninety"
end in 1828, where the Advent movement, or waiting time, began. That the
waiting is all God has given to mark the end of those days. "blessed is he
that waiteth and cometh." The thousand, from 538, ended in 1538; the three
hundred in 1838; the five in 1843, and the thirty in 1873. Not one of these
landmarks -- 538, 1538, 1798, 1828, or 1873 -- can be moved, without moving all
the rest. They are joined together in history and in prophecy. Each point is
supported by facts, not theory. And these facts harmonize exactly with what God
had said should mark each date.
What do you think of if? Was "the daily
sacrifice' taken away by Roman armies? Did "they," the Roman arms,
set up the abomination of desolation? Did it continue as head of Rome for 1260
years, or until 1798? Was its dominion taken away at the appointed time? Has it
been undergoing a gradual consumption since then? Did God shorten the days of
tribulation on his people by means of the Lutheran Reformation? Was the sun darkened
"in those days," and yet after that tribulation? Did papacy,
notwithstanding the shortening of the days, maintain its seat, and some
continue to fall, even to the time of the end? Did God continue to call out
this waiting people, whoa re to say, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited
for him," in 1828, at the time appointed? If these all have come at their
appointed time, and in their place, have you not faith to believe the one even
still future will come true? If so, you must admit that we have but a few short
months to settle the question with ourselves and others, of eternal life or
eternal death.
God help us to redeem the time, for at the
end the vision will speak, and not lie. Amen.
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1872
N. H. BARBOUR
THE COMMUNE, OR
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY AND "TIME OF TROUBLE"
BEING AN EXPOSITION OF
REVELATION 17
The power referred to as having "seven
heads and ten horns," whether in the twelfth, thirteenth, or seventeenth
chapter of Revelation, I understand to refer, not to Constantinople, or France,
or any other fractional part, but always to the whole Roman empire; -- that the
heads mean governments, and the horns geographical divisions. God is not a God
of confusion. And to call a division of the empire a "horn" today, a
"head" tomorrow, and the beast itself the next day, brings utter
confusion. This loose way of applying prophecy which has obtained during the
last few years, can only be accounted for by the fact that "while the
Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept."
Divisions of the Grecian empire were called
"heads." "The beast had also four heads." Dan. 7:6. But in
that place it brought no confusion. But the heads of the Roman beast cannot be
synonymous with horns, for "the beast had seven heads and ten horns."
And lest we should fall into the error, God has told us that these "seven
heads are seven mountains." Mountains, when used as a symbol, represent
governments, and not parts of a kingdom. See Jer. 17:2-3, where God calls the
kingdom of Israel -- "O my mountain in the field,' etc. In Jer. 51:24-25,
it is said of Babylon, "O destroying mountain, I will make a burnt
mountain of thee." Again in Dan. 2:35, Christ's kingdom is called a
mountain. "The stone became a great mountain, and filled the whole
earth." "I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast
that carrieth her, having seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou
sawest, was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go
into perdition." Rev. 17:7-8. A "beast" means, in prophecy, a
political power, or earthly kingdom. "The fourth beast shall be the fourth
kingdom upon earth." Dan. 7:23. The Roman beast, "having seven heads
and ten horns," while under its pagan form, and called "the
dragon," "was." That is, it was as a beast, or a purely
political power. When the nations composing that empire passed under the
dominion of the church, it "was not" as a beast simple, for it had
now become an ecclesiastical power. "The bottomless pit" is a
condition, and not a locality. The Saracens, who overran the Eastern empire,
are said to "come out of the smoke that ascendeth out of the bottomless
pit." Rev. 9. That is, they came out from an inert to an active condition.
The Roman beast, viz., the "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues," which have been under "the mother of harlots, and
abominations of the earth," are to "ascend out of this bottomless
pit, and go into perdition." And in Rev. 17:11, we are told that this
beast of Rev. 17:7-8, viz., "the beast that was, and is not, even he is
the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition."
The beast had but seven heads; this
"eighth," therefore, is not a head. It is the beast itself. It is the
peoples and nations without a head; or, in other words, without a government.
The Commune, or International Society,
answers perfectly to this prophecy. There never has existed, since the origin
of civilization, so strong an organization. It already numbers many millions,
reaching from one end of the earth to the other. (See "Edinburgh
Review" of Oct., 1871.) It claims to be a unit; and yet it has no head.
Like the sea monster of which we have heard -- all lungs, all heart, all body.
Its economy is perfect in every part. Cut it into a thousand pieces, and it
only multiplies the parts, without hurting its vitality. This same
organization, under the name of "Commune," has been developing for
nearly a century. It cropped out during the French Revolution, near the close
of the last century. Men wondered when they beheld this monster, even in its
incipient state. Human life and property withered away before it, like stubble
before the flame. Now it is coming up, not in France alone, but over the whole
earth. "And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names are not
written in the book of life, when they behold the beast that was, and is not,
and yet is." Rev. 9:8. For "there shall be a time of trouble such as
never was since there was a nation." And in that reign of terror
"every man's hand shall be against his brother."
This last phase of the fourth empire cannot
fully develop until the seventh head has had the "short space"
allotted to it; then it will ascend out of this bottomless pit, or from under
church state organizations, "and go into perdition." During the
French Revolution, the papal head "received a deadly wound," and the
Commune, or this beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, came to the
surface and accomplished a work which God had foretold. "And the beast
that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them [the two
witnesses], and shall overcome them, and kill them." Rev. 11:7. The deadly
wound was healed, papacy was restored, in a new character, and the Commune, or
headless beast, was not fully delivered from the pit at that time, and was soon
lost sight of. It reads, "The beast that ascendeth out," shall make
war on the two witnesses; clearly showing that he was only in the act of coming
out at that time. But it is the same beast that "shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit and go into perdition."
This war on "the two witnesses" by
the Commune occurred in France; hence some have supposed that France was the
beast." But when we understand that this beast that ascendeth out of the
bottomless pit is the one which had "the seven heads and ten horns,"
France makes a poor fit, for it never had seven heads and ten horns. And
nothing ever did but Rome, the fourth universal empire. The Commune, or
Internationals, cropped out in 1793-1795, and again in 1870, in that one
division of the Roman empire. But now the seventh "head," under
Victor Immanuel, as we shall show, has had its "short space," and lo!
The monster is seen coming to the surface in every part of the civilized world.
It may be objected that papacy itself was called "the beast" in the
thirteenth chapter. Papacy was both church and state. Its power was civil and
ecclesiastical; hence it was the beast. The same people and nations which
composed the body of the beast under pagan Rome, became the body of the church,
or papal Rome. With its change of character, there was a change of name; but it
was still the Roman empire, "having seven heads and ten horns."
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things, and
blasphemies." Here the church character is made to appear, as it is in the
"mouth and eyes" of the little horn of Dan. 7.
The fourth universal empire is the only one
with which the Revelator has to do; the other three having passed away before
the Christian era. "That great city which reigneth over the kings of the
earth" (Rev. 17:18), as all admit, must refer to Rome. And what is true of
Rome is applied to the church, or woman, while she represents Rome. Just as
what is true of Babylon, literal and mystical, is applied to mystical Babylon.
Babylon literal, destroyed God's ancient people, and mystical Babylon the
Christian church. And while this harlot woman represents Babylon, God says,
"In her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that
were slain upon the earth." Rev. 18:24. "The seven heads," which
were seven mountain, or governments, belong to the beast on which the woman
sat; for it was the beast which had the seven heads. And while the woman
represents Rome, she is said to sit on, or be supported by, what had supported
"that great city."
How was the blood of all that had been slain
upon the earth found in mystical Babylon, when there were millions slain before
she existed? Simply because she was a representative character. if a building
firm should send their agent to you and demand payment for a block of houses,
and you reply, "Sir, that block of building you put up for me was not
finished according to contract"; and he should answer, "I have built
nothing for you," you would call him a fool: "You built no houses!
you represent the firm, do you not? Then I say again, those houses you built
were not according to contract."
While "the woman" represented that
great city, what is true of Rome was applied to her. Thus "the seven heads
are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth"; and the "woman is
that great city." This is God's way, and man's way, of talking of a
representative character. "And there are seven kings; five are fallen, and
one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh he must continue a
short space." Rev. 17:10.
In order to understand this, and know what
"five had fallen," and what head was present, and the one still
future, we must get the true standpoint of the prophet, which is given in the
first verse. "come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great
harlot." Rev. 17:3. "So he carried me away in the spirit into the
wilderness." In other words, he carried him in spirit down the stream of
time, or history of the people ("wilderness" means the people; see
Ezek. 20:45), to where the papacy was to receive her judgment, or be stripped
and made desolate and naked. And Daniel gives the chronology of this judgment.
Speaking of the same power he says "times and laws" were given into
its hands "for a time, times, and the dividing of time; but the judgment
shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume, and to destroy it
unto the end." Dan. 7:25-26. This judgment on the papacy is prior to the
end, and final judgment on the nations; for after the judgment sat on the
papacy, it was to be consumed "unto the end." This judgment sat
during the French Revolution, and in 1798 they took away its dominion. Papacy
was soon after restored in another character, which continued from 1800 to
1870, during which time that judgment has been undergoing execution; in other
words, the papacy has been undergoing its gradual consumption. "These ten
kings shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall
eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." Rev. 17:16.
Since her restoration in March, 1800, these
divisions of the Roman empire -- England, France, Prussia, Austria, Spain,
Italy, etc., have all had a hand in humbling the Papacy. They have gradually
withdrawn their influence and support from that church. They have permitted her
territory to be taken from her piece by piece. They have confiscated church
property in the various countries, until she has indeed become "desolate
and naked." It is during this time -- from 1800 to 1870 -- the "great
harlot" has been passing through her judgment; hence, this must be the
standpoint of the prophet while the vision is passing before him. "Come
hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great harlot." Rev.
17:9-10. -- "Here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings; five are
fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh he must
continue a short space." The Bible Union translation reads -- "The
seven heads are seven mountains, and they are seven kings."
That these "heads" are governments,
and not literal mountains, is evident from the fact that in the twelfth chapter
they are said to have "seven crowns upon them"; and in the thirteenth
chapter, "one of the heads received a deadly wound." Some contend
that because this is an explanation, therefore the word "mountain"
must be literal. This, however, does not follow. See Rev. 11:3-4 -- "And I
will give power unto my two witnesses . . . . These are the two olive trees,
and the two candlesticks." This also is an explanation, and yet no one
believes the two witnesses are two literal "olive trees." From the
standpoint of the prophet, five of these heads were fallen, one is, and the
other had not ye come. Rome has had just seven governments since the time it
conquered Grecia and came into prophetic existence; and the last one, under
Victor Immanuel, has been in existence a little more than two years. Rome does
not take its place in prophecy until it subdued, or was subduing, the Grecian
empire, no more than did Medo-Persia prior to the fall of Babylon. "Thou
art this head of gold; and after thee shall arise another kingdom," said
the prophet.
The last part of Alexander's divided kingdom
-- Egypt -- was conquered by the Romans in the year 30 B.C., at which time the
"head" of Rome was Consular. In about three years after, or 27 B.C.,
it was changed to Imperial, under Augustus Caesar, and continued until about
the fifth century, when the empire was broken up. The third head, under the
Goths, who broke up the empire, was kingly, and continued nearly a century. In
A.D. 538, the Goths were expelled from Italy, and from that time until 1798 the
Papacy was head of Rome. Bear in mind that papacy is a double character. As a
"beast," or political power, it was head of Rome; as a church, it is
represented as the woman "sitting on the beast." In 1798, the papal
head "received a deadly wound," and a Republic took its place as the
fifth head, or government of Rome. In March, 1800, papacy was restored; but it
was another and new character. The old "forty and two months" beast
had come to its end. Papacy still survived, and must until Christ comes.
"The deadly wound was healed," but "Times and laws" had
been taken from it, and it was only an image of its former self. Still it was
the sixth head of Rome, during the seventy years that "harlot" was
undergoing her judgment.
"Five have fallen," the Consular,
Imperial, Kingly, Papal, and Republic. "And one is," the sixth. That
one fell in September, 1870. From the stand point of the prophet, the other had
not yet come. Now it has come, under Victor Immanuel, and has continued more
than two years. "And when he cometh he must continue a short space."
These seven complete the number; the picture is finished. The beast has had its
"ten horns," and its "seven heads." And now there remains
but the closing scene, and earth's history under Gentile rule will be ended.
"The beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the
seven, and goeth into perdition." Rev. 17:11. This is so plain as scarcely
to require and explanation. This "eighth" cannot be a head, for the
beast had but seven. Read the seventh and eighth verses (Rev. 17:7-8), and you
will see that "the beast that was, and is not," is the one which had
the seven heads and ten horns; the one on which "the woman sat" for
1260 years; the body of which was represented by the waters, or "peoples,
and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Rev. 17:15. As "The beast
that was, and is not, is the eighth," and is also the "peoples, and
nations," and does not come up until the seventh and last "head"
has had its "short space," it follows that it must be the nations
which represent the fourth universal kingdom, without a head.
"And is of the seven." The people,
or body of the beast, have been "of the seven." The people have been
a part of each of those heads. As one government passed away and another took
its place, the people were 'of" it and supported it. And now, as we approach
the last act in the drama, who is so blind as not to see the gathering storm?
Take a look over the world today and behold the Commune, or Internationals,
numbering their millions, silently gathering their forces to hurl monarch and
thrones into the dust; at the organizations of working men to oppose
capitalists ("go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that
shall come upon you"); at the universal determination of the people to put
down despotism. And on the other hand, watch the marshaling hosts, and the
accumulation of material for war, such as the past has never yet witnessed. And
tell me, O man of the world, what does the immediate future promise? the
weakest power in Europe is stronger today, in hellish inventions for destroying
life, and England was fifty years ago. "Prepare war, wake up the mighty
men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up; beat your plowshares
into swords, and your pruning hooks into speakers; let the weak say, I am
strong. Assemble yourselves and come, . . . for the day of the Lord is near in
the valley of decision." "Knowledge is power." The press and
telegraph have been doing their work, and there is a movement deep down in the
hearts of the millions, before which the "divine right of kings" and
their armies will reel and totter and fall. If you cannot see this, reader, may
God help you, for the world see and believe. They believe this great uprising
of the people is just at hand. They believe the "thrones" are about
to be "cast down." And when that occurs God says the Ancient of days
will sit, and the books be opened.
With the eleventh verse (Rev. 17:11) the
vision ends; though in some sense it might be said to end with the sixth verse
(Rev. 17:6), where the angel begins to "show" him the
"mystery." But as there was more to be revealed,, it does not fully
end until the "beast goes into perdition"; which, of course ends all
Gentile dominion. While the prophet was having this vision he was in the
spirit, and down near the end of time where the papacy was being judged. When
the vision terminated, he was back again on the "isle of Patmos, on the
Lord's day," A.D. 96.
Rev. 17:12 -- "The ten horns which thou
sawest [in the vision] are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as
yet." John was commanded to write "the things which thou hast seen,
the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." Rev. 1:19.
The beast, and its second head, were then in existence; the first head had
been, but the ten horns were then among "The things which shall be hereafter."
Rome was not then divided. Those "kings" he had seen in vision had
"received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the
beast."
The division of the empire was scarcely
completed before they became "of one mind, and gave their power and strength
unto the [papal] beast." Rev. 17:13. "For God had put in their hearts
to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until
the words of God [the 1260 years] shall be fulfilled." Rev. 17:17. After
which they were to take it away, and make her "desolate and naked."
"These [ten kings] shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them." Rev. 17:14. because three of these horns were said to be
"plucked up by the roots," in the symbol (Dan. 7:8), it does not
follow that they were annihilated; they were simply "subdued," as the
angel says in the explanation, Dan. 7:24. Grecia subdued Medo-Persia, and was
in turn subdued by the Romans, and yet they exist today. "Their dominion
was taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time."
Dan. 7:12. And the elements of each -- the mouth of the lion, the feet of the
bear, and the body of the leopard -- are found in the fourth empire. Rev. 13:2.
When the papacy ceases to wear the three crowns, those three horns will again
appear; for neither of these ten divisions can unite permanently, "even as
iron is not mixed with clay." And though some of them are not lost to
sight, like the "beast that was, and is not," yet they must again
appear, to finish their work on the "harlot" of Rome, and then be
themselves destroyed at the hand of the King of kings.
The following facts are well known to all the world; Rome was the fourth
universal empire. Early in the Christian era, it was divided into ten parts.
The present government is the seventh government of Rome which has been
endorsed by the people, since Rome conquered the Grecian empire. The papacy was
undergoing her judgment, being made desolate from 1800-1870; at which time
constituted the sixth head of Rome. Five had fallen previous to that time. The
seventh had not then come. It has now come, and continued a short space.
"The eighth," viz., "the beast that was, and is not," the
great "sea" of peoples and tongues, is already surging to the very
bottom, with the breath of the coming storm.
Can it be true that these things happen by
chance? that Rome happened to have these seven governments? that the stand
point of the prophet, which was certainly during the existence of the sixth
head, happened to be the very time papacy was receiving her judgment? that the
angel calling him to that position -- "Come hither; I will show thee the
judgment of the great harlot" -- means nothing? that the five heads had
fallen? that the last one which was to continue "a short space" has
continued barely two years, and now a condition of things obtains which
perfectly answers to the closing scene? and last of all, that the Advent people
happened, just at this time, to be looking for the end, for so many other
reasons? Is it not more likely that this is the correct application of the
prophecy; and if so, that the end is indeed at hand?
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1872
N. H. BARBOUR
The first thought of the reader will
doubtless be that chronology is uninteresting and obscure, and can therefore
give but little light on the consummation of our "blessed hope."
Indeed, Adventists generally look at chronology with as little interest as the
churches do at the prophetic periods. But as a knowledge of the true time for
the ending of the prophetic periods has been withheld and must necessarily be
until the last message to the world, so too has the chronology. God has
withheld these things from "the wise and prudent," until his time should
come for them to be understood; and now they are so plain that "he may run
who readeth."
If the reader will take pencil, paper, and
Bible, and follow me over the subject, carefully reading every text, I promise
chapter and verse for every year from Adam to Cyrus. And here let me say, this
is something never before accomplished, or even claimed, by any chronological
writer. Hitherto men have taken it for granted that God's chronology was
imperfect; that in a number of places there were gaps, and nothing more reliable
than Josephus to bridge them over. If it be true that God's chronology is
broken, and Josephus our only reliance, all expectation of accuracy may as well
be discarded, and indeed has been by all historians; for Josephus differs from
the Bible in almost every place. But, thank God, the light is shining, the
seals are broken, and the time has come when "the wise shall
understand."
In the fifth of Genesis, the time is given
from Adam to Noah. Adam's age is reckoned until he begat Seth, and the age of
Seth until Enos the third in order; and so on, through all the patriarchs.
\-
Adam 130 years. Gen. 5:3
Seth 105
" Gen. 5:6
Enos 90
" Gen. 5:9
Cainan 70
" Gen. 5:12
Mahalaleel 65
" Gen. 5:15
Cainan 162 " Gen. 5:18
Cainan 65
" Gen. 5:21
Cainan 187
" Gen. 5:25
Cainan 182
" Gen. 5:28
Cainan 600
" Gen. 7:6
-------
Total 1656 years.
\+
When Noah completed his five hundred and
ninety-ninth year, he would enter on his six hundredth. "In the six
hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the
month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up."
Gen. 7:11. And for the remaining ten months and thirteen days of his six
hundredth year, the waters remained on the earth. "And it came to pass in
the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month,
the waters were dried up from off the earth." Gen. 8:13. The very day Noah
entered on his six hundred and first year, the waters had disappeared. Thus the
1656 years from Adam ended the very day the flood ended.
If these texts are true, there can be no
further question on this point. But to make surety doubly sure, God tells us
that "Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years; and all
the days of Noah's life were nine hundred and fifty years." Gen. 9:28-29.
FRACTIONS
OF YEARS
Chronology is given in full years, yet we
cannot doubt that fractions occurred. That Adam lived just one hundred and
thirty years, and on his birthday begat Seth; and that Seth lived one hundred
and five years and began Enos, and so on through the line of patriarchs; and
that ever king was born, and crowned, and died on Adam's birthday, no one is
inclined to believe; indeed, we are informed in the clearest manner that such
was not the case. The literal application of the Bible must in a certain sense
be governed by what it is the design to teach. "Take, eat, this is my
body," said Christ. "The letter killeth, the spirit maketh
alive." The sum total of chronology is all that gives useful information,
and we have believe and accept it. Some of the ages of the patriarchs might
overrun a few days, or months, and others fall short enough to balance, without
doing injustice to the spirit of the subject. That such is the case, we have
positive Bible testimony. God has given four illustrations; two that overrun,
and two that fall short. And in each case he has summed up in full years and
left out the fraction. Who questions the fact, so oftern mentioned in the
Bible, of the forty years in the wilderness? Yet they lacked five days. They
left Egypt on the fifteenth, and crossed Jordan on the tenth of the first
month. Again. "And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty
years." 1 Kings 2:11. Also in 2 Chron. "David the son of Jesse
reinged over all Israel; and the time that he reigned was forty years."
Now read 2 Sam. 4:5 -- "David reigned forty years." In Hebron he reigned
over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and
three years.
Once more. "Zedekiah was one and twenty
years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in
Jerusalem." 2 Chron. 36:11. The statement that he reigned eleven years is
repeated in 2 Kings, and three times in Jeremiah. Now read 2 Kings 25:3-7, and
you will find that his reign terminated on the ninth day of the fourth month of
his eleventh year. Hence he only reigned ten years, three months, and nine
days; and yet God calls it eleven years. Where God sums up the time for
himself, I think it safe to follow his arithmetic. Were we to reject this plain
teaching, and the reckoning God has given, and fix it for ourselves, it would
not vary the sum total of six thousand years so much as one month. These
fractions balance each other, or nearly so.
Now we can understand the difficulty in
relation to the age of Methuselah. Reckoning full years, he would have been
nine hundred and sixty eight years old the day that Noah was five hundred and
ninety nine. The flood did not come until the seventeenth day of the second
month of Noah's six hundredth year. Therefore Methuselah could have lived one
month and seventeen days after he entered on his nine hundred and sixty ninth
year. And as with Zedekiah, his last year was counted.
FLOOD
TO COVENANT, 427 YEARS
"Shem began Arphaxad two years after the
flood."
\-
Shem 2 years Gen. 11:10
Arphaxad 35
" Gen. 11:12
Selah 30
" Gen. 11:14
Eber 34
" Gen. 11:16
Peleg 30
" Gen. 11:18
Rue 32
" Gen. 11:20
Serug 30
" Gen. 11:22
Nahor 29
" Gen. 11:24
Terah 205
" Gen. 11:32
------
Total 427 years
\+
On the death of Terah, Abram came into Canaan,
and God made him the promise -- "From thence, when his father was dead, he
removed him into this land wherein ye now dwell, and gave him none inheritance
in it; yet he promised that he would give it to him." Acts 7:2-5. And this
promise of the land constituted the covenant. See Psalm 105:9-11. "Which
covenant he made with Abraham . . . saying, Unto thee will I give the land of
Canaan."
COVENANT
TO LAW, 430 YEARS
"And this I say, that the covenant, that
was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and
thirty years after, cannot disannul." Gal. 3:17. "And it came to pass
when the four hundred and thirty years were fulfilled, even the self same day
it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord came out from the land of Egypt."
Exodus 12:40-41
LAW
TO SENDING OF SPIES, ONE YEAR
They go to the wilderness of
"Paran" in the beginning of the second year after leaving Egypt.
Numbers 10:11-12. It is from Paran the spies were sent. Numbers 13:2.
Kadishbarnea is the place in Paran from which they went. Numbers 32:8. From the
time they left Kadishbarnea for the coast of Moab, was thirty-eight years.
Deut. 2:14-18. And this was before Aaron's death. Aaron dies on the first day
of the fifth month of the fortieth year. Numbers 33:37-38. Therefore from the
time they left Kadish, to the end of the forty years, was at least thirty-eight
years and eight months. But the spies ere forty days gone, and they did not
leave Kadish till after their return. Hence, from the sending of the spies to the
end of the forty years must have been at least thirty-eight years, nine months,
and ten days. Consequently, the time from their leaving Egypt to the sending of
the spies was one year, two months, and twenty days, at the most. But for the
reason already given we do not reckon the fraction of a year.
SPIES
TO DIVISION OF LAND, 45 YEARS
"Forty years old was I when Moses, the
servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadishbarnea to spy out the land . . . . And
now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five
years. And now, lo! I am this day fourscore and five years old." Joshua
14:7, 10. "Now, therefore, give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake
in that day . . . . And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephupeh
Hebron for an inheritance." This ended the division of the land. And the
land had rest from war." Joshua 14:12-15.
DIVISION
OF LAND TO SAMUEL, 450 YEARS
Here is where chronological writers have all
stumbled; there is not one exception; and I believe God arranged it as he has
for that very purpose. There is an apparent break in chronology at this place;
and men have resorted to every conceivable means, except the very simple one
God has given, to clear it up. All chronological writers, without exception, I
believe, reject a portion of Bible chronology here, and take Josephus as a
substitute. Those unacquainted with the subject will scarcely credit this;
nevertheless, it is true. They actually reject God's chronology, and then patch
up the breaks with human material. Of course they have a plausible reason for
doing so. They were learned and honest men. But still the fact remains the
same. "Samson judged Israel twenty years." This is given by the pen
of Inspiration as a part of chronology, and yet it appears superfluous, as if
crowded in where it did not belong; hence they have rejected it. Even Bowen's
Chronology, that adopted by Elliott, which proves the human race to be six
thousand years old in 1873, fell into this error; but, for some reason,
supplied enough from Josephus to balance it. That God designed to veil their
eyes so that they could not see until his time had come, we must believe; for
now these difficulties in chronology, which have defied the most careful
investigations of the best of men, are so simple of solution that a child may
understand them; and God's chronology, reaching from Adam to Cyrus, is found
without a break.
From the division of the land, where our
chronology stopped, to the beginning of this four hundred and fifty years found
in Judges, there is an apparent break, which, if we can not mend, other than by
applying to Josephus (and thus daubing with untempered mortar), leaves the
chronology worthless. But we will try what virtue there is in God's word to
heal the breach.
After the division of the land, "the
children of Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of
the elders that outlived Joshua." Judges 2:7. Then they rebel, and he sold
them "into the hand of the king of Mesopotamia eight years." And this
eighty years is the next chronological period found in the Bible. Here is a gap
from the division of the land to the king of Mesopotamia, measuring about
twenty years, more or less. How shall we cover it? Take Josephus, or any other
inspired testimony, I will not. If the bridge that shall cover it is not from
the hand of God, better proceed no further, and let the subject drop. There are
nineteen short periods of chronology beginning with these eight years and
ending with Eli. Let us examine them.
\-
This king 8 years Judges 3:8
Othniel 40
" Judges 3:11
Moab 18
" Judges 3:14
Ehud 80
" Judges 3:30
Jabin 20
" Judges 4:3
Deborah 40
" Judges 5:31
Midian 7
" Judges 6:1
Gideon 40 " Judges 8:28
Abimalech 3
" Judges 9:22
Tola 23
" Judges 10:2
Jair 22
" Judges 10:3
Philistines 18
" Judges 10:8
Jephthah 6
" Judges 12:7
Ebzan 7
" Judges 12:9
Eglon 10
" Judges 12:11
Abdon 8
" Judges 12:14
Philistines 40
" Judges 13:1
Samson 20
" Judges 16:31
Eli 40 " 1 Samuel 4:18
----------
Total 450 years
\+
Eli was the last judge. Samuel was a prophet.
Here God has given four hundred and fifty years of chronology. At first sight
it appears to reach from the time they are sold into the hand of the king of
Mesopotamia to Samuel the prophet. But upon further examination we shall find
that it laps just twenty years. Samson's twenty years, which in this regular
line of chronology follow the forty of the Philistines, were, as we learn in
another place (Judges 15:20), "in the days of the Philistines." That
is, his twenty years were in their forty. And such we know was the case. He
never delivered Israel; and himself died a prisoner to the Philistines.
Here is this four hundred and fifty years,
reaching from the King of Mesopotamia to Samuel the prophet, lapping on itself
twenty years. If we only dare straighten out that lap, and the gap from the
division of the land to the king of Mesopotamian should prove to be just twenty
years long, it would make a nice drawbridge to cover it; and the timber of the
bridge could be trusted, for nothing unsound ever took root where that timber
grew. But dare we take such liberty: I answer, No! I would as soon put forth my
hand to the ark of God; and almost as soon reject this twenty years entirely,
as other have. "And if any man take away from the words of the book of
this prophecy (the Bible), God shall take away his part out of the book of
life." If God would show the bridge across the chasm, and so straighten
out the lap of twenty years, and make his own work perfect, I am sure it would
suit me better than anything Josephus has built. We will search the Scriptures.
Perhaps if we let God be his own interpreter, he will make it plain.
There are two places in the New Testament,
and only two, where the chronology is referred to. The first is the four
hundred and thirty years from the covenant to the law. The time is given in
Exodus 12:40-41, where they came out of Egypt the day the four hundred and
thirty years ended; but not a word is said as to where they began; and we
should forever have remained in the dark, had not St. Paul made the connection,
and informed us that they measure from the covenant. Gal. 3:17.
Acts 13 is the second place where Paul comes
to the rescue. This four hundred and fifty years of the judges, like the other
period, is given in so obscure a way that we should have forever remained in
the dark without assistance. Now let us see if Paul does not shove the
drawbridge, close up the break, and make the four hundred and fifty years reach
from the division of the land until Samuel the prophet. "And when he had
destroyed seven nations, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that
he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until
Samuel the prophet." Acts 13:19-20. Paul says "about" the space
of four hundred and fifty years, because the first eight years of that period
were under the king of Mesopotamia, and prior to the first judge; hence the
judges did not extend over quite the whole period. But his words clearly imply
that the space of time to be measured by that period was "from the
division of the land, ' until Samuel. I like Paul's way of fixing it better
than I do the rejecting of a part of God's chronology, and taking Josephus.
Others will do as they please.
This "space" of time extended to
Samuel; then there is another "space" of forty years reaching to
David. Acts 3:21 -- "And afterward they desired a king, and God gave unto
them Saul the son of Cis, by the space [or in the space] of forty years. And
when he had removed him, he raised up David." The preposition
"by" is not in the Greek, and may be rendered "in" -- in
the space.
Samuel was a prophet, and though he judged
Israel, was cotemporary with Eli and Saul; therefore God has not reckoned his
time in the chronology; and for us to figure on it, and try to force in a few
years for him (twelve years, as some do), when God has given him none, is an
attempt to fix God's chronology as foolish in its beginning as it is fruitless
in its end. Thus we have reached the end of Saul's and the beginning of David's
reign without appealing to human testimony, and without a break.
In the chronology of the kings there are two
lines; the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel. The first is clear, accurate
and unbroken, from David to the captivity. The second is a side line; it
continues only a short time, and is full of irregularities. It changes families
eight times. There are interregnums between the various kings. Again, father
and son reign cotemporary. In fact, it is given in such a way as to make it
impossible to get a chronology from it. We have to assume interregnums in some
places, and the lapping of the reign of the father and son in others, to
harmonize it with itself. In first and second Kings the line of Judah interlaps
with that of Israel. Each king of the different lines is said to begin to reign
in a certain year of the opposite line. Thus the confusion that belongs to the
line of Israel works confusion with that of Judah.
IF the kings of Judah had been left in this
confusion, we should have known most of these irregularities belonged to the
line of Israel; that connected with Hoshea (2 Kings 15:30; 17:1), also the
changing of families. But God did not leave them in that confusion. Every king
of Judah is recorded a second time, and by themselves, in the Chronicles of the
kings of Judah, where there is not the first symptom of an irregularity. And
why men go to the kings of Israel and search for chronological difficulties,
when God has given the true line, the line of Judah, on which they must begin
and end, void of confusion, I cannot see for the life of me, only that they
love darkness rather than light.
Why not reject the four hundred and thirty
years from the covenant to the law, and insist upon getting a chronology from
the age of the patriarchs while they were in Egypt? This would certainly be a
difficult undertaking, if not impossible; and about as foolish as to attempt a
chronology from the kings of Israel, where it does not exist.
(To be continued.)
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1872
N. H. BARBOUR
UNDER
THE KINGS, 513 YEARS
\-
Saul 40 years Acts 13:21
David 40
" 1 Chron. 29:27
Solomon 40
" 2 Chron. 9:30
Rehoboam 17
" 2 Chron. 12:13
Abijah 3
" 2 Chron. 13:2
Asa 41
" 2 Chron. 16:13
Jehosaphat 25
" 2 Chron. 20:31
Jerhoram 8
" 2 Chron. 21:5
Ahaziah 1
" 2 Chron. 22:2
Athaliah 6
" 2 Chron. 22:12
Joash 40 " 2 Chron. 24:1
Amaziah 29
" 2 Chron. 25:1
Uzziah 52
" 2 Chron. 26:3
Jotham 16
" 2 Chron. 27:1
Ahaz 16
" 2 Chron. 28:1
Hezekiah 29
" 2 Chron. 29:1
Manessah 55
" 2 Chron. 32:1
Amon 2
" 2 Chron. 32:21
Josiah 31
" 2 Chron. 39:1
Jehoiakim 11
" 2 Chron. 36:5
Zedekiah 11
" 2 Chron. 36:11
---------
Total 513 years
\+
Again we stop to answer objections.
Nearly all writers on chronology leave out
the eleven years reign of Zedekiah, and commence the "seventy years"
with Jehoiakim's captivity. As there is so much authority against me here, I
will try and show very clearly why the seventy years captivity cannot begin
until after Zedekiah's reign. "And this whole land shall be a desolation,
and an astonishment; and those nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy
years. And it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished, I will punish
the King of Babylon." Jer. 25:11-12. This is the prophecy on which that
captivity, and all that is said in relation to it, is based. The whole land was
to be a desolation. Again -- "Them that had escaped carried he away to
Babylon, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the
land had enjoyed her Sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate, she kept
Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years." 2 Chron. 36:21. here,
again, we learn that the "seventy years" cover the time during which
"the land" should be desolate. If, then, we can learn at what time
the land became desolate, we shall know when the seventy years began.
It is assumed by these writers that the land
was desolate when Jehoiakim and the principal part of the people were carried
away. This, however, is not the time when God understood that the land was made
desolate, for he distinctly says that it was not until after Zedekiah's reign.
"And Zedekiah, king of Judah, will I give into the hand of the king of
Babylon's army, . . . . and I will make [in the future] the cities of Judah a
desolation without an inhabitant." Jeremiah 34:21-22. So it appears that
it was not until after Zedekiah's reign that the land was made desolate.
Now read the story, as told by Jeremiah, and
see what God understood by a desolate land, and at what time this desolation
was accomplished. Read from the twenty-ninth to the forty-fourth chapters
(Jeremiah 29-44) inclusive, and see what became of the remnant of the people
after Zedekiah was carried to Babylon, which was in the beginning of his
eleventh year.
Those who were left in the land went down to
Egypt, "even men and women and children; every person the captain of the
guard had left." Jer. 43:6. And in the second verse of the next chapter
(Jer. 44:2), the story is summed up with these words -- "Thus saith the
Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought
upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day, they
are a desolation without an inhabitant."
The reason so many chronological writers
began this seventy years captivity with Jehoiakim, is found in the following
passage -- "For thus saith the Lord, After seventy years be accomplished
at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word towards you, in causing
you to return to this place." Jer. 29:10. And this is spoken to those who
had been carried away prior to Zedekiah's reign. If this passage stood alone,
we might infer that this "seventy years,' spoken of by Jeremiah, during
which the land should be desolate, began with Johoiakim's captivity. But the
positive declaration that the land was not desolate until after Zedekiah's
reign, makes such assumption groundless.
God was here telling the children of the
captivity "to build houses, and plant gardens," etc. for their stay
in Babylon would be long, and not to let false prophets deceive them, He had
already fixed on the time when they should return, viz., when seventy years
desolation of their own land had been accomplished. But he does not tell them
that the "seventy years" began with their captivity. That has been
purely an assumption of chronological writers, and against a perfect avalanche
of testimony to the contrary.
If the "seventy years" had already
begun, with Jehoiakim's captivity, and the land was desolate, why did God
complain of the people under Zedekiah's reign; that the chief priests and
people transgressed and polluted the house of God, and misused his prophets,
until there was no remedy? "Therefore he brought upon them the Chaldeans,
who slew their young m en, and carried all the vessels of the house of God,
great and small, to Babylon; and burnt the house of God, and brake down the
walls of Jerusalem, and carried all that had escaped the sword to Babylon, to
fulfill the word of the Lord by Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her
Sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate, she kept Sabbaths, to fulfill
threescore and ten years." 2 Chron. 36:13-21.
I say, if Jeremiah's prophecy was already
being fulfilled, and the land had been enjoying her Sabbaths ever since
Jehoiakim's captivity, why did God say that Zedekiah and the remnant of the
people were carried away, and the house burnt, and the wall broken down, to
fulfill that prophecy? I sometimes think modesty is very becoming a writer who
takes issue with all or nearly all the world, on a given subject; but when
supported from the word of God by such arguments as these, my modesty does not
trouble me.
All I can say is, that the great mistake in
rejecting the eleven years of Zedekiah's reign, as a part of chronology, must
be accredited to the same cause which has kept the world in darkness on all
other matters pertaining to the coming of the Lord.
CAPTIVITY
TO CYRUS, 70 YEARS
As proof that the seventy years captivity
ended with the first year of Cyrus, one would suppose that the reading of 2
Chron. 36:20-22 would suffice. But it will not do to assume anything. The Bible
is full of pit holes. God spake dark and many times contradictory sayings, on
purpose that the careless might stumble -- so he declares. A good illustration
is where God said by the mouth of one prophet, that Zedekiah "should go to
Babylon, and there he should die"; and by another, that "he should be
taken, and slain, and should not se Babylon."
Some have supposed these "seventy
years" ended "the night Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Median
took the kingdom." And as God had said they should "serve the king of
Babylon seventy years," this looks plausible. But to establish these dates,
we want no plausibilities, but a "thus saith the Lord."
"Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw,
and, behold, there stood before the river a ram, which had two horns; and the
two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up
last. Dan. 8:3. "The ram which thou sawest, having two horns, are the
kings of Media and Persia." Dan. 8:20. The Median horn was the first.
"In that night Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Median took the
kingdom." Dan. 5:30-31.
In the sixth of Daniel, there is an account
of this Median kingdom under Darius. Then in the tenth chapter the Persian
horn, which came up last, under Cyrus, is mentioned. "And them that had
escaped from the sword, carried he away to Babylon, where they were servants to
him and his sons, until the reign of the kingdom of Persia; to fulfill the word
of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah." 2 Chron. 36:20. "Now in the
first years of Cyrus, that the word of the Lord by Jeremiah might be
fulfilled," he stirred up Cyrus to make a decree. After much testimony,
there can be no question as to where the seventy years end.
FIRST
YEAR OF CYRUS, B.C. 536
With the first year of Cyrus, we reach a
reliable historic era, and Bible chronology ceases. God helps us only until we
can help ourselves.
A written language, based on the alphabet --
which God gave to Moses on the Mount -- was first introduced among the nations
in the Persian era. Prior to that, the Babylonians, Egyptians, and other
intelligent nations, wrote in hieroglyphics, a pictorial language, which
necessarily left the details of history obscure. The Persian is a living
language; it exists today; and the recorded facts of history from that time are
accurate and clear. Almost as much is known of Alexander, for instance, who
lived only about two hundred years subsequent to Cyrus, as is known of
Napoleon. Since the beginning of the Persian era, events marked by scores and
hundreds of eclipses have been carefully recorded; and thus the other great
book of God, "the ordinances of heaven," are made to determine
chronological dates.
Back of the Persian era, history immediately
drops off into twilight. It is tolerably clear to the time of Nebuchadnezzar,
but beyond that almost nothing of the dates or details of profane history are
known with any certainty. Eclipses, which are not associated with events,
cannot help us, and the Bible mentions none. If the darkening of the sun, so
often spoken of in prophecy, is simply an eclipse, then it has been darkened
too often to answer for a definite sign of the coming of the Lord; but, as only
the prophecies, and not historical parts of the Bible, refer to any such thing,
we could not fix their date, even if eclipses were referred to in such
prophecies.
Previous to the first year of Cyrus, men
differ widely as to the age of the human race. Since that date, "Ptolemy's
Canon," based on eclipses, is the only standard of truth. Hence, from that
time there is but one chronology, and this one is endorsed by all historians.
Ptolemy's Canon, of which Smith, in his Bible Dictionary, remarks, "No
intelligent man of the present day will question," places the first year
of Cyrus, B.C. 536. Writers differ as to the length of the reign of certain
kings, and other minor events under Ptolemy's Canon; some making one king's
reign a year or two shorter than some other writers; but not in a way to touch
the points established by eclipses. (When I say "all writers," I do
not mean Adventists who have written within the last twenty odd years; since
our Lord says they have "all slumbered and slept.")
The best light we have, and which has been
endorsed by all the world, places the first year of Cyrus, B.C. 536, before the
(so called) Vulgar Christian era; and there inspired chronology stopped. If it
is not correct, it is to late for us to set it right. God knew this fact when
he left us to ourselves; therefore we endorse it, as we do the other periods,
unquestioned. We have not labored to attack either this, or any time, as given
in the Bible, but to support every period as we find it recorded; hence no
charge can be brought that we are endeavoring to make the six thousand years
end with some cherished theory.
This date (536) has recently been questioned
by some of our Advent brethren, on the ground that, "from the going forth
of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto Messiah the Prince,
shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks." Dan. 9:25. And they
assume that this four hundred and eighty-three years, or sixty-nine weeks,
began with the first year of Cyrus. And this assumption, at first sight, seems
plausible. But it all rests on the answer to the following question, What did
God mean by the "going forth" of that commandment? Some say the
"going forth" was when it was given by Cyrus. Others think it
"went forth" when it actually went into execution. This last view is
certainly worth looking at, before we attach the authority of history,
eclipses, and the universal opinion of all the Christian and Jewish churches,
from the time of the prophecy was fulfilled to the present hour. And all this
on a special application of a prophecy made by a few Adventists since they have
been asleep.
All that is known of a commandment "to
restore and to build Jerusalem," is of a negative character. We must
believe Cyrus gave such a commandment; for God had said, "He shall build
my city." And though no such commandment is recorded in the Bible, yet the
city was built, long after Cyrus was dead, and built by his commandment.
To say that the commandment recorded in Ezra
1, which was "to go up and build the house of God which is at
Jerusalem," was the commandment referred to in Daniel, is an assumption
from which I beg to differ. And yet, from Ezra 9:9, we are sure there was a
commandment to build the city. Ezra went up to Jerusalem B.C. 457. And it is at
this time we get the first inkling of such a commandment.
I know while the Jews were trying "to
build the house of God, as Cyrus the king had commanded" (Ezra 4:8),
Bishlam, Tabeel, and their companions, wrote a lying letter to the king of
Persa, accusing them to building the "bad city." Ezra 4:12. But that
was false. I do not deny, for I do not know but what Cyrus wrote the
commandment to build the city at the same time he commanded them to build the
house; and they may have been part of one commandment. All I claim is, that we
hear nothing of a commandment to "restore and to build Jerusalem" at
that time.
During the late Rebellion, Lincoln made a
proclamation (or commandment) to set free the Negroes, -- a perfectly parallel
case. He had the document carefully drawn, showed it to his friends, and then
laid it aside for a few weeks in his cabinet, until the proper time for it to
go forth. It was then brought out from its resting place and sent forth. Would
you date "the going forth" of that document when he wrote it, after
which it was lost sight of for a time? Or at the time steps were taken to
vitalize and put it into an active condition. I think no one would hesitate in
saying that the latter point of time was when it went forth. Then why may not
that be the time the commandment "to restore and to build Jerusalem"
"went forth"? Even the decree to build the house was put aside until
it was forgotten. See Ezra 5:17 -- "Now, therefore, if it please the king,
let search be made whether it be so that a decree was made of Cyrus to build
this house."
If the commandment to restore and to build
Jerusalem "went forth" at the time steps were taken to put it into
effect, then the date, 536 remains intact. And actual facts of history
established by eclipses, which cannot lie, do not, clash with the prophetic
word.
SUMMARY
\-
Adam to flood 1656 years
Flood to
covenant 427 "
Covenant to
law 430 "
To sending of
spies 1 "
To division of
land 45 "
To Samuel the
prophet 450 "
Under the
kings 513 "
Captivity 70 "
Cyrus to
Christ 536 "
To present
date 1872 "
-----------
Total 6000 "
\+
With the end of the year 1872, or rather with
the end of the true Bible year, as it began in Eden, partly synchronizing with
our year 1872, we believe end the six thousand years from Adam.
The two fractions, amounting to six months
and ten days, found in 2 Chron. 26:2, 9, we omit saying anything about. Our
brother, who advocates a chronology of six thousand years ending in 1875,
claims a synchronizing of the "jubilees" with his chronology. But he
is just two years out in his reckoning, as I will prove. Each seventh year was
a Sabbath for the land. Lev. 25:2. They were to number seven Sabbaths of years;
then the trumpet was to sound to proclaim the fiftieth year a jubilee. See Lev.
25:8-10. Our brother begins to reckon these cycles of seven when they had been
seven years in the wilderness, or thirty-three years before they entered the
promised land. Five times seven are thirty five. Thus they would have been two
years in the promised land at the end of the fifth cycle of seven years. He
should not have begun these cycles of Sabbaths for the land until the entered
the promised land. "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a Sabbath
unto the Lord. Six years shalt thou sow they field, . . . . but in the seventh
year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land." Num. 25:2.
Here we see the brother begins the sixth
cycle of seven, two years after they had entered the promised land, instead of
"when ye come into the land," where God told them to begin to reckon;
or two years in advance. Hence, all his arguments from the jubilees favor his
chronology for 1873, instead of 1875.
The chronology here presented has one
advantage, at least, over all others: it finds no break in Bible chronology,
and therefore no trusting to man to patch up and fix God's word. Every year
given in the Bible as chronology, is taken just as we find it. We have not
tried to lengthen any single period, by arguing in a year or two; nor have we
tried to squeeze them into less space than this full round number, just as God
has given them. And from Cyrus down to the present time we take it as we find
it endorsed by all the world. God left us there to human aid. Down to that time
he carefully led, and we have as carefully followed, trusting all to him. Where
he left us to help ourselves, we have taken the best light the world has. We do
not claim to know this chronology is correct; but it is plain and direct, and
looks like truth. It will not do to make chronology out of some theory of
applying prophetic periods. History and facts cannot be made to said prophecy.
It is the other way; prophecy must meet history.
In closing, permit me, dear reader, to make
one request. I believe this 1873 message is from God, and the last of the sweet
story of the gospel. Let me beg of you to join some friend, one with the Bible
to read the texts, the other with paper and pencil, and go over the chronology.
Get it out of God's word and add it up for yourselves, and it will give you
faith. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1872
N. H. BARBOUR
Many persons have an idea that prophecy is
beyond ordinary human comprehension; that very learned men may get a glimmering
of its true application; but to say with certainty, "This is that spoken
by the prophet," requires almost the pen of inspiration. How mistaken are
such people! Prophecy is simply telling things before they come to pass; and
the application is, seeing if they have come to pass. A simple way to find the
application is to inquire, first, What things were to be accomplished? Second,
Have they been accomplished? Third, Who accomplished them?
The first beast of Revelation 13,
"having seven heads and ten horns," was the Roman empire, call
"the dragon" in the twelfth chapter. But it was that empire after it
had changed from pagan to papal. With its change of character there was of
necessity a change of the symbol by which it represented; and under this last
symbol it was to continue "forty and two months" (42 months). Papacy
itself must continue until Christ comes. "I beheld, and the same horn made
war with the saints and prevailed against them until the Ancient of days came,
… and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." Daniel 7:21.
Therefore it is evident that papacy must exist in some other character after it
has ceased to exist as the "forty and two months" (42 months) beast.
When its time was up, that beast received a deadly wound, or was "slain by
the sword." (Whether a wound is in the head or body of the beast, it is
the beast which is wounded.)
Papacy in its civil character was head of
Rome during this forty and two months. In 1798 the beast was wounded unto death
in its papal head, and a republic took its place. These statements require no
proof, for the same reason that proof would not be required if one should say
that such a man as Napoleon once lived. When this first beast was killed with
the sword, Revelation 13:10, the two horned beast came up, the deadly wound to
the Papacy was healed, and it was made to exist in another character, viz.,
"There was an image made to the beast which had the wound by a sword and
did live." An image must be like its prototype, or it would not be an
image. Hence, in the image we must have a facsimile of the old forty and two
months beast.
Papacy was restored in 1800, and until 1870
was a facsimile of its prototype. The old papal beast was civil and
ecclesiastical in character, so was the "image." The first beast was
head of Rome, so was the "image." In fact, the image had all the
features of its original, excepting its power over times and laws. That power
had passed away with the forty two months beast. This application is at least
plausible, but to prove whether it be the true one, we must now inquire what
the image was to do? And if the work given it has been accomplished by the
papacy within the last seventy years, or during its existence as the supposed
"image," then we shall know this application is the true one. "And
he [the two horned beast] had power to give life unto the image of the beast,
that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as would not
worship the image of the beast should be killed." Revelation 13:15. The
first beast had power to speak great words and blaspheme, so also had the
image. And he has spoken, in a symbolic sense, of course, and words greater
than ever the old forty two months beast was heard to utter --
"infallibility."
This image was also to kill, as many as would
not worship the image. And it has killed its millions. (This word
"killeth" is symbolic, of course, otherwise it would be entirely out
of keeping with the rest of the subject.) There are two ways of killing, in a
symbolic senses, viz., politically, and ecclesiastically. The first is used in
Revelation 9:5, where the Saracens were not to kill men, but to torment them
five months. "And men should seek death and should not find it."
The eastern part of the Roman empire was
overrun from A.D. 1299, to A.D. 1449, or five prophetic months, by the
Saracens. They robbed, murdered, and oppressed the people; while at the same
time the Roman government taxed, robbed and oppressed them. Between two
masters, they were tormented until they preferred political death, and sought
it, but could not find it. That is, they preferred that their own government,
which could not protect them from the Saracens, should be abolished, and leave
them but one set of masters.
The image of the beast could not kill
politically, for it had no power over "times and laws." That power
had ended with the forty and two months (42 months), but it had the power to
kill ecclesiastically, and it has exercised that power to a wonderful extent --
"all that would not worship it." It has killed or excommunicated more
than a hundred millions; nearly all of Italy, Victor Emmanuel and all his
supporters, Dollinger, and all Catholic Germany. No prophecy could be more
perfectly fulfilled. It was to speak, and to kill; and it has done both in the
superlative degree. Then we know to what "the image of the beast"
refers, and cannot be mistaken; for the restored papacy has completely filled
the picture.
