recognition, by the unchristianised portion of the Hebrew people, as their King, and promised Messiah. Compare John v, 43. Now, deducting from this number another seven weeks, comprising days we are brought to the day as that of "the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem," at the beginning of the seventy weeks. Deducting once more, these days we find that we have left 666 49 617 617 0 of the 2400 days; and that they should be regarded as the 2400 days, immediately anterior to our Lord's next Advent. (Rev. xiii, 18.) meaning of course, one person. How can this be fairly reconciled with the application of it by Commentators to Pope after Pope of Rome, through a long succession of ages? Again-can any connection be shown to exist, between the Popedom, and the taking away of the Daily Sacrifice, and the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation? The Pope may be the Antichrist of our days; but he is not the Apocalyptic Antichrist, any more than Rome is the "Great Babylon." For-666 being the number of the Beast, whose seven heads represented seven mountains, as well as seven kings, it is a somewhat remarkable coincidence with this, that Byzantium, on whose site Constantinople now stands, (which I take to be the Great Babylon," foreshown to the Apostle John, and which, as Rome was, is a city on Seven Hills) was founded (see "Quarterly Review," volume lxxviii, page 356) B.C. 657: which number of years, when reduced to prophetical years, of 360 days each, instead of 365, Let us now sum up these several periods. We have, then, at the beginning of the 2400 days 1. The casting down of the rebel angels from heaven to the earth, as the issue of the " war in heaven,' (Rev. xii, 7-9) and of that "shaking of the heavens,' which is foretold by Haggai, (ii, 6-21.) and by our Lord. (Luke xxi. 26.) 2. The commencement of the "short time " granted to Satan (Rev. xii, 12), and of "the great tribulation," discoursed of in Dan. xii, 1. Rev. xii, 12. Matt. xxiv, 21. 3. The commencement of that "treading under foot of the host," on the part of Antichrist, which is to be continued through the 2400 days. Going forwards from this period, we have (See Dan. ix. 25) the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, on the day.............. "The street shall be built again,and the wall, even in troublous times." From this, "there shall be seven weeks," comprising days... 617 49 will increase to the number 666. So that Antichrist, as in this Paper set forth to view, will have. 1. As the number of his assumed name, "the Messiah."... 666 2. As the day, foreshown in prophetical chronology, as that of his recognition by the Hebrew people, as the Prince Messiah... 666 3. As the birth-date of the Seven Hilled City, which the figure of the Beast indicated to the Apostle John... B.c. 666 "to the Prince Messiah "—who is plainly and manifestly, Antichrist: as we find ourselves brought to the day....... which is the declared number of the Beast of will carry us on to the day 666 434 1100 (i) Just as the True Messiah did-who, after three days, rose again from the dead. Is this the mystery of iniquity, of the day 1100 to the middle of the seventieth week, (the day 1104) say, together-days... will bring us to the day as that, on which the 1290 days are to begin, which we are to reckon from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be made to cease, and the Abomination that maketh desolate shall be set up, by the reappearance of Antichrist on earth, and in the Temple of God. Now add days (j) 7 1107 30 which the Apostle Paul writes, that it doth already work; his meaning being, that it did so in the mind of Satan; who, beholding the spread of Christianity, as the effect of our Lord's crucifixion, and resurrection, was possibly, even in those early days, planning the Antichristian Imposture of the Last Daysa false Christ brought again from the dead, and so, attracting the world's wonder and worship to himself, and the Dragon. God sometimes permits this Adversary to act out his schemes, inorder to his ultimate disappointment, and disgrace. (See the history of Job. Also Rev. ix, 1, and Rev. xi, 7). It is plain that Antichrist, who is to be "cut off," after the threescore and two weeks, will not be so, till the day 1104: because "in the midst of the week," (which coincides with that day) he is to "cause the Sacrifice and the oblation to cease," &c. It is equally plain, that on the day 1107, he is to be alive again : because, from that day, as the day of the replaced Abomination of Desolation, the 1290 days are to be reckoned. The first setting up of this, on the day 1104, being the cause of his death, is not included in the calculation of the 1290 days-which begin with his restoration. (See Rev. xiii, 12-14). In the Book of Daniel, the King of Babylon is represen and we arrive at the day 1137 as that on which the 1260 days are to begin; and through which, there will be— 1. The war of Antichrist on the Saints. Rev. xiii, 7, 5. 2. The treading down of Jerusalem by the Gentiles. Rev. xi, 2. 3. 4. The flight of the Hebrew Church into the Wilderness. Rev. xii, 14, 6. The prophesying of Messiah's two Witnesses. Rev. xi, 3. Now, add these days as that on which the two Witnesses are to be and we come to the day slain by Antichrist. Add, once more, the assigned period of Antichristian rejoicing over the Dead Witnesses-three days and a half And we arrive at midnight, on the day. 1260 2397 34 2400 ted as sending forth a decree, that, for 30 days, no petition should be addressed to God or man, but only to him. Was this prefigurative of a similar requirement, on the part of Antichrist, the king of the Apocalyptic Babylon? We have him, on the first of the 1290 days, seated as God, in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And on the first of the 1260 days, we have his war on the Saints commenced. Are we to suppose 30 days to be allowed, for the people of God to choose, whether they will worship, or be killed? Rev. xiii, 15. |