V. 25. Know and confider, that from the going forth of the Agreement to build Ferufalem, or Confent of the People, or Nehemiah's Propofal to build and inhabit the City, to Chrift the Governour, are Seven Weeks, and 62 Weeks, 483 Years: And he returned (Nehemiah,) and the Street and Wall were built; and the Times fhall be finifh'd, or run out, from the time of the Dedication by Nehemiah, or his finishing the City by Buildings, as well as the Wall, 420.

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V. 24. Seventy Weeks are to be divided into Sections, for thy People (the Jews) and the holy City to finish Wickednefs, and to end their Tranfgreffions, and to make Sacrifices and Propitiations for them, and to introduce everlafting Righ teousness, and to fulfil the Vifion, and to approve the Prophecy, and to anoint (or re-confecrate) the Holy of Ho lies.

Note, Hence we observe, that the Judaic Oeconomy fhould continue 490 Years; and at the End of it, the Chriftian Religion fhould be introduced, by the Deftruction of the City and Temple; and all this is related without a ny Figure or Symbol, but the 70 Weeks. Therefore this is a literal Defcription of the time of the Continuance of the City and Temple, which were to be deftroyed by a War with the Romans, under the Fourth Empire. From the building of the Wall and the Streets in Jerufalem, by Nehemiah, till the Deftruction by the Romans, the 490 Years must be reckoned: But when Men may fay, the Streets were finifhed, will be fomething uncertain in future Ages; and that will make the exact time unknown, as to a few Years. From 434, to 420 before Chrift, only 14 Years, in which the Streets are finished.

'Tis hence evident, that the Holy Spirit feems always to defign a Variety of Computations in moft Prophecies, that the Completion might not exactly be known; and the De-1 fign of the Computations is only to point out the Age when) the great Events are to happen, and begin or end. There were two Ways of computing the 70 Years of Captivity; one, by Jeremy, from Jeboiakim to Cyrus; the other, by Zachary, from the Deftruction of Jerufalem, to the 4th of Dari

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us and the times of the Computation in the Revelations are now variously made by the Moderns; and these in this Prophecy have never yet been fully interpreted; because the Chronology is much difputed, or the Senfe of the Prophecy mif-understood, and the Copy of the Septuagint loft, and might differ from Theodotion's. But fince the City and Temple are long fince deftroyed, this Prophecy is fulfilled; and the various Computations make but a few Years Difference.

These are my Reasons which have induced me to believe, that the 11th Chapter of Daniel relates to the Saracens and Turks, and not to the Syrian and Egyptian Princes: For the Kingdom of the Grecians in Syria lafted but 253 Years, and the Kingdom of the Grecians in Egypt, 293; but the Saraçens had both Kingdoms above 600 Years, and the Turks the fame Kingdoms ever fince.

The Arabian Tranflation expreffes this Prophecy thus: Tria regna furrectura in Perfide. The Wars betwixt the Perfians and Conftantinopolitans lafted from Conftantine till Hera alius, 300 Years; but the Wars of the Maccabees not 100.

Dan. Ch. 19. v. 14. Declares what is to befal the People in the latter Days; that is, under the 4th Empire; but from Daniel till Antiochus Epiphanes, is not 400 Years, and before the 4th Empire; but the Angel fays, the Vifion is for many Days; that is, Years.

The Angel tells Daniel, he would fhew him thofe things which are noted in the true Scripture; and there is nothing of the King of the North and the South in the Old Prophets; but of Gog and Magog, the true Antichrift, whom Isaiah, Micab, Joel, had predicted before Daniel's time. The Angel who fpoke in this Vifion, reprefented Chrift, by his glorious Defcription; and he commanded the Guardian Angel of Perfia, and left Michael to oppofe him. 'Tis not probable, that this extraordinary Preface fhould be made before the Hiftory of the Syrian and Egyptian Princes. Omar conquered the Perfians, got great Riches, and fought with the Conftantinopolitan Emperour, who then had the Dominion over all the Kingdoms of Greece; conquered Ægypt 639.

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The Syrian and Egyptian Kingdoms were under Petty Princes, in respect of the Saracens and Turks: And fince D4niel describes the Fourth Kingdom more particularly than the reft, it is not probable that he fhould omit the Hiftory of the Saracens and Turks, who had many Battels for the Mahometan Empire. In the little Horn, Antichrift muft rise, after the Divifion of the Fourth Empire into Ten Horns; and that made greater Desolation in the Eaft, than any of the Grecian Princes.