Now if we can find who it was that "said
to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image, . . . . and he
had power to give life unto the image," we shall find the two horned
beast, which for the present we will assume to be the Napoleonic dynasties.
"I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns
like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." Revelation 13:11.
The first or papal beast, came up out of the
sea. Revelation 13:1. It was evolved out of the religious wars and commotion of
the "waters," or people, at the breaking up of the Roman empire. This
two horned beast comes up "out of the earth," and the horns were like
a lamb -- mild. Both Napoleonic dynasties began as republics; the mildest form
among earthly governments. They came up by the vote of the people, an earthly
government changing its character without strife, and without bloodshed; the first
in 1799, the second in 1848. "And he spake as a dragon." Imperial
Rome was called "the dragon." These republics changed almost
immediately to empires; the first in 1800, the second in 1852. "He
exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him." Revelation 13:12.
If the words "before him" were not qualified by "first
beast," they might mean, as many have supposed, "in presence
of"; but "first beast before him" must necessarily mean the
first beast, or one which had preceded him; viz., the forty two months beast.
And now the question is, Did the two horned
beast exercise all the power of the "first beast"? the first, or
papal beast, exercised great power. Nearly the whole of the Roman world was
under his control during a part of his existence. Hence the two horned beast
must have exercised a wonderful amount of power, if it equaled that of the
"first beast." But I will quote from Mitchell's "Life of
Napoleon": --
"In 1805, Napoleon was crowned king of
Italy. In 1806, he made his brother Louis king of Holland. In 1808, he made
Joseph king of Spain. In 1798, he conquered Egypt. In 1805, he conquered
Vienna. In 1810, Holland was annexed to France. In 1811, he entered Moscow.
Complete master of Germany, he erected the territories of Brunswick, Cassel, and
other dominions into the kingdom of Westphalia, which he gave to his brother
Jerome. At Dresden he held levees, which were crowded by kings and princes of
Germany, arrived to render homage to their real lord and superior."
Did the popes crown and uncrown kings at
their pleasure? so did Napoleon. Did they have kings and emperors in their
antechamber? so had Napoleon. Did they hold "times and laws" in their
hand, and distribute kingdoms and principalities to their favorites? so did
Napoleon. Again I quote from p. 145 -- "Were I only king of France, says
Napoleon, I should be obliged to act as Louis XIV, and Louis XV acted; but I am
emperor of the continent, and it is necessary to go back to Charlemagne to form
an idea of the power I possess." the same writer continues -- "We
have not sought to compare the French to the Roman empire, the similarity of
means to which both resorted for the purpose of obtaining similar ends force
the comparison." "He spake like" imperial Rome. "He exerciseth
all the power" of papal Rome.
This two horned beast fills the picture, nor
could there be a more complete fulfillment of the prophecy. "He exerciseth
all the power of the first beast before him; and causeth the earth, and them
that dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was
healed."
How did Napoleon cause the Roman world to
worship the first beast? By bringing it to life, I answer. That beast had been
killed with the sword. Revelation 13:10. And for a time there was no papal
organization, or "beast." Men could not worship what did not exist.
But "the deadly wound was healed," and it lived again in its
"image;" and it was the two horned beast that gave life to that
image. Thus it was "he made them that dwell upon the earth to worship the
first beast whose deadly wound was healed." The papacy was the "first
beast"; the papacy was the image of the beast. The first beast lives, but
lives in his image; therefore the two horned beast does his work "in the
sight of the beast." Revelation 13:14. Revelation 13:13 -- "And he
doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth
in the sight of men." "Fire" means judgment, or punishment.
Eternal fire is eternal judgment, or punishment. Napoleon was the scourge of
God on the nations. Revelation 13:14 -- "And deceiveth them that dwell on
the earth by those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast,
saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the
beast which had the wound by a sword and did live; and he had power to give
life unto the image of the beast." If I should say to a sculptor,
"Make an image of a man," and I had power to give life to that image,
that it should both walk and speak and kill as many as would worship it, you would
think there was miraculous power displayed. So it was this two horned beast, in
a symbolic sense, worked miracles, "saying to them that dwell upon the
earth, that they should make an image," "and he had power to give
life unto the image."
The French and Roman republics destroyed the
papacy. Napoleon always insisted that every nation should be permitted to enjoy
their religion, whether Mohammedan or Catholic; and it was chiefly the
influence he exerted in Europe which crushed out the commune, or infidel
spirit, and restored the old order of society, including papacy. The two horned
beast was not to make the image, but "say to them that dwell on the earth,
that they should make an image." In 1800, Napoleon was the ruling spirit
of the continent; and the thirty five cardinals who met at Venice during that
year, to elect a new pope and restore the papacy, did so with the tacit
permission, if not at the instigation, of Napoleon.
Revelation 13:15 -- "And he had the
power to give life unto the image of the beast." The first Napoleon gave
life to and supported the papacy, and as it were, held that image in his hand
during his whole career. Sometimes he would call the pope to France; again he
would confiscate his patrimony; once, in 1805, he proclaimed himself king of
Italy; -- all of which proves that the" image" held its life by and
through the two horned beast. No power could come between and rescue the
papacy. And yet, during all this time the "image" continued as
"head" of Rome. He was only such by the permission of Napoleon, I
grant; but yet these two facts remain: the papacy was the acknowledged head of
Rome, and he held that position mainly by the will of Napoleon.
The second horn of the two horned beast does
precisely a similar work. He also maintained the pope as head of Rome. Time and
time again, the Italians threatened to remove him, but the French troops would
not permit it. At last, in September, 1870, the second horn of that beast went
down at Sedan. The news flashed across the continent to Rome; and within three
days the "image of the beast" fell from his pedestal, like a wooden
image. The two horned beast that gave it life had ceased to be, and of course
the image could no longer live.
THE
MARK OF THE BEAST
Revelation 13:16-17 -- "And he causeth
all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in
their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell,
save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his
name."
A "beast" means a political power,
or Gentile government. When the church married, or became a part of the civil
power, it took its mark upon it. When you say of a person who is slightly
colored, that he has the mark of the Negro, you mean that he is part Negro. So
when the church became a part of political organizations, it received the mark
of the beast. And it was when church and state first became one under the
empire, that God calls it by the name of its husband, "the beast."
It matters not whether a church is Catholic
or Protestant; wherever church and state are united, that church has "the
mark of the beast," if "beast" means civil power; and God says,
"The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth." Therefore
not only every church, but every individual who belongs to or is part of a
political organization, has "the mark of the beast." There is no
dodging this. Some say it is their duty as men and citizens to look after their
property, and hence they must help make the laws. Very good; if you are a
citizen, it is your duty; but "pilgrims and strangers" have no such
duties and no such rights. "Come out, and be ye separate." "If
ye were of this world, the world would love his own; . . . . but I have chosen
you out of the world."
IN
THEIR FOREHEADS
God puts his mark in the forehead. See
Ezekiel 9:4; Revelation 7:3. He writes his name there. Revelation 14:1. And
such are his true worshipers, and believe in him; and his mark is in their
forehead. There are others who walk hand and hand with these organizations,
members of churches, and yet belong to and are a part of some political
organization. These have the mark in the hand, and some one of the "number
of the name." You can get along very well with the world, whether it be
with a purely civil power, or with a "harlot" church -- state
organization -- if you will carry their mark, or some one of the number of
their names, even in your hand. If "the number of his name" was
simply the numerals of "Latin Church<" or even
"Napoleon," I can not see how one would be entitled to stand on the
sea of glass, having the harp of God in his hand, because he had gotten the
victory over these numerals. But I can understand how those who get the victory
over "the beast," with its millions of worshipers, "and over his
image, and over his mark," and over the millions of those who belong to
these worldly minded, popular, harlot organizations, who serve God with the one
hand and the devil with the other, -- I can understand, I say, how those who
get the victory over all these, may be found with harps of God in their hands.
The various forces which were at work
breaking up and disorganizing society prior to and during the French
Revolution, were infidel in character; and for a time infidelity reared its
head, and a storm of unbelief swept over the Roman world. But with the
restoration of order, these church state and sectarian bands were drawn closer
than ever; and indeed, "no man could buy or sell, save he that had the
mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." "Come
unto me and buy wine, and milk, without money and without price," does not
mean literally to buy. In Rev. 6:6, we read of "a measure of wheat for a
penny, and three measures of barley for a penny." These are ecclesiastical
matters.
During the breaking up of the religious element
in Europe, men could dispense whatever doctrines they pleased, whether it was
the true faith or infidelity; the world cared little about it. But with the
restoration of religious order, this license was withheld, and no man could buy
or sell save he who had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name. "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the
number of the beast, for it is the number of a man ["the man of
sin"]; and his number is six hundred threescore and six" (666).
THE WORLD'S CRISIS
AND SECOND ADVENT
MESSENGER
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1873
N. H. BARBOUR
"Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon
Zion, for the time to favor her, yea, the set time has come." Psalm
102:12.
All who believe the bible must admit that God
has set the time when he will bring again Zion. And having set the time, it is
revealed, "For surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his
secrets unto his servants the prophets." "When the Lord shall build
up Zion, he will appear in his glory." Psalm 102:16. And again we read --
"Say unto Zion, Ye are my people, saith your God."
From the above, we learn that there is a
definite time fixed upon when God will bring again his people; and that he will
at the same time appear in his glory. Hence if we can learn when God will bring
again his people, and Zion's warfare be ended, we shall know the time of the
second advent and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus
Christ.
Christ was the chief corner stone laid in
Zion, and his people under the gospel represent Zion, as much as they did under
the former dispensation. Hence, whenever God speaks to his people, I understand
him to refer to all the true Israel, of both dispensations. This comprehensive
view is necessary if we would understand much of what is written concerning
Israel. It requires both dispensations to complete the plan of salvation.
"The law was our schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ." That is, its
teaching is a necessary help in order to understand the gospel. The first
dispensation was typical, it is true; and was founded in blood, and therefore
based upon death, and pointed to the Lamb slain on Calvary; while the second
and better covenant points to the resurrection and restitution. But both were
necessary, and each dependent on the other. If Christ had not died, our sins
could never had been blotted out; "and if Christ be not risen, then they
who have fallen asleep in him are perished."
Zion's warfare goes through both dispensations;
but the conditions surrounding her were of an entirely different character.
While they represented God's kingdom, and obeyed him, they were permitted to
reign over their enemies, and suffered only when disobedient. Under the gospel
dispensation, if they will live godly, they shall suffer persecution. In the
former case, if they would obey they were exalted above the nations. Now, if
they will be Israelites indeed, they are to submit to their enemies. Then, to
be a son was to hold a dominion. "Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a
hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; and your enemies shall fall
before you by the sword." Here, "if ye receive not chastisement, then
are ye bastards and not sons." Here, they must fall by the sword, and by spoil,
and by flame, and by captivity. There, they could carry the sword and flame and
captivity to their enemies. here, the "man of sin" is permitted to
make war and prevail against them until the judgment sits, and the time again
comes for them to take the kingdom.
Without a kingdom, there is no protection. Hence we pray,
"Thy kingdom come." Now "the times of the Gentiles" are
being fulfilled. Dives has his good things, and Lazarus his evil things. but
when Zion's warfare is accomplished, the "Lion of the tribe of Judah"
will come and sit upon the throne of his father David, and the saints of the
Most High will sway the empire of the world. In Jer. 16:13, God says to Zion,
his people, represented by the name of "children of Israel" -- "Therefore
will I cast you out of this land, into a land ye know not, neither ye, nor your
fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night, where I will not
show you favor." This had its fulfillment at the first advent. Then it was
he who took the kingdom of God from them and ceased to show them favor. His
people, Zion, "were cast off to serve other gods day and night."
"Other gods" means other rulers, or judges. See Exodus 22:28,
marginal reading. Under the first dispensation, while God had a kingdom upon
earth, he always showed them favor. If they were in the hand of their enemies,
and cried unto God, and turned to him with a full purpose of heart, he would
repent him of the evil, and deliver them. While to an Israelite under the
present dispensation is to bear the cross, and be made perfect through
sufferings. It is "to fall by sword, and flame, and spoil, and
captivity." "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints and
prevailed against them, until the Ancient of days came, and the judgment did
sit." When the souls under the altar cried "How long?" they were
told that their brethren must fall, as they had fallen, before deliverance
would come. Indeed, God's people have been cast off to serve other rulers day
and night, during all these Gentile times.
This prophecy could not have been fulfilled
at the Babylonian captivity, for it was to be "into a land ye know not,
neither ye nor your fathers."
Abraham came from "Ur of the Chaldees," and Jacob and his family from
Syria. And then again, at the death of Jacob the scepter given to Judah was not
to depart "till Shiloh come." Then the scepter departed, and God will
not show them favor again as a nation until "the times of the Gentiles are
fulfilled," and "he comes whose right it is" to reign. After his
people were cast off where he would not show them favor, we learn in the
balance of Jer. 16 that the days would come when He would bring them again into
their own land. Jer. 16:15. "And first, I will recompense their iniquity
and their sin double." Jer. 16:18. Here we learn that when God's people
were cast off, as above, the time is fixed for the continuance of their
punishment, and their final restoration to the land, viz., when their sin has
been recompensed "double."
Under the first dispensation this punishment
was conditional, and would cease at any time they would repent. "How often
would I have gathered thy children, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings, and ye would not." Now it is too late; no "your house is left
unto you desolate," and "ye shall see me no more until" the set
time; until the Gentiles have had their day; until ye shall say, Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the Lord. The first dispensation, and their
conditional punishment, continued just one thousand eight hundred and forty-three
(1843) years, and ended with the introduction of the gospel, when Christ at
thirty years of age came into Galilee preaching the gospel. Mark 1:14. then the
scepter departed from Judah, the kingdom was taken from God's Zion, their
unconditional punishment began, and must continue until they have received
"double." One thousand eight hundred and forty-three (1843) years of
bearing the cross will fill the picture, and Zion's warfare must end.
Double means twice, as the addition of an
equal quantity. A prisoner punished conditionally for ten years, is informed
that his punishment must continue until he has received double, at which time
his sin shall be pardoned, and he restored to his home. At the end of the
second ten years we should say his appointed time was accomplished, and his
iniquity pardoned, for he has received double for all his sins. Now hear what
God says to his people, under precisely similar conditions. "Comfort ye,
comfort ye my people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and
cry unto her that her appointed time is accomplished, and her iniquity
pardoned, for she has received double, at the hands of the Lord, for all her
sons." Isa. 40:1-2. See margin. If this "double" during which
they were to be punished does not refer to time, why does God say, "Cry
unto her, that her appointed time is accomplished, for [or because] she has
received double"? If this means nothing, it is at least a strange
coincidence that Zion's warfare should have continued under the twelve tribes;
just eighteen hundred and forty three years (1843); and now, when we are all
looking for her warfare to end, for so many other reasons, it should have an
equal number of years since the gospel dispensation began.
Perhaps we make too much of these prophecies,
as some think, but here are the simple facts: God said by the mouth of
Jeremiah, that he would show them favor (as a nation, he shows all men favor as
individuals), with the promise that after they were so cast off, they should be
brought again to their promised inheritance; but first, he would recompense
their iniquity and their sin double. Then, as Isaiah looks down the vista of
time to its fulfillment, he makes him say, "Comfort . . . my people, and
say unto them that their appointed time is accomplished, and their iniquity
pardoned, for they have received double, at the hands of the Lord, for all
their sins." And all the Advent people, just here, where the
"double" is about complete, are looking for the immediate restoration
of Zion to her promised inheritance. Hence I humbly submit that God meant just
what he said, and that, when she has received double, her appointed time will
be accomplished, and her iniquity pardoned. And as the gospel did not begin
until Christ was thirty years of age, so the thousand eight hundred and
forty-three (1843) years under the gospel will not be completed until eighteen
hundred and seventy-three (1873) years from the birth of Christ, at which time
Zion's warfare must end. If it continues one year longer, it will be more than "double."
If it comes one year sooner, it will be less than double, and in either case
the Scriptures would be broken, for God has said that when she has received
double, her appointed time will be accomplished.
Some will think that this teaches the return
of the literal Jew, but I submit that it does not touch that question. It
simply teaches us when God will bring again his people, and fulfill "his
promise to Abraham, his oath to Isaac, which was confirmed unto Jacob for a
law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant; saying, Unto thee will I give
the land of Canaan; the lot of your inheritance." And we all believe this
promise is to be fulfilled "at the appearing and kingdom of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ." If, then, we can prove these positions, that the
twelve tribes did exist as God's representative people just eighteen hundred
and forty-three (1843) years; and that the very day the gospel began, the
second part, or "double," began, we shall have established our
position and proven that when Zion shall have been one thousand eight hundred
and forty-three years under the gospel dispensation, her warfare will end; for
she will then have received "double"; and God's word for it, when she
has received double, her appointed time will be accomplished.
The twelve tribes become the representatives
of "Israel" at the death of Jacob and end of the patriarchal age.
While he lived he was responsible for and represented his family. "A
Syrian ready to perish was my father; and he went down to Egypt and sojourned
there with a few, and became there a nation great, mighty, and populous."
At the death of Jacob the twelve tribes not only became the representatives of
"Israel,' but the scepter, a symbol of authority, was at that time given
to the tribe of Judah, with the promise that it should not depart till Shiloh
came. Gen. 39:10. Here, then, we have the measure or time during which the
literal see were to bear the scepter and represent God's "holy
nation." And if we can measure its length, we shall know how long that
people represented God's people.
THE
TIME
The covenant was made with Abram when he was
seventy-five years old. See Gen. 12:4-7. The promise of the land was the
covenant. See Psalm 105:9-11. Twenty-five years after that Isaac was born, when
Abram was an hundred. Gen. 21:5. Isaac was sixty when Jacob was born. Gen.
25:26. Jacob died at the age of one hundred and forty-seven. Gen. 47:28. Hence,
from the covenant to the death of Jacob was twenty-five, sixty, and one hundred
and forty-seven years, or two hundred and thirty two (232) years. From the
covenant to the law was four hundred and thirty years (430 [Gal. 3:17]).
Therefore from the death of Jacob to the law was one hundred and ninety-eight
(198) years. In measuring the dispensation under the twelve tribes, we have to
measure from the death of Jacob until "Shiloh," or Christ; hence,
this is our first period of time.
\-
To the law . . . . .
. . . . . 198 years
To the spies . . . .
. . . . . 1 year
To division of
land . . . . . 45 years
To Samuel the
Prophet . . . . 450
"
Under the Kings . . . . . . . 513 "
Captivity . . . . . . . . . . 70
"
Cyrus to Christ . . . . . . . 536 "
Beginning of the
gospel, A.D.. 30 "
------
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . 1843 years
\+
The proofs of all but the first and last
period here given have been presented in the "Bible Chronolgoy,"
published in the Crisis of Nov. 13th and 20th, which see. The last period of
thirdy years, although it brings us into the Christian era, belongs to the
Jewish dispensation; for "the law was until John," and the gospel
dispensation did not begin until Christ came into Galilee preaching the gospel
(Mark 1:14), at which time he was thirty years of age.
Thus we learn that Zion's warfare under the
literal seed continued just eighteen hundred and forty three (1843) years, or
until the gospel dispensation began, at A.D. 30. (The assumption that Christ
was born five years before A.D. 1, will be examined further on.)
Under the gospel, Zion's warfare is to
continue until she shall have received "double"; hence, when one
thousand eight hundred and forty-three years (1843) have been accomplished
under the present dispensation, which brings us to eighteen hundred and seventy
three (1873) years from the birth of Christ, "her warfare will be
accomplished, and her iniquity pardoned." The "double," or
second half of her warfare began the very day the gospel began. See Zech. 9:12.
There the prophet is speaking of the first advent, as is evident from the preceding
verses, where Christ is made to ride into Jerusalem on the ass, and the cold
the foal of an ass. He turns to the literal Jew and says (Zech. 9:11) --
"As for thee also, whose covenant is by blood [see margin], I have set
forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water; turn you to the strong
hold, ye prisoners of hope; even today do I declare I will render double unto
you." Christ came to set free the prisoners and deliver those that were
bound, and to invite them to turn from the law (or pit in which was no water),
to Him who had the waters of life, as is evident from his first sermon (Luke
4:18); and he declares that "that day" this scripture, which
proclaimed deliverance to the captive, was fulfilled.
Is this making too much of God's word, to
take it unquestioned as we find it? "The prophets searched diligently to
know what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify,
when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that
should follow." The prophets, in the plural; hence we have the right to
expect to find the time, both of the first and second advent, in more than the
book of Daniel, and in more than one kind of time, -- "what and what
manner of time." In Daniel, we find it in symbolic time; and here, in
chronological years. "The thousand three hundred and five and thirty
days" (1335) of Daniel 12 seem, without any forcing, to end in 1873. The
six thousand years from Adam also appear to end at about the same time. And
here is the third witness, all pointing with steadfast finger to 1873.
"And in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be
established." each one proves the other true. If the chronology is not
correct, how does it happen that the time given to each of the two dispensations,
viz., one thousand eight hundred and forty three years (1843), should happen to
fit, and end with the chronology? The first half, which reaches from the death
of Jacob and beginning of the independent existence of the twelve tribes to
Christ, covers all the disputed portions of chronology; and if that were wrong,
how does it happen that the second half of Zion's warfare should end with the
chronology? There is no other reckoning by which these periods could possible
be made to harmonize. Hence, those who reject this chronology, ending in 1873,
must forever reject this beautiful prophecy, which God has given to measure the
two dispensations.
Take, for instance, Bro. Thurman's
Chronology, which ends in 1875, and it gives only 1809 years to the twelve
tries, from the time the scepter is given till Shiloh comes, at A.D. 30; and
1845 years to the gospel dispensation; thus making the last half of Zion's
warfare thirty-six years longer than the first half. Hence, when she had
received "double," her appointed time was not
"accomplished," nor was "her iniquity pardoned." For by
that reckoning, the completion of her double term of punishment would have
ended in the year 1839, while the six thousand years would end in 1875; and, by
beginning the Christian era five years earlier, would only make this
discrepancy all the wider. But in our chronology, we take every year as we find
it recorded in the Bible unquestioned; and from Cyrus to the Christian era, as
endorsed by all the world, unquestioned; and the Christian era itself, as we
find it, unquestioned.
If these things are not true, it is very
strange, to say the least, that there should be such simplicity and such
perfect harmony. Because "double," when used in the Bible, does not
always refer to time, is no argument against its referring to time in this
place. Double simply means two times. And if Zion's warfare (which in some way
was to be double, or cover two dispensations, which we know to be true) does
not refer to time, what made God say that "her appointed time was accomplished,
for she had received double," at the time the prophet sees her iniquity
pardoned? And how does it happen the two dispensations are found to be just
equal at about the present time, when we are all looking for the Lord to bring
again Zion? Surely no one who is looking for the Lord at the present time, as
all Adventists profess to be, will oppose this application, which is in such
harmony with our views, unless they have a better explanation to offer.
THE
BIRTH OF CHRIST
The idea so prevalent at this time that
Christ was born five years before our Christian era, rests solely on the fact
that there was an eclipse in Judea four years before A.D. 1, and the statement
in history that Herod died the year of that eclipse. If this statement in relation
to Herod's death is true, then Christ must have been born about a year before
that eclipse; for "the young child" Jesus was in Egypt when Herod
died. Matt. 2:19-20. But we find a discrepancy between that statement and one
made by Luke which can not be reconciled.
August Caesar, who sent forth a decree that
all the world should be taxed (Luke 2:1), died in August A.D. 14. This fact is
questioned by no one Tiberius Caesar was his successor. Tiberius was not the
legitimate heir, but was a step son to Augustus by a second wife, the real heir
dying some three years before the emperor. On the death of Augustus the crown
was offered to Tiberius, and he affected to refuse it for a number of weeks,
but at last accepted and was crowned. "Now in the fifteenth year of the
reign of Tiberius, Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor, . . . . and Annas and
Caiaphas being high priests, the word of God came unto John, the son of
Zechariahs, in the wilderness." Luke 3:1-2. As Augustus died in August,
A.D. 14, and John began to preach in the fifteenth year of the reign of
Tiberius his successor, John's ministry must have commence about the middle of
A.D. 29. John was six months older than Jesus. Luke 1:26. "And when all
the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized, and
praying, the heavens were opened. . . . . And Jesus himself began to be about
thirty years of age." Luke 3:21, 23. John must have preached about six
months, and about thirty years and six months old when Jesus began to preach.
And John does not begin until well along in the year A.D. 29; therefore, when
he had preached six months, and "Jesus began to be about thirty years
old," it must have been at about the close of the year A.D. 29. Hence our
present reckoning is the true one.
The only attempt to harmonize these
statements of Luke with the supposed fact that Herod died the year of that
eclipse, is that Tiberius reigned cotemporary with Augustus three years; and no
one has ever attempted to make it more than three. If we grant that, there
would still be a discrepancy of two years. And if Luke is two years out in his
reckoning, it hurts Bible authority just as much as though he were five. This
is a stubborn fact, and, with all the learned criticisms on this point, has
never been cleared up. Hence, it still rests between Luke and the historian;
and I, for one, am still foolish enough to pin my faith to the Bible, even
though we have to admit the terrible fact that the historian has made a mistake
of a few years in the date of Herod's death. That statement aside, there
remains no difficulty, and the present Christian era is the true one.