The Character of Antichrift in Daniel, is to conquer the Saints, to magnifie himself, to fit in the Temple, to be deftroyed when he pitches his Tent betwixt the Seas on the Holy Mountain, to be King of the North, and to conquer the King of the South. Thele things agree with the present and future Hiftories of the Mahometans; and they have Dominions amongst the Libyans and Ethiopians; but the Syrian Princes never had.

Dan. Ch. 12. Is part of the Prophecy, and relates to the Kingdom of the North and South Kings, which muft ftand till the Return of the Jews from their prefent Captivity, and till the Refurrection of the Juft. And the Computation of that Kingdom is, a time, times, and half a time; and the fame is predicted, Dan. Chap. 7. ver, 25. and both are the Computation of Antichrift's Kingdom, when it muft end.

Dan. 8. Defcribes the Grecian Monarchy, and Antiochus's Deftruction of the Jews, and intimated the Oppofition of the Maccabees, V. 11. x, and has given the time of that Pollution of the Temple, 2300 Days. It was not neceffary to repeat the fame Hiftory, Ch. 11.

After Daniel had described the Deftruction of Ferusalem, Ch. 9. he gives this Vifion of the Wars of the Kings of the North and South, Ch. 10, 11, 12. Therefore thefe Events are after Chrift, by the Order of his Prophecies.

The particular time of the Two Tribes Return cannot be known by the Revelations: It must be before the Burning of Rome, because mentioned, Rev. ch. 15. and after the Deftruction of the Saracens, ch. 14. Efdras, ch. 12. The Lion reproves the Eagle; and the reft of my People fhall be deliver in Mercy, thofe that have been preferved on my Borders; and he fhall make them joyful, until the Coming of the Day

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of Judgment. Daniel does not fay, from whence his time and times must be computed; but the whole time of the Difperfion of the Jews under the 4th Empire, is from the Deftruction of Jerufalem A. D. 70. and there his 490 Years, and 70 Weeks end; and if we add 1750 Years to the 70, the Difperfion of the Two Tribes will end 1820. For according to Efdras, a Time is 500 Years; and a Time, and Times, and a Half, 1750. The Two Tribes are ftill on the Borders; and they must firft return, and build Sion, before the Ten return, at the Refurrection, and Second Coming of Chrift.

Note, Dan. 9. v.25. Thefe Words may be thus interpre ted ; ἀπὸ ἐξόδε λόγε, τῷ ἀποκριδῆναι, καὶ τῷ οἰκοδομῆσαι Ιερεσαλὴμ : From their publishing of the Order that Jerufalem is to be re-built, in its Streets, after the Wall was finifh'd: And the Senfe of thefe Words is, ἐκκενωθήσονται οι καιροί, the Times fhall be reckoned run out, or be exhaufted, from the finifhing the Street and Wall. The Law is called Shun; and no Covenant of any other fort is meant, but the Multitude of the Jews defended their Religion and Countrey and City, against the Romans leven Years by Tumults and Wars.

St. Matthew, ch. 24. v. 14. obferves, that the End fhall come, after the preaching of the Gospel in all the World; and this is the End of the Jews Commonwealth. And St. Paul fays, the Jewish Ordinances were near their Disappearing, and Wrath was come on the Jews to the uttermoft; the War was begun in his time, and the everlafting Righteoufnefs was preached by the Apoftles after Chrift; but neither his Birth nor Death are mentioned in this Prophecy, but his introducing everlafting Righteousness. The Chrism is a Symbol of the High. Priesthood, which was to be deftroyed with the City and Temple. The Sections represent the feveral Parts of this Prophecy; the feven VVeeks, the filling the City with Inhabitants returned from their Captivity, as Zachary predicts; and the 62 VVeeks, the Exercife of the Mofaic Ordinances, and at laft the Introduction of Chriftianity by Chrift and his Apoftles; and one Week was fpent in Sediti ons, and Tumults, and VVar.

Ch. 3. Nehemiah and the People built the VVall by As greement amongst themselves; and after the VVall was built, Nehemiah gave the Charge over Jerufalem, to his Brother Hanani and Hananiah: V. 4. ch. 7. he fays, the City was large, and the People few, and the Houses were not builded. Ch.11. the People caft Lots who fhould dwell in Jerufalem. These things might be done after his Return, 428. For he gave the Command to his Brother on his going away, Ch. 7. v. 2. and might dedicate the VVall after his Return, Ch. 12. v. 27. Nehemiah plainly defcribes two Agreements (which expilnvas fignifies; the firft is for the VVall, the fecond for the Inhabiting and Building the City; and they alfo dedicated the VValls and City at laft. And hence the Computation may be taken, 420 before Chrift.

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