ADVENT CHRISTIAN TIMES
"Many shall
run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."
VOL. XI. --- NO. 14. CHICAGO, NOVERMBER 11, 1873 WHOLE NO. 497
N. H. BARBOUR
For about fourteen years I have been looking for the Lord to come in 1873. And to me the arguments have seemed unanswerable. The first month and the seventh month were the only two periods in the year to which I could look. These are passed; hence my hope, or rather expectation, of seeing the Lord this year is at an end.
The
advice of one brother is, "Give up this subject and preach the age to
come." Another, (Free Methodist,) says, "Come with us and preach
salvation." And yet another, "Give up the investigation of the
prophetic periods and preach His coming near." Thus each is doing his part
to give force to the proverb, "The days are prolonged, and every vision
faileth," and to discourage future investigation. But notwithstanding all
this I am still enforcing the 1873 arguments with more faith and a greater zeal
than ever, though I do not expect the Lord until the seventh month of 1874.
This may seem a paradox, but I have a reason for my position which is more
satisfactory, for it adds immensely to the strength of all the arguments.
If
I can show that God claims, when it so pleases Him, to call it 1335 days until
it is 1336, or 1335 when it is only 1334 and a fraction, I shall have shown
that though the periods pointing to the end are revealed and therefore
"belong to us and our children;" yet God may have reserved a fraction
of time in His own power, to be made known in His way, without invalidating the
reliability of the periods revealed to His holy prophets, or our correct
understanding of those periods.
What
God does once, he may do again. In other words, a precedent of His own is a
safe position on which to base a future calculation, and there are just two
periods of time in which He has used this liberty.
"David
was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years."
"Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and he
reigned eleven years in Jerusalem."
One
of these statements is made three and the other five times in God's word, as if
to enforce the idea that there is no mistake. And yet the facts are that
Zedekiah reigned only ten years three months and nine days. (See Jer. 52:1-12,)
while David reigned forty years and six months. (See 2 Sam. 5:5)
Now,
suppose instead of a statement, these had been prophetic periods. "David
shall reign forty years, at the end of which special event will
transpire." The people wait anxiously; the forty years end, and the
promised event does not come. The vision has failed, and God is slack concerning
His promises, would be the natural conclusion. Again, they wait in fear of a
threatened judgment. "Zedekiah shall reign eleven years in Jerusalem, and
then the city shall be taken captive. (See Jer. 1:3.) Ten years pass, and while
they feel confident of another year, God cuts it short, "And it came to
pass in the fourth month and the ninth day of the month of the eleventh year of
Zedekiah the city was taken." Shall the clay say to the potter what doest
thou?
God
has given just these two precedents, from which some men reason that all
definite time in the Bible is loosely stated, and inaccurate. I do not so
reason, but believe they were given for a special purpose. If the time had
overrun one whole year the statement would have been as false in spirit, as
though it had come short that much.
These
two periods teach us that when God pleases to shorten or lengthen a given time
He may so do, within certain limits, without invalidating the spirit of the
word.
The
1260 days of Papal dominion fell short about a year.
From
the best authority we can find the abomination was not "set up," viz:
The providences of Italy, or civil powers, did not declare in favor of the
Catholic party until near the close of 538 (I have always taught that the
"woman" [Rev. 17] who had the name "Abominations" on her
forehead, and was drunken with the blood of the saints, was "the
abomination that maketh desolate;" and that she was "set up"
when she took her seat on the beast, that the "seat" was Rome, the
seat of the dragon, and that she took her seat when the civil power, or
province of Italy changed their allegiance from the Arian to the Catholic
party.) The Goths were expelled from the main part of Italy in the month of
March, but the provinces which Gibbon tells us had afterwards embraced the
faith of the Emperor, could not have organized and changed their allegiance
without consuming time.
From
the Autumn, of 538 to the 15th of February 1798, when the Roman republic was
declared, was only 1259 years and a fraction. Thus the period of oppression on
his church was cut short almost a year.
The
1335 days began when the abomination was "set up" near the end of
538; hence they end near the close of 1873. But the time to which we can look
for our High Priest to leave the holy place in 1873 is passed.
From
near the close of 1873 to the seventh month of 1874 is only a fraction of a
year. This fraction, I am satisfied, from all the jots and tittles God will
appropriate.
No
negative is ever advanced until there has been an affirmative. And Peter
declares, "That God is no slack concerning His promise, as some men count
slackness, but is long suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish;
but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." Now God has
given a precedent for us to call it 1335 days until it is a large fraction over
that: and we know he is long suffering, and there is to be a proverb in the
land, "that the days are prolonged and every vision faileth," and
some men will say that God is slack concerning his promises in relation to the
event, so that faith will be almost extinguished when the Son of man cometh,
and certain servants will say "my Lord delays his coming;" and
bringing it about in this way gives that class of servants such a good
opportunity to smite such fellow servants, and thus try to faith of those who
endure to the end; in view of these things I believe God will "spare the
tree this year also, and after that thou shalt cut it down."
THE BIBLE EXAMINER
THE
WORK OF REDEMPTION PROGRESSIVE
Vol.
XX NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER, 1876. No. 12 (page 368)
THE WORK OF REDEMPTION
PROGRESSIVE:OR, ‘AGES’ EMPLOYED IN ACCOMPLISHING IT.
The Christian church
have been right in believing in the eventual conversion of the world, no
doctrine of the Bible is so clear and unmistakable; but they have failed to
distinguish between the work of the gospel of the kingdom, and the
kingdom itself; the one being a preparatory step to the other.
If the reader will but
entertain the natural and Bible outcome of this progressive plan; that ‘the
world to come,’ belongs after the ‘world that now is;’ that the passage from
the one to the other, is but a change of dispensation, greater than occurred at
the first advent between the law and the gospel, but still
only a change of dispensation from the Gospel of the kingdom to the kingdom; a
change involving a resurrection; for, ‘as in Adam all die, so in Christ, shall
all be made alive, but every man in his own order;’ he will see that ‘a
restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all the holy
prophets since the world began’,( Ac 3:21)
is not a forced doctrine, but a necessity. He will also see that as yet,
no one has entered the ‘world aion, or age to come,’ nor can
until this one ends.
And that therefore, the Adamic death is
but a sleep; and only when ‘they that sleep in the dust of the earth,
shall awake, ’ do they enter upon a future life.
Probation to a restored human family is
not consistent, it is true, with the idea that the heathen, and all the
unconverted go to a place of torment at death; but is consistent with
the statement so universal in the Bible, that they are not dead, but sleep.
The almost unanimous testimony of Scripture, when one was said to die, was,
that ‘they slept with their fathers, and were buried’ &c.; ‘They that sleep
in Jesus, will God bring with Him.’ And Christ said of more than one who was
buried, or ready for burial, ‘He is not dead, but sleepeth.’
This is what the Bible terms ‘sleep,’ but
there is a death; to distinguish it, it is called the ‘second death.’
And it is a clearly Scriptural position that no man can die the real
death, without committing that one sin which is, ‘unto death;’ ‘There is
a sin unto death; I do not say that ye shall pray for it’;(
1Jo 5:16) a sin which Paul claims that one must ‘taste
the good word of God and the powers of the world to come,’ and thus be brought
‘to the knowledge of the truth; if such sin willfully, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sin, but a fearful looking for of fiery indignation’ (compare Heb
6:4-6 and Heb 10:26,27). A sin Jesus says, ‘Can be forgiven, neither in this
world; neither in the world to come.’ But one must sin willfully after
having been brought by the Holy Spirit, to the knowledge of the truth, before
they can commit the sin ‘that is unto death.’ But God has declared that
‘He will have ALL men come to the knowledge of the truth.’ Before
the plan of redemption is finished this will be accomplished. God has promised
a resurrection to all; and a universal restitution; and that ‘All
nations which thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee.’ Even the
Sodomites are promised a restitution back to their ‘former estate.’ (Eze
16:55)
There is much positive scripture, to be
adduced, to prove that there is to be probation in the world to come, for all
who have not been brought to the knowledge of the truth in this world,
and committed the unpardonable sin. Christ gave Himself ‘a ransom for all, to
be testified in due time.’ (1Ti 2:6)
God ‘is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.’ (1Ti
4:10) Not that He saves all men eternally; but
He will save all men from the Adamic fall. Every person must and will be saved;
that is, come to the knowledge of the truth, taste of the good word of God and
power of the world to come; and have their sins forgiven, before they can
‘fall away’ into that fearful condition for which ‘there remaineth no more
sacrifice.’ ‘I have sworn by myself, the word has gone out of my mouth in
righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow,
and every tongue confess.’ (Isa 14:23)
Paul in reasoning ‘that Christ both died and rose, that He might be Lord both
of the dead and living, For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every
knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God’,(
Ro 14:11) is proving a resurrection; and that all, both
dead and living, will, in the day of judgment, or millennial age, be brought to
this good confession.
If it be asked, Why did not God bring
these extinct nations to the knowledge of the truth before they fell asleep, if
He even intended to do so? I answer, God having arranged that there was to be a
second Adam, and a second Eve, the ‘wife’ of this second Adam; (see
Re 19:7) and that through this second Adam all that was
lost through the first Adam should be restored; has, thus far, been doing only
a preparatory work. The Jewish nation supposed the promise of God that ‘All the
families of the earth should be blessed,’ through the Seed of the woman, would
be fulfilled under the law; while the Christian church have, with as
little authority, claimed all for the gospel. If God had satisfied the
Jewish nation, much Scripture in relation to Gentiles would have remained
unfulfilled. If God satisfies the nominal Christian church, much prophecy
irreconcilable with ‘the narrow way,’ would remain unfulfilled. But He
has said that ‘He will be for a stone of stumbling to both the houses of
Israel.’
The salvation under the law, was
for a class, and not for all mankind. The salvation under the ‘Gospel of the
kingdom,’ is for a class, ‘the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ Hence, the way is
narrow, and few there be that find it. Hence, ‘many are called, and few
are chosen.’ Hence, ‘No man cometh unto me except the Father draw him.’ But in
the kingdom, the waters of life will be broad and deep; and there, will the
‘Spirit and the bride say Come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water
of life freely.’
As the ‘marriage of the Lamb,’ and
beginning of ‘the restitution of all things,’ follows the second advent; the
salvation of the world does not commence until then. Hence, Christ says,
‘I pray not for the world, but for them thou hast given me’;(
Joh 17:9) and adds, (Joh 17:20)
‘Neither pray I for these the twelve alone, but for them also
which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one
in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.’ Notice
carefully the meaning; He prays, not for the world, but for His own, His bride,
all that will believe through the word of the twelve, that they all
may be one with Him; ‘they twain become one;’ and the outcome of this mystical
marriage, is ‘that, the world may believe. And, to show that this is the
true order, the marriage is placed at the end of the Gospel
dispensation.
The positive proof that there is an opportunity
for the world after this present dispensation ends, after the second
Adam and his ‘wife’ are joined together, is gathered, first, from the order of
progression given in 1Co 15:45-49. The apostle, be it remembered, is speaking
not of the individual, but of the race of Adam: ‘And so it is written,
The first man Adam was made a living soul person; the last Adam a
quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that
which is natural or animal; and afterwards that which is spiritual. The
first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. And
as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the
heavenly.’
The apostle’s reasoning is, that the
first stage of this progressive development of the human family, is to bear the
image of the first man, male or female, for ‘they were one flesh;’ after which,
they are to bear the image of the ‘second man,’ who also has a ‘wife’ who
becomes one with Him. And to suppose the apostle is speaking of only the
‘second man’ and his wife, simply the bride of Christ, is just as absurd
as to suppose when speaking of the ‘first Adam,’ he meant only the individual
pair. He is showing that the earthly animal man, precedes the heavenly,
spiritual man, as God’s true order; and therefore, the work of the ‘first man,’
precedes that of the ‘second man.’ And God does not perfect separate
individuals, but works by dispensations. Hence, ‘David hath not
ascended into the heavens’;( Ac 2:34)
nor has any man, ‘No man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from
heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.’ (Joh
3 13) And the second Adam does not begin the
re-generation of the ‘children of the kingdom,’ until the ‘marriage of the
Lamb, when His wife hath made herself ready.’
As the natural or animal man has
multiplied and replenished the earth; so also, ‘In the re-generation, when the
Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory,’ will He multiply and
replenish the earth with a spiritual family; ‘and a nation shall be born
in a day.’ And the evidence is conclusive, that when He sits on the
throne of His glory; when ‘the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He is
the governor among the nations,’ ‘All the ends of the earth shall remember and
turn to the Lord; and all kindreds of the nations shall come and worship,
before thee.’ But it is only when He comes in His glory, and during the
sounding of the seventh trump, that ‘the kingdoms of the world become
the kingdoms of our Lord, (Re 11:15)
and He thus becomes ‘the governor among the nations.’ Hence, it is after the
marriage of the Lamb; after this present dispensation is ended; and in the
‘world to come,’ that the conversion of the world, is due.
If God has been trying to save the
world before the ‘second man’ and his wife were perfected in opposition to
His own pre-arranged plan, He has taken a strange way to do it. Why, for
more than two thousand years, did He let the human family go down in death for
death reigned from Adam to Moses, with no effort to bring them to the knowledge
of the truth? Why, if He was trying to save the world under the Jewish
dispensation, did He make it ‘unlawful to give the children’s meat to the
dogs?’ Why should Christ command His disciples, ‘Go not in the way of
the Gentiles; and into any city of the Samaritans, enter ye not?’ They were
dying day by day, and if modern ideas be true, were going to hell, to
eternal torment; and Christ, who was about to give His life for the world,
would not allow the ‘bread of life’ to be given them; and excused Himself
by saying, ‘For I am sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’
If there was to be no ‘restitution;’ and
this life was indeed the end of all hope to the sinner, such apparent
indifference to man’s eternal interests, could not be reconciled with God’s
professions of love to the world; ‘ all men,’ ‘every man that
cometh into the world,’ &c. Not a Gentile saved, or even an effort in that
direction, until a pre-arranged and definite point of time had arrived; and yet
God no respecter of persons: ‘And when the fullness of time had come,
God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them
that were under the law, ’ and until the day of Pentecost, He made no
provision for any other class. He did not come, at His first advent, to save
the world; for he was sent only to those under the law. He did not even pray
for the world, ‘I pray not for the world.’ (Joh 17:9)
He took upon Him our nature, ‘that He might taste death for every man,’ and
‘gave Himself a ransom for all; to be testified in due time.’ (1Ti
2:6) And this ‘due time,’ is after His second advent
The Gospel is designed now to
reach only a class, ‘a royal priesthood, a holy nation;’ to become one with
Christ; truly a wonderful exaltation, exalted above angels, principalities,
powers; ‘know ye not that ye shall judge angels?’ But the gospel dispensation
must end, and a new order of things commence, before the world can be
reached. Here, we are to be ‘pilgrims and strangers,’ separate from the world.
Here, we are to suffer, and obey the powers that be. Here, the way is narrow,
‘strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, and few there be that find it.’
Here, ‘many are called and few are chosen;’ wheat and tares grow together; evil
men and seducers wax worse and worse; even as it was in the days of Noah. How
then can ‘all know the Lord, from the least to the greatest,’ and ‘the
knowledge of the Lord cover the earth, as the waters do the sea,’ in this
dispensation?
When the ‘second man,’ Christ and His
body, are complete; then begins the process of re-generation, and
‘the restitution of all things.’ ‘And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong
hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion,
that lost by the first Adam, and the kingdom shall come to the daughters
of Jerusalem; (Mic 4:8) the bride, ‘the
Jerusalem that is above; the mother in prospect of us all.’
Eve was a part of the human family; and
was ‘the mother of all living.’
Then, indeed, when Christ ‘takes to
Himself His great power and reigns,’ the nations will be subdued under Him. And
He will rule them with a rod of iron; ‘and when thy judgments are abroad in the
earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.’ (Isa
26:9) And this is the song to be sung by the
immortalized bride on the ‘sea of glass;’ ‘All nations shall come and worship
before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest.’*(
Re 22:4)
*Note. The word ‘judgments,’ in Re 22:4,
in the Greek, is (dikaioma), and means righteousness; and is so
rendered, in most cases in the New Testament. And the Hebrew word occurring in
Isa 26:9, (mishpaht) has precisely the same meaning. The same word
occurs in Ps 112:5. ‘He will guide His affairs with discretion.’ margin,
judgment. Hence, the above texts are equivalent to saying, When Christ
guides the affairs of the earth, when He is the governor among the nations, the
inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
‘Come and let us reason together, saith
the Lord.’ If God has been trying to save the world during the gospel
dispensation, He has made as great a failure as during the Jewish age.
And if He was not trying to save the world during the Jewish age, nor
for the thousands of years prior to that, if He did not then care how many
human beings went to hell, what put the happy idea into His heart, even at this
late day, to send Jesus to suffer and try to save a few; for under the
Gospel, He claims but few, ‘narrow is the way, and few there be that
find it?’ If it be claimed that perhaps there was some way, before the first
advent, for the myriads who never heard of a Savior, to be saved; then
it was a cruel thing to send Christ; for now there is no other way, ‘or
name given among men, whereby we can be saved.’ And with all the dark
ages under the papacy, there has not been one million in a hundred millions,
since the Gospel began, who have had any knowledge of Christ, or the way of
salvation. If any man of ordinary ability could have been in possession, for
these eighteen hundred years, of one half of the means of Him, whose ‘are the cattle
upon a thousand hills,’ he could have placed the simple story of the Gospel
before every human being on this earth.
Is God’s arm shortened that it cannot
save? Does He not care for perishing men? Or peradventure He sleepeth, and must
be awaked; or on a journey, and left the eternal welfare of His children to a
few church societies, trusting that they will successfully carry out the
great plan of the redemption of a lost world.
Are God’s ways unequal; or is it our
theology which is unequal? It is true Christ sent His disciples with a world
wide commission, to gather out from all nations a chosen people; but it is not
true that He commissioned us to send all others to hell. ‘He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not, shall be damned.’ (Mr
26:16) The Greek katakrino‘ damned,’ occurs
eighteen times, in sixteen of which it is rendered condemned. ‘The men
of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall katakrino
condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and, behold, a
greater than Jonas is here.’ (Mt 12:41)
This has no connection with eternal torment, but means that the repentance of
the Ninevites is a precedent which will condemn, or put to shame the
nonrepentance of the Jews. In the next verse, the queen of the south is to
condemn that generation. The Jews condemned Christ by rejecting Him and
choosing Barabbas. Many thousand men and horses, were sent to the front and
condemned, in our late war, being unfit for the service. And the great mass of
mankind will be condemned as unfit for the service of the Master, in this ‘high
calling.’ ‘Many are called, few are chosen.’ He that believeth shall be chosen,
he that believeth not, shall be rejected.
If the second Adam and Eve, are to
restore what was lost by the first Adam, they must of necessity restore this
rejected class. And there is to be not only a restitution, but a re-generation,
or reproducing. Even the Sodomites, who are held up, all through the Bible, as
an ensample of wickedness; and ‘as suffering the vengeance of eternal fire’;(
Jude 7) are to share in the restitution. ‘When I shall
bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters and the
captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity
of thy captives in the midst of them. when thy sister Sodom and her daughters
shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return
to your former estate. Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed when
thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elders, and thy younger; and I will
give them unto thee for daughters; but not by thy covenant.’ (Eze
16:53-61)
Long before this prophecy was written the
Sodomites were submerged under the dead sea; and if, in the restitution of all
things, they are restored to their former estate and if the above is
true, they certainly will be, Why may not Pharaoh and his Egyptian host
also be restored? Even if God did raise him up, and harden his heart for the
express purpose ‘of showing forth His power.’
Because God has ‘foreordained and predestinated
certain men to destruction, is no evidence that they are not to share in the
restitution, for the evidence is conclusive that such destruction, however
strong the language used, has only to do with this Adamic life. Christ ‘taste
death for every man,’ Pharaoh as well as Moses. As the potter has power
over the clay, to make one vessel to honor, and another to dishonor, that is,
to be used for a less noble purpose; so God has power to mold the works of His
hands. But that does not prove that all who are not called to this ‘high
calling in Christ Jesus,’ are to be tormented to all eternity. O how lovable is
the God of the Bible; and how hideous is the God of theology!
Election is a glorious doctrine; it is
choosing out a few to become the bride, the spiritual mother of a redeemed
world. And ‘we trust in the living god, who I the saviour of all men, specially
of those that believe.’ (1Ti 4 10)
and the fact that ‘He gave Himself a ransom for all, will be testified in due
time’;( 1Ti 2:6) and this
dispensation is only a preparation, ‘that in the ages to come, He might show
the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness towards us, through Christ.’
(Eph 2:7)
There is a second life, as well as
a ‘second death.’ ‘As in Adam all die; so in Christ shall all be made alive;
’ and if any man die the second death, it will be because he crucifies
Christ afresh, after having been brought to the knowledge of the truth. And
‘for such, there remaineth no more sacrifice, but a fearful looking for
of fiery indignation.’
In all the Bible, there are but two or
three passages which appear to conflict with these views, and they are parables,
given to illustrate certain truths; and, like the ‘rich man and Lazarus,’
refer to nations, or churches, but never to individuals.
Let it once be admitted that there is to
be a restitution, that man sleeps in death, but is to live a second time, that
this re-generation, or reproducing, is as universal as the generation of
the first Adam, and Scripture becomes harmonious, the ways of God are equal,
and His foreordinations, and denunciations, refer only to this present
forfeited Adamic life; and would have been eternal in all their
consequences, had not Christ, when there was no arm to save, stepped in, and as
the second Adam, taken upon Himself to reproduce and restore what was lost in
Adam. This being true, the other class of texts have some meaning,
Christ tasted death for every man: He gave Himself a ransom for all; He
is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
There are myriads of men who have
come into the world and passed out of it, who never saw this light; ‘How can
they hear without a preacher; how can they preach unless they are sent?’
And if that is true, they must receive that light hereafter.
Some think this is too good, that if the
threatnings of God’s wrath are confined to this Adamic life, that if Christ is
to step in, and restore, and give every man a fair opportunity; men will cease
to fear, and a great inducement to repentance will be lost. Indeed! Then let us
go back to ‘priest, candle, and purgatory;’ if error is better than truth, let
us have it in abundance.
-- Dr. N.H. Barbour
THE BIBLE EXAMINER
ROME, NOT CONSTANTINOPLE, THE FOURTH EMPIRE
NEW YORK, MARCH,
1877.
Of the four empires and their locality, Sir Isaac Newton remarks: "All the four beasts are still alive, though the dominion of the first three be taken away." [This corresponds with the declaration of Dan. 7:12. "As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and it time." And also with Dan. 2:39, "Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, and broken to pieces together."]
"The
nations of Chaldea and Assyria are still the first beast; those of Media and
Persia, are still the second beast; those of Macedonia, Greece, Thrace, Asia
Minor, Syria, and Egypt, are still the third beast, and those of Europe, on
this side, are the body of the fourth beast. Seeing therefore the body of the
third beast is confined to the nations in this side of the river Ευphrates,
and the body of the fourth beast to the nations on this side Greece; we are to
look for all the four heads of the third beast on this side of the Euphrates;
and for all the eleven horns of the fourth beast, among the nations on this
side Greece. And therefore, in the breaking up of the Greek Empire into four
kingdoms, we include no part of the Chaldeans, or Media and Persia, in these
kingdoms, because they belong to the bodies of the first two beasts. Nor do we
reckon the Greek Empire seated at Constantinople among the horns of the fourth
beast, because it belongs to the body of the third."
The
above remarks by Sir Isaac Newton appear sound; and more especially as they
are so clearly supported by facts, and by Scripture. If the four beasts still
live, and are to be destroyed together, where are they, if not on their own
original territory?
The
bear subdued the lion, but did not become a lion, nor did the lion become a
bear. One simply conquered the others. Hence the parts of the fourth kingdom
must be looked for, not in Chaldea, not in Russia, not in Grecia, but on its
own territory.
It
has been thought, by some, that the ten divisions of the fourth empire should
be sought for in what men are pleased to call Eastern and Western
Rome. But prophecy says nothing of two divisions of the fourth empire.
The
image of a man has two legs, Ι know; and so it has two ears, two eyes, and
ten fingers. But it has occurred to no one to make more divisions, to Babylon
or Medo-Persia on that account. If the prophecy demands a dual division of the
empire, because the image had two legs, then it demands a dual division of the
Greek empire, for the two thighs, or sides. For notwithstanding α brother
in the EXAMINER for December, 1876, very cooly appropriates, "the two
thighs," etc., to Rome, in order to help out his dual divisions, God
appropriates the thighs to Grecia, "His belly and his thighs of
brass." We had always supposed that Dan. 2 and Dan. 7 referred to the same
fourth kingdom; and where do you find the two divisions referred to in any part
of Dan. 7 th or Dan. 8 th chapter, or
in Revelations? And as the prophecy nowhere hints as any such division, had we
not better be content with what it does teach? The two legs, and Constantinople
and Rome look very pretty on paper, and if you insist on having it dual
division of the empire because of the two legs, when it is nowhere so applied
in the Bible, please let me have ten of Medo-Persia, and two of Grecia [thighs
are plural as well as legs]. If the brother waits till he shall see five of the
horns of the fourth beast, growing out of the head of the third beast, before
he looks for his Messiah, the words he puts into the mouth of a certain class,
"They say this view of the vision of Nebuchadnezzar would put off the
coming of Christ for a long indefinite time," will indeed be true.
Rochester, N. Υ